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Eating healthy and preventing food waste are easy with this four-step salad.
My Endlessly Riffable Grain Salad is ripe for experimentation. And it’s my secret weapon for eating healthfully, preventing food waste, and feeding my husband when he swears there’s absolutely, positively nothing to eat in the house.
My hubby will happily tuck into a one-bowl, vegetarian riff du jour that’s chock-full of nutritious grains and veggies that had been lurking in my produce drawers. Or it’s a good choice for when I get carried away at the farmers market (not a bad thing). I can also incorporate other items hiding in my fridge or pantry, like cheeses, condiments, dried fruit, and nuts.
Using bulk-bin, pantry-friendly grains as the foundation is cost-effective and pretty much guarantees I can whip up a salad for lunch or a quick weeknight dinner anytime.
You can, too. Follow my lead to create craveable meals for your family and reduce food waste at the same time. It’s as easy as 1-2-3-4.
Grain Salad Riff and Reward
Create your own endlessly customizable, delicious grain salads by following these four steps.
- Choose a grain. Farro, barley, quinoa, and bulgur are good choices because they offer a satisfying chew and are hearty enough for a one-bowl meal. Plus they can stand up to a boatload of veggies. (Pearl couscous works, but doesn’t have the same nutritional benefits as the whole grains.)
- Go big with veggies and fruit. Here, more is almost always better. The more goodies you have, the more intriguing your salad will be. Pull out your cutting board and slice some wilty carrots, soft cherry tomatoes, bendy cucumbers, and extra roasted veggies. Include unexpected ingredients like tangerine segments and jarred pickled jalapeños or beets. Even some of your farmers market haul. You name it.
Grains are a blank slate, so when choosing the items to decorate the salad, think about incorporating a variety of contrasting flavors, textures, and colors. Here are some ideas for inspo:
- Crunchy and soft (snow peas or cucumber, and avocado or strawberries)
- Firm and juicy (shaved fennel or Brussels sprouts, and cherry tomatoes or tangerines)
- Salty and sweet (feta cheese or olives, and corn or pomegranate seeds)
- Bitter and sweet (radish or kale, and roasted sweet potato and red bell pepper)
- Shake up a vinaigrette dressing. Vinaigrettes are my choice because their acidic tang brightens grain salads. You can use a store-bought one, but a DIY version with citrus juice or vinegar is cost-effective, comes together quickly, and avoids unnecessary plastic bottles and packaging. Fresh or dried herbs and spices add flair, and a splash of leftover pickle brine has zip and prevents food waste.
Preserved lemons are one of my favorite vinaigrette ingredients, and I always have at least one jar in the fridge. (See Preserved Meyer Lemons, Moroccan Style for a recipe.) They’re umami bombs that serve up sunny lemon flavor year-round and help prevent food waste when my lemon tree is laden with fruit.
Consider playing with a few spoonfuls of harissa, chili crisp, gochujang, or tahini. Explore what you have on hand — that’s one of the beauties of vinaigrette and this salad.
- Garnish aplenty. These add more to love. I like a dusting of crumbled cheese (feta, goat, or cotija), toasted nuts or seeds, crisped tempeh, or chickpeas. You can also scatter fresh herbs like chopped basil, thyme, cilantro, mint, or chives over the top.
RECIPE: Endlessly Riffable Grain Salad
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
Serve this salad at room temperature or chilled.
Ingredients
- Vinaigrette
- 3 cups cooked grain, cooled
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup bite-size avocado chunks
- 1/2 cup bite-size cucumber chunks
- 1/2 cup bite-size red bell pepper chunks
- 1/4 cup tangerine sections (cut in half if they’re large)
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup coarsely shredded beets
- 4 Tbsps toasted pine nuts or almonds, chopped
- Finishing salt (optional)
Instructions
- Make the a Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette, Harissa-Orange Vinaigrette, or use your own recipe.
- Combine the grain, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, red bell pepper, and tangerines in a large bowl. Gently toss to incorporate.
- Re-whisk the vinaigrette to incorporate all the ingredients, if they have settled. Pour 1/2 cup vinaigrette over the salad, and add the feta cheese and pepper. Gently toss to incorporate. Taste the salad and add more vinaigrette, if needed. Gently fold in beet shreds so they don’t stain the salad.
- To serve: Put 3/4 cup of the salad in single-serving bowls and top with a tablespoon of toasted pine nuts or almonds. Alternatively, serve the salad in a large bowl so diners can serve themselves.
RECIPE: Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
- Yield: Makes about 1 cup 1x
Description
This vinaigrette is my go-to. I love how the preserved lemon, lemon zest, and juice combine to maximize the lemony flavor. Use any leftover vinaigrette to dress green salads or spooned over grilled fish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbsps orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
- 2 tsps lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsps Aleppo pepper
- 2 Tbsps preserved lemon peel, rinsed and finely diced or smashed with a fork
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend.
- Store any leftover dressing in a lidded glass jar in the refrigerator for up to three days.
RECIPE: Harissa-Orange Vinaigrette
- Yield: Makes about 1 cup 1x
Description
This vinaigrette is sweet with a flavorful kick of harissa, a North African chili condiment. You can adjust the spice level by how much harissa you use. Note that harissa brands vary greatly in their heat level, so start with less and add more to taste. Leftover vinaigrette can be refrigerated and used to dress salads made with heartier greens.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2 Tbsps rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsps honey
- 3 Tbsps store-bought harissa
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- Few grinds of black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend.
- Store any leftover dressing in a lidded glass jar in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Zest Master
To make zesting lemons and oranges easier, zest the whole fruit before juicing it. Zesting removes the top layer of the peel and leaves the bitter white pith. If you don’t have a microplane zester, use a box grater or peeler, being careful to avoid the pith, and finely chop.
