Sweet and Savory Salad

So this recipe has a bit of a story . . . 

I had been thinking about creating a new kale salad with asparagus especially for spring for some time now, and with a fully stocked fridge and fresh asparagus from the garden, I decided that today was the day to experiment.

I pulled out the kale to clean it and noticed holes.  This isn’t good – holes typically mean worms (as I discovered last summer with the kale from our garden).  Sure enough, after closer inspection, I discovered the kale had many little worms in it.  Ick!  There were so many (and so many holes) it wasn’t worth picking through it.  But that meant I had no base for my salad.

Thank goodness for my fully stocked fridge!  After enjoying this for lunch today, I think the salad I ended up creating was BETTER than the kale salad I had imagined would have been.  Plus, thanks to the cabbage, I think it would hold up overnight if you wanted to pack it for an easy lunch on the go.

Sweet and Savory Salad

serves 1

1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 chopped jalapeno

1 small minced clove garlic

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

4 – 6 stalks roasted (or blanched) asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup rinsed and drained chick peas

1/4 cup dried fruit (I used a cranberry/ blueberry mix)

1 T goat cheese

1 T citrus dressing – see recipe below

Step one:  Roast or blanch the asparagus (I used roasted since I was roasting a bunch of asparagus for tonight’s dinner – blanching would be quicker).

Step two:  Assemble ingredients, drizzle dressing on top, extra salt and pepper if desired.

Enjoy!

Dressing – makes enough for several salads, so just pop it in the fridge and enjoy it all week: 3 oz. olive oil, 1 oz apple cider vinegar, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, 1/2 oz fresh orange juice, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper – shake before using.

What is your favorite salad?  Do you like coming up with new combinations, or do you have the same one every time?  Share in the comments!