A good fresh salad always fancies in summer. Forget about the classic combination of lettuce and tomato and dare with our three original proposals.
Both to take care of the line and to give our body a good dose of vitamins, salads are always an excellent choice.
As a light dinner or as a starter at noon, any of these suggestions will bring a fresh and original touch to your menu: a vegan cheese and blueberry salad with a sweet touch of honey; a showy polenta and beetroot salad in millefeuilles; and a refreshing apple salad with Italian dressing. You will repeat!
VEGAN CHEESE SALAD AND BLUEBERRIES WITH HONEY
Ingredients (for 4 people):
- 100 g vegan curl cheese
- 50 g fresh blueberries
- 1⁄2 French lettuce
- 50 g canons
- 50 g arugula
- 30 g pine nuts
For the vinaigrette:
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons Modena vinegar
- 7 tablespoons olive oil
- pepper, salt
Preparation (15′ + 1h cooking):
- Wash and reserve the blueberries. Toast the pine nuts in a pan briefly and set aside as well. Clean the canons and arugula, and clean and chop the lettuce.
- To prepare the vinaigrette, mix, in this order, honey, salt, pepper, Modena vinegar and oil.
- Divide the salad leaves into four plates. Cut the vegan cheese into 4 slices and place one on each plate. Distribute the pine nuts and blueberries, and water with the vinaigrette.
Variant: if you wish, you can replace honey with a tablespoon of blueberry jam or other fruit to taste.
2. POLENTA AND BEETROOT SALAD
Ingredients (for 4 people):
- 70 g maize semolina
- 450 ml broth or water
- 400 g cooked beet
- 50 g green lettuce leaves
- Pine nuts for garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- 125 g vegan cottage cheese
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh chives
- 30 g roasted pine nuts
- freshly ground pepper and salt
Preparation (20′ + 15′ cooking + 2h rest):
- Put the water to be heated in a high saucepan. When it comes to a boil, salt and add the polenta little by little, while stirring so that it does not form lumps. Cook ten minutes and add the parsley. Pour into a tray smeared in oil to cool and, when it has acquired a solid consistency, cut the polenta into a medallion shape with a circular mold.
- On each plate arrange some green leaves; On top two polenta medallions and, on each, a slice of beetroot. Top them with another medallion of polenta and another of beets until they form two turrets.
- Prepare the sauce by beating the vegan cheese, oil, lemon and pine nuts until you get a cream. Add the chopped chives and pepper, and mix.
- Pour this sauce over the turrets and serve the salad garnished with some pine nuts.
Variant: You can sandwich the vegan cheese between the polenta and the beets, and season the turrets with a basil sauce, like a pesto.
3. APPLE SALAD
Ingredients (for 4 people):
- 1 block Royal Gala
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 120 g arugula
- Half French endive
- 1 tablespoon capers
- The juice of a lemon
For the dressing:
- 50 g of assorted nuts: almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts
- 2 tablespoons Modena vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- pepper and salt
Preparation (20′):
- Peel the nuts, crush them, salt and pepper and drizzle them with vinegar and oil. Reservation.
- Wash the arugula and endive, drain and spread them on four plates.
- Wash the apples, discourage them and, without peeling them, cut them in half and then thin slices. Drizzle them with lemon juice.
- Spread over the salad apples and capers and season with nuts.
Variant: You can substitute the capers for olives, or add fresh mushroom slices.
