Long Live the Irish Green Salad!

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 0 Minutes

Ready In: 15 Minutes

Servings: 4

An Irish-inspired salad recipe I tested and assembled for our upcoming annual St. Patrick's Day meal. Use any (mixed) salad greens of your choice. One shamrock-shaped cookie cutter (not too large) is required for this recipe. Feel free to substitute green beans and yellow/wax beans for the asparagus.

Ingredients:

6 cups mixed greens (or you can use one specific lettuce or greens of choice)

1 medium granny smith apple, unpeeled, diced small (use a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar and toss to stop the browning)

12 -16 asparagus spears (ends trimmed) or 12 -16 asparagus tips (ends trimmed)

fresh mint, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

2 ounces irish cheddar cheese, cubed small (we love irish dubliner)

1 small parsnips or 1 small carrot, peeled and grated

1 -2 large green bell pepper

3 tablespoons raisins (golden or dark, currants can be substituted, too)

1/2 cup whole milk buttermilk

cream, for thinning (optional, if needed)

2 -3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sour cream (or plain yogurt)

salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Note: I used leftover roasted asparagus spears from the previous night's dinner. Roasted would be preferred over steaming (my personal opinion.).
2. Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together and refrigerate. Best prepared 1 hour in advance of serving.
3. Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl except for the bell pepper and raisins. Toss.
4. Take a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter and cut out shapes from the green bell pepper. (You may need an extra bell pepper to do this step.) How to: first slice the bell pepper lengthwise from stem to bottom. Remove seeds and membrane. Cut out shapes.
5. Divide the salad onto [4] salad plates. Garnish with the shamrock-shaped slices of bell pepper; add the raisins.

By RecipeOfHealth.com