This is the salad I served with my English Beef Pot Pies on the day that I had friends over to watch Pride and Prejudice (see my post, A Taste of Britain Menu ). Truth is, this simple salad would complement many meals. I just happened to choose ingredients with an English identity for my British themed menu:
Here are step-by-step photos for making this salad.
Step 1: Assemble the ingredients. Salad greens (mine are half baby spinach and half spring greens), walnuts, blue cheese, cucumber, blue cheese dressing.
If you'd like to make your own blue cheese dressing, here's my healthified recipe:
Yogurt Blue Cheese Salad Dressing & Dip
Step 2. Thinly, slice the cucumber. I used a mandoline, but a knife will work, too.
Step 3. Chop the walnuts.
Step 4. Crumble the blue cheese.
Step 5. Assemble individual plates of salad: cucumbers around the perimeter of the plate, greens in the center, drizzled with blue cheese dressing, then sprinkled with walnuts and blue cheese crumbles.
Note: I think this salad is much prettier arranged on individual plates rather than tossed in a big bowl. Creamy dressings like this look better when they're drizzeled on rather than tossed. Framing the plate with the cucumbers makes a nicer presentation, too.
That's all there is to it. This really is an easy salad to prepare. But, often the simplest combinations are the best.
Optional toppings. Other optional tasty additions are sliced apples or raw fresh or frozen English peas (thaw them before serving.)
Assemble ahead, if you like. Arrange the cucumbers and greens on the plates and refrigerate until it's time to serve. Remove the plates from the fridge, drizzle on the dressing, and sprinkle with cheese crumbles and walnuts; or set out the toppings and let people add their own.
This is one of my favorite lunch salads. Love it.
For a great combo, serve this salad with my English Beef Pot Pie.
Click to view English Beef Pot Pie post and recipe
Make it a Yummy day!
Monica