Vegan Caesar Salad with Chickpea Croutons

I love this salad! Crunchy chickpeas stand in for croutons mixed with fresh garden lettuce and topped with a creamy, garlicky dressing. Delightful!

Recipe

Fresh garden lettuce

CHICKPEAS:
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas
1 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

DRESSING:
1 c. raw cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1/3 to 1/2 c. water (depending on how thick you like your dressing)
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 T. Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves
1-1/2 tsp. Vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 T. capers
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

For the chickpeas, preheat oven to 400-degrees. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and rub dry in a tea towel or with paper towels. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt, and roll around to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, then roll the chickpeas around in the baking sheet, and roast for another 10-15 minutes until lightly golden.

For the dressing, put all ingredients in a Vitamix and puree until smooth and creamy, about 45 seconds. Store in the refrigerator where it will thicken as it sits. Add more water as needed to thin, if needed.

For the salad, place the lettuce in a large bowl and add the chickpeas. Stir in enough dressing to coat the leaves. If you eat cheese, add some shaved parmesan.

Shrimp Potato Salad

This recipe comes from the chef at Kachka restaurant in Portland - an interesting take on a potato salad by adding shrimp, vegetables, and parsley mayonnaise (called "Shrimp Olivier," a Russian retro seafood salad). I had a half pound of shrimp and the other ingredients on hand, including lots of parsley in my garden, so I decided to give it a try. When you want potato salad but with a little something extra, this might do the trick! Their recipe calls for topping the dish with medium cooked shrimp (in addition to the rock shrimp or bay shrimp in the salad). 

Recipe

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4" pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces
1/3 c. fresh or frozen peas
1/2 lb. bay shrimp
2 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
2 kosher dill pickles, cut into 1/4" pieces
1/2 small sweet (Vidalia) onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. coarsely chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for serving
3/4 c. Parsley Mayonnaise (see recipe below)

Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender (about 8 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl; let cool.

Return water to a boil and cook the carrots until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and place in another smaller bowl. Repeat with the peas, cooking for about 1 minute. Add to the bowl with the carrots. Let cool.

Add the carrots, peas, shrimp, eggs, pickles, onion, and chopped dill to the potatoes; toss well. Mix in the parsley mayo. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper, if needed. Top with dill sprigs just before serving.

PARSLEY MAYONNAISE:
3/4 c. packed fresh parsley leaves
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 T. mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

– Kachka Chef Bonnie Morales

Crab Salad

I've been longing to make Ina Garten's crab strudel recipe and even picked up a pound of fresh Dungeness lump crab meat, but the weather is not cooperating. It's been in the 90s for what seems like forever and too hot to turn on the oven. Since I have all this lovely crab, I decided to use it in a salad and it turned out great — cool and refreshing! If you haven't had much experience with fresh tarragon, this is a good recipe to try. It lends such a nice, subtle flavor to the crab mixture. When the weather finally cools down I'll make that strudel.

Recipe

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any shells or cartilage
1 stalk celery, peeled, and cut into 1/8" dice
4 tsp. finely sliced fresh chives
1 tsp. minced fresh tarragon
1/3 c. mayonnaise
3 T. sour cream
Juice from half of a freshly squeezed lime
Zest from 1 lime
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Avocado, sliced (for garnish)
Mixed lettuce
Light vinaigrette

In a bowl lightly toss the crabmeat, celery, chives and tarragon together.

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, and mustard. Add to the crab mixture and stir until just coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If not using right away, cover and keep in the refrigerator.

Serve on mixed lettuces with a simple vinaigrette of your choice. For a nicer presentation, pack the crab mixture in a round ring or container and invert onto the salad.

Surimi, Lemon, Artichoke & Pesto Pasta Salad

An easy, fresh, delicious salad for the end of a beautiful Portland sunny Sunday. I happen to love surimi (fake crab made out of other fish, in this case Alaska Pollock) - it's meatier (and cheaper) than real crab - just chop and add to the salad. The most time consuming item is the pasta which needs to be cooked and cooled before adding.

Recipe

8 oz. cooked pasta (rotini, shells, etc.)
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 T. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 T. minced fresh garlic
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 c. purchased (or homemade) basil pesto
1 can whole or quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 c. small-diced red onion
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 c. coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1 lb. Alaska Surimi Seafood (imitation crab)

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain well and let cool. I stirred in 1 T. olive oil while it was still hot so the shells wouldn't stick together.

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Stir to coat well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 6-8.

– wildalaskaseafood.com

Curried Chickenless Salad

You don't have to worry about this salad going bad at a picnic (no eggs)! I've been making this vegan recipe for decades and it's always a hit. Serve as pictured with some lettuce, or use it in sandwiches. The longer you let it sit in the fridge (a few hours or overnight), the better the flavor.

Recipe

12 oz. package of tempeh, poached and cooled
1 celery rib, minced
2 scallions, minced
2 T. red bell pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 c. golden raisins
2 T. slivered almonds
1 T. fresh parsley, minced
3/4 c. Vegenaise (or soy mayo)
2 tsp. curry powder
1 T. sweet pickle relish
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar (or other natural sweetener)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To poach tempeh, place in a saucepan with water to cover and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes, then remove from the water and pat dry. Grate and put in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Cape Cod Chopped Salad

I've been craving a fresh tasting, crisp salad and Ina Garten's Cape Cod Chopped Salad fit my mood today. The dressing is sweet and tart, perfect for the salad ingredients and will last for a few days in the fridge.

Recipe

4 strips thick cut bacon
8 oz. baby arugula
1 large Granny Smith apple, diced
1/2 c. toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. dried cranberries
6 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

DRESSING:
3 T. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2 T. orange juice
2-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 T. pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2/3 c. olive oil

For the dressing, whisk together all ingredients except the olive oil until well incorporated. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. To make cleanup easier, line the baking sheet with a sheet of foil. Roast the bacon for 20 minutes until nicely browned. Cool, then chop in large pieces.

In a large bowl toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese and bacon. Toss salad with just enough dressing to moisten.

– Ina Garten, "Back to Basics"