My Most Requested Salad Recipe: also a Clean the Fridge Salad!

My Famous Salad without a Recipe!

One of the most wonderful things about this salad is that it uses up little bits of whatever you have on hand, thus you can clean your fridge with this one, and it won't taste even one little bit like leftovers!

Secondly, there isn't an official recipe so you can do this without a shopping list, and without a run to a grocery or specialty store. I make this salad at least once a week, although it is never the same twice, and it is something all members of this household love to find in the fridge whenever the hungries strike.  I have learned to make enough to last a few days for my household, but you will have to play around with this for your particulars.  It makes a great lunch to take to work also.

Some of the great tasting vegetables you can put into this salad.

 I start with having some cooked up whole grains:  I have used barley, wheat berries, wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, farro and some combination of these at times.  You will find many of these in the same aisle in which rice is sold, or in the bulk section of the supermarket,  where you can buy any quantity you want.  Cook up about 1 cup whole grains according to the package instructions, and if you are using quinoa it is always best to give it a good rinse first.

Wild Rice, Wheat Berries and Barley

 My time saver tip is to cook up 2 cups at once, and store the second half for the next time, or put it in the freezer.  Whole grains freeze well, and can thaw overnight in your refrigerator.

Put this half aside for later use.

 Now look around in your fridge and pull out what you like in salads:  radishes, carrots, half a cooked chicken breast, a celery stalk, scallions, bell pepper or hot peppers, etc.  If you don't have much there, check your freezer for corn or peas--they work well once thawed and add color to your salad.  Your pantry can also hold some great add-ins, like olives, marinated mushrooms, dried fruit, water chestnuts, beans, nuts, etc.  This is all about what looks good because we really do eat with our eyes.  You don't need to have a lot of ingredients to add to your salad, but a nice colorful variety is always beautiful.

Cut everything small so you can get a bit of it all on each forkful.

 Now cut up anything that is too big to fit on a fork.  Toss all of the vegetables, fruits, and grains together in a big bowl.  Stir it up and decide if it looks like the right amount of ingredients and colors to you.  You can make this however you want it.

Stir it up to determine if you have the right proportions.

 To bring this to the next level, an incredibly hearty and delicious salad, make your own vinaigrette from your ingredients:  vinegar, oil, herbs, mustard, salt, pepper, etc.  If you don't know how to make a vinaigrette, go back to March and find my blog on vinaigrettes.  It is really easy to do and makes a huge difference!

Stir in your vinaigrette, making sure to distribute evenly.

Serve!  

 

You may be surprised at how delicious this is, and if you make enough (!!!!) it will last in the fridge for several days.  And when it's gone, well, good thing you made up extra whole grains!

It never lasts very long around my house!