Recipe by: Eileen Meirski
“This salad has it all – A crisp base of arugula, spinach, kale and butter lettuce, crunchiness from roasted almonds and sunflower seeds, a burst of flavor from the red onion, umami goodness from the roasted broccoli, creaminess from the avocado and a delightful sweetness from the red grapes, apples, blueberries and Premium Classic Balsamic Vinegar! It is based on an entrée that was on the Cheesecake Factory menu about 10 years ago. “
Ingredients:
- Greens:
- Kale -5 ounces or one bunch. (Tuscan works best because it is tender.)
- Baby spinach – 5 ounces
- Arugula- 5 ounces
- Butter lettuce – 5 ounces
- Optional- salt and pepper to taste
- Dressing:
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup Premium Classic Dark Balsamic
- Add in:
- 2 avocados- thinly sliced
- 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved or quartered
- 2 apples, thinly sliced
- 1 cup of blueberries
- 1 cup roasted broccoli
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
Directions:
- Roast the broccoli and almonds at 375 degree, about 10 minutes, until the tips of the broccoli and the almonds start to turn light brown. Set aside to cool.
- Remove the tough stem from the kale and tear or cut into small pieces.
- Place all the Greens into a large bowl. Optional- season to taste with pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Slowly drizzle in the balsamic, tossing while adding, until each piece is lightly coated.
- Add in remaining ingredients to, toss and enjoy!
Notes:
- Feel free to personalize! This recipe will keep for up to a week if the greens are stored separately from add-ins, and the avocado is cut just before serving.
- If regular kale is used (rather than Tuscan) massage it for a minute or two with a few slices of the avocado. This is a tasty way to tenderize it.
- Other substitutes are:
- 16 ounce package of mixed greens, for the kale, spinach, and arugula.
- Romaine lettuce, for the butter lettuce.
- Premium White or Simply Lemon, for the Premium Classic Dark Balsamic
