How do you make a salad when lettuce is missing in action at the grocery store or so wilted it's not worth buying? Well, you could opt for kale, but I'm not as impressed with it as the media seems to be. I prefer other leafy greens, among them Swiss chard. Many varieties of chard are available, like pretty rainbow chard with multi-colored ribs. Although the leafy vegetable is good steamed or stir fried, it's also great in salads. The chard has a different, slightly earthy taste--more like spinach than kale, I think. The leaves of some varieties of chard can seem a bit sweet, but the stems can be tough, so save the stems for something other than a salad (like adding to soup). The chard salad I'm offering you below is "super," because it's loaded with nutrients. In addition to the chard, which is an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, and a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber, the salad includes lots of other vegetables, avocados, and dried cranberries and pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Beyond all the health benefits, the salad tastes really good! So ditch the lettuce (and kale), and go for chard in your salad bowl.
Creamy Swiss Chard Super Salad -- Serve 4+
3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of low/reduced fat mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon of lemon pepper
1-2 tablespoons of cherry preserves (preferably low sugar)
3-4 chopped green onions
1/4 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1/2 a large avocado, cut into small pieces
2-3 tablespoons of dried cranberries
2-3 tablespoons of shelled, roasted pumpkin seeds
1-2 tablespoons of sunflower kernels
6-8 large chard leaves, tough stems removed
In a large salad bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon pepper, cherry preserves, and salt until well blended. Stir in the onions, celery, carrots, avocado, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower kernels. Slice the chard into ribbons about 1/2-inch thick and add them to the salad. Mix/toss everything together to thoroughly combine all the ingredients and coat the chard with the dressing. Serve the salad or refrigerate it until you're ready to serve it. The salad keeps well in the refrigerator.
