Salad Platter with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe
I’ve discovered a trick to get my children to love eating salads!
It’s very simple. Rather than adding all the ingredients to a bowl and tossing them together, I make separate piles of ingredients on a bed of greens for them to see clearly. I call this the salad platter!
For some reason, when they are served a tossed salad, they spend a lot of time picking through it to see what they think I may have hidden in there and don’t end up eating it all.
However, when presented with a beautiful salad platter with clear piles of individual ingredients, they absolutely love helping themselves to everything on the dish and serve themselves up more than I would even expect, as well as eat most of it up with joy.
It’s been a total game-changer and my new favorite dish to prepare, especially since it’s so hot this summer, and it doesn’t heat up the kitchen to prepare.
I love salads, because they are delicious and eating lots of fresh, fiber-rich vegetables and greens is one of the best ways to support gut health and balance hormones.
Salad platters are so versatile too. Each time I make one I change it up a little, adding whatever we have in the kitchen, and new items for the kids to try out.
You can use your favorite kind of leafy greens, I alternate between a variety of greens from spring mix, to baby arugula and spinach, and romaine lettuce. My favorite is a mix I get at my local farm stand that always includes beautiful edible flowers.
My boys love grated carrots and chopped apples in their salads, so those are always a constant, other than that I add all sorts of different ingredients from vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and radishes, to garbanzo beans or cooked quinoa. Add a half an avocado and a couple of hard-boiled eggs and this is a super filling entree by itself.
Plus, the salad platter makes an elegant display for a dinner party, potluck, or holiday meal that all will love and admire. Make it as fancy or as simple as you want!
Everyone will enjoy getting to pick out exactly what they want and how much.
Salad Platter
Base:
Favorite kind of leafy greens (spring greens, baby greens, chopped romaine, etc.)
Choose your own toppings:
Carrots, finely grated
Apple, chopped small
Radishes, halved and sliced
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Cucumber, cut into quarters and diced
Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Cooked quinoa
Avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced
Hard boiled eggs, halved
Spread the leafy greens on the platter
Arrange the toppings in separate piles on the leafy greens
Maple Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
5 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. spicy mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
4 shakes black pepper
Add all ingredients into a small mason jar and whisk, stir, or put a lid on the jar and shake, until well mixed.
Adjust salt and pepper seasoning to taste.
I hope you enjoy this fun and easy twist on the traditional tossed salad!
