Category: Salads

Swedish Sour Cream Cucumbers

Creamy cucumber salad is the perfect low carb summer salad, and fortunately it’s extremely easy to make it. Cut up the cucumbers, onions, and herbs, stir together a few things for the dressing, and mix it all up. You’re good to go!

Ingredients:

  • 6 small or 2 large cucumbers, washed and sliced thin (about 3 cups)
  • 1 large red onion (or 1 cup), halved and sliced thin
  • kosher salt
  • 4 Tab sour cream
  • 2 Tab fresh dill, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar, or more to taste
  • black pepper, to taste
  • A few splashes white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl; layer a third of the cucumbers and onions, then a sprinkle of kosher salt, and repeat with the remaining.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  3. With your hands, squeeze the excess moisture out of the cucumbers and onions and place into a clean bowl.
  4. In a small bowl; mix up the sour cream, fresh dill, sugar and black pepper.
  5. Add a little vinegar at a time and taste as you go.
  6. If you add too much vinegar just balance it out with a little more sour cream and a pinch of sugar.
  7. 30 minutes before serving, pour dressing over vegetables, stir and cover back up with plastic wrap and refrigerat.
  8. Stir again, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves: Yield: 6-8 servings

Source: Simply Scratch

 

Villa Park Women’s League – GOURMET – June 21, 2014

Scandinavian Cucumber Salad

In summer, there’s nothing quite as cool and refreshing as cucumber sandwiches, cucumber soup, or cucumber salads,  This refreshing salad makes an excellent side dish for salmon, or as part of a summer luncheon buffet.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c cider or white wine vinegar
  • 2 Tab water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 Tab sugar
  • 1/8 tsp fresh dill
  • 2 medium-sized cucumbers – unpeeled, slice very thin

Directions:

  1. Combining vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and dill.
  2. Pour the dressing over the sliced cucumbers.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap,
  4. Let stand for at least 3 hours.
  5. Serve in the true Scandinavian style, in the marinating dressing.

Serves:   4

Source:  James Beard

Swedish Smorgasbord Fruit Salad

The Swedes will put booze in anything!

Ingredients:

  • 3 navel oranges, peeled and chopped
  • 3 red apples, cored and chopped
  • 3 pears, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1 1/2 c. white/green grapes, halved
  • 1/4 c. orange juice
  • 1 Tab rum
  • 1/2 c. mayonnaise
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1/2 c. walnuts

Directions:

  1. Combine fruit and orange juice and rum in serving bowl.
  2. Mix mayonnaise and sour cream.
  3. Spoon over fruit.
  4. Top with nuts.

Serves:  8-10

Source:  cooks.com

Asparagus Salad with Shrimp

A good luncheon salad.  You can use bay shrimp as well.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb asparagus, woody stem ends removed
  • 1/2 lb pink salad shrimp, cooked, shelled
  • 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced (1/2 teaspoon to 1 1/2 teaspoons, depending on how much you like fresh garlic)
  • 1 Tab lemon juice (more to taste)
  • 1 Tab minced fresh parsley
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions: 

  1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
  2. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and boil for 3 minutes.
  3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus to a bowl of ice water to cool.  (Or cook them until al dente in the microwave or a steam oven.)
  4. Add the shrimp to the pot of boiling water (unless they are pre-cooked).
  5. Boil them for 2-3 minutes, until barely cooked through.
  6. Remove the shrimp.
  7. Drain well.
  8. Place them in to a large bowl.
  9. Slice the asparagus spears thinly on the diagonal until you get close to the tip.
  10. Cut the asparagus tips off in one piece. (They look prettier that way.)
  11. Put the asparagus in the bowl with the shrimp.
  12. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
  13. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
  14. Add more lemon juice if desired, to taste.

Alternate Dressing – Pink Mayonnaise Dressing

  • 1/2 c mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 garlic, crushed
  • 1 Tab fresh dill, finely chopped
  • salt and white pepper to taste

Mix well and toss with shrimp and asparagus.

Serves:  4

Source:  Simply Recipes: Elsie Bauer

Scandinavian Potato Salad

Get ready for summer.  Wonderful with grilled salmon or chicken.  

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs small red potatoes
  • salt
  • 1 c mayonnaise
  • 1/4 c buttermilk (or 1 T  lemon juice/white vinegar, fill to 1 c with milk, let sit 5 min)
  • 2 T Dijon mustard
  • 2 T whole-grain mustard
  • 1/2 c fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1/2 p diced red onion
  • freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Cook potatoes with 1 T salt in a large pot of water. Cook until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes.
  2. Drain potatoes in a colander.
  3. Place colander with potatoes over the empty pot off the heat and cover with a dry, clean kitchen towel.
  4. Leave potatoes to steam for 15-20 min.
  5. In a small bowl whisk mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon and whole-grain mustards, dill, salt and pepper.
  6. Cut potatoes into quarters or halves and transfer to large bowl.
  7. Pour dressing over along with celery and red onion.
  8. Toss.
  9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  10. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Serves:  4-6

Source: epicurious, submitted by QIDOC

BLT Salad

If the BLT ranks as one of the world’s great sandwiches, imagine what the combination can do for a salad. Shop: You know the drill: ripe heirloom tomatoes and thick-sliced smokehouse bacon. Excellence lies in the details.  It’s one of the rare occasions when iceberg lettuce works better than a designer green like arugula.  To make a red-blooded American twist on the ubiquitous Italian bruschetta you can spoon the salad on toasted slices of French bread instead of mixing croutons with the greens. Salad is good for you. Bacon is about to make it taste better.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb bacon, cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces
  • 4 slices French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/2 c mayonnaise
  • 1 c rice vinegar
  • 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
  • 2 large or 4 medium-size luscious red ripe tomatoes
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Place the bacon in a cold heavy large skillet and heat over medium heat.
  2. Cook the bacon until it is crisp, browned, and most of the fat has rendered (melted out), 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
  4. Place the mayonnaise and vinegar in a salad bowl and whisk to mix.
  5. Set the dressing aside.
  6. Coarsely chop the lettuce. You should have about 4 cups.
  7. Remove and discard the stem ends of the tomatoes,.
  8. Dice the tomatoes.
  9. Place the lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon in a large bowl but don’t toss until serving.
  10. Just before serving, gently toss the salad with the dressing (use the slotted spoon or a rubber spatula).
  11. Season the salad with salt and lots of pepper to taste; remember, the bacon is salty already.
  12. What else: For the best results, make your croutons from scratch. If you were sensible, you’d toast the bread with extra virgin olive oil or melted butter. But you’re not sensible and neither am I, so we’ll use the fat from the bacon and keep it between us. Of course, to save time, you could use store-bought croutons, but let’s pretend I didn’t say that.

Variation: BLT Salad Bruschetta
Prepare the BLT Salad,  but do not toss the salad.

  1. Cut 8 slices of French bread sharply on the diagonal and about 1/2-inch thick.
  2. Brush the bread on both sides with bacon fat or olive oil.
  3. Bake the slices of bread in a 350°F oven or toaster oven until crisp and golden brown, about 5
    minutes per side, or brown the bread slices on the grill.
  4. Lightly spread each piece of toast with some mayonnaise.
  5. Toss the salad and spoon it onto the toasts.

Serves:   4 – 6

Source:  The Splendid Table

Pea Salad

Peas straight from the freezer retain their crisp exterior and soft, creamy interior in this simple-to-make salad. For a subtler onion flavor, soak onion slices in cool water, then thoroughly drain before folding into the mayonnaise mixture.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c mayonnaise
  • 1/4 c sour cream
  • 1 Tab white wine vinegar
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground
  • pepper
  • 1 lb frozen peas (do not thaw)
  • 1/2 small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (1/2 c)
  • 1/4 c packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 4 oz bacon (about 4 slices), chopped
  • 2 oz aged white cheddar, shaved or coarsely grated

Directions:

  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and vinegar in a large bowl.
  2. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Fold in peas, onion, and parsley.
  4. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
  5. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and fat is rendered, 8 to 10 minutes.
  6. Transfer to paper towels to drain and crisp.
  7. Let salad stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  8. Gently fold in cheddar and bacon just before serving.

Makes:  4 cups
Source:  marthastewart.com

 

Quick and Easy Potato Salad

An interesting variation on potato salad.  It turns out a light brown color because of the onion soup mix – a bit odd, but tastes good – like onion soup dip.  I added a pound of bacon to a double recipe because, you know, BACON.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 in pieces
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 celery ribs, finely diced
  • 1⁄2 medium red onion
  • 2 large hard-boiled eggs (optional)
  • 3 Tabs sour cream
  • 1⁄ c mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 -3 Tab onion soup mix (I put 3 but I like the onion’s)
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Put potato pieces in a large saucepan and add water to cover the potatoes by one inch.
  2. Salt the water.
  3. Bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat.
  4. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until potatoes are tender.
  5. Drain potatoes in a colander and allow to cool.
  6. In the meantime, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, onion soup mix, salt, and pepper.
  7. Transfer potatoes into a medium bowl.
  8. Add celery, egg and onion.
  9. Pour dressing over top and mix gently.
  10. Chill for about an hour in the refrigerator. Four hours for best flavor.

Serves:  6

Source:  Genius Kitchen

Jicama and Orange Salad

Simple and different. A good salad to take somewhere – add the dressing when serving.   Also a good winter salad when tomatoes and such are not at their best.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 lb jicama, peeled and cut into 1 1/4 by 1 1/2 inch strips
  • 12 navel oranges, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 c sesame oil
  • 3 c rice vinegar
  • cilantro

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine jicama and oranges.
  2. Toss lightly to mix.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar.
  4. Add cilantro
  5. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat evenly.
  6. Serve at once.

Serves: 25

Source:  One of the non-profit school/church/volunteer group cookbooks I have since given away.  They are the best source for interesting recipes!

Sacramento Salad

Feel free to vary the lettuce type and the kind of nuts, maybe even use pears or cantaloupe for the fruit.  Salads are usually built by inspiration and what is on hand.

Ingredients: 

  • 3 heads Romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 lb (8 oz) blue cheese chunks
  • 6 whole red apples, cored and sliced very thin
  • roasted walnuts
  • 1 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 c  Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 c honey
  • 1/4 c wine vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Roast for 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Toss the nuts around occasionally to ensure even cooking. Nuts are done when they appear a shade darker and smell toasty.
  5. Add the greens, cheese and apples into a large salad bowl.
  6. Mix the olive oil, Dijon,  honey and vinegar in a small jar and sprinkle with and salt
    and pepper.
  7. Put the lid on the jar and shake well to mix.
  8. Pour a little of the salad dressing over the top of the salad and toss to combine. Taste the salad and add more dressing to taste.
  9. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Serves:  20 – 25

Source:  Lost the recipe.  These are the ingredients on the prep list.