Spring Spinach Salad

Flavour Kit RecipesMay
Written By Sonia Potichnyj

Highlighting fresh bright spring-tastic produce. Spring spinach, rhubarb and mint. This salad is loaded with textures and flavours of pickled rhubarb, maple-ginger vinaigrette and topped with a vibrant crumble of garlic pistachio for a final touch of crunch. The Maple Ginger Flavouring Kit components are designed to pull everything together perfectly, with confidence.

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Flavouring Components

  • 1 Maple Ginger Vinaigrette

  • 2 Pickled Rhubarb & Onion

  • 3 Crispy Garlic & Pistachio Crumble

Salad Components

Serves 4

  • 280g spinach

  • 100g baby kale

  • 4 stalks spring onions

  • 8 stalks green garlic

  • cucumber small hot house

  • 1 small carrot

  • 4-8 mint leaves



Equipment

  • ice water, fill a large bowl half full with water & 1 cup of ice

  • paper towels

  • knife or vegetable peeler

  • sauté pan

  • oil

  • S&P

  • large mixing bowl

Prepare your ingredients

STEP 1: Wash the produce

  • SPINACH & BABY KALE LEAVES: Pick over, discard wilted leaves, wash & dry in a salad spinner, set aside

  • CUCUMBERS & CARROTS: Scrub under cold running water. Peeling is optional. Cut vegetables into ribbons with a peeler OR cut into round disks with a knife. place into the ice bath (these suggestions are optional)

  • MINT: Pick over, place into second bowl of ice water

  • SPRING ONIONS: Remove grit by rinsing under running water. Cut on a diagonal, place into ice bath with the mint

    TIP: Bathing your greens. Fill the salad spinner bowl with cold water. Place trimmed spinach leaves in the basket, lower into the water. Agitate gently with your hand, soak 5 minutes. Lift the basket, empty the water, return the basket into the bowl. Drying the spring spinach is important, this removes excess water and allows the vinaigrette to stick to the leaves.

STEP 2: Green garlic Confit

  • Rinse the green garlic well under running water. Pat dry

  • Simmer gently on medium-low heat in 1/2 cup olive oil for 7-10 minutes

    TIP: Strain and cool the olive oil. The infused oil is packed with flavour and will keep for weeks in the refrigerator.

Step 3: Assemble the salad

  • Drain the washed produce through a colander

  • Pat dry with paper towels

  • Transfer to a large mixing bowl

  • Shake the vinaigrette well (Flavouring Component 1), drizzle a few tablespoons over the produce, season with S&P

  • Add spinach & kale leaves

  • Drain Pickled Rhubarb-Onions (Flavouring Component 2), reserve the pickling liquid

  • Toss with the spinach leaves

Step 4: Garnish the salad

  • Gently place the tossed & dressed salad onto a wide shallow bowl

  • Place the green garlic confit around the base of the bowl

  • Scatter the Garlic-Pistachio Crumble (Flavouring Component 3)

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A little inspiration to build on

  • Breakfast Toast. Layer crispy rustic toast with smeared avocado smash, top with spring spinach salad, add a soft jammy egg, sprinkle a little garlic pistachio crumble

  • Dinner. For a delicious easy weeknight dinner add crispy skinned chicken breast

  • Have a little Pickled Rhubarb left over. drizzle over toast smothered with fresh ricotta, finish with a splash of honey

  • Reserved pickling liquid. Add to the jar a little dijon mustard, herbs, diced shallots, S&P, olive, shake well. You now have a quick tasty vinaigrette

Sonia Potichnyj
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