I can’t stop making summer salads. In particular, I keep making a broccoli-carrot salad that’s a mashup of two salads I ate growing up as a kid. It’s so versatile and crunchy, and it lasts for days in the fridge. Last night, I used up some rotisserie chicken I found in the back of the freezer for a cold chicken pasta salad that the family will eat for the next couple of days (if it lasts that long). All of my summer salads have one thing in common – a basic mayo and vinegar dressing.
What is this magical dressing, you ask? Well, get you some good mayo. And I mean, GOOD. We’re a Duke’s family, but I’ve had to switch over to an avocado-based mayo recently that’s not too shabby (I still sneak in some Duke’s here and there). Depending on what you need to cover in your salad, maybe start with a cup and plop it in a big bowl. Add in about a level tablespoon of sugar (maybe less, depending on how sweet your sweet tooth is), and a few shakes of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Grab some apple cider vinegar and a whisk – start with a couple of tablespoons and whisk the ACV into the mayo until you get a creamy mixture. I like mine a bit on the runnier side, but still able to coat whatever I’m mixing into it. So, this is usually around a quarter cup of vinegar. Adjust your seasonings and sugar to taste, and voila! A lovely dressing that can go on just about anything.
My broccoli-carrot salad is what usually gets this dressing. Cut up some broccoli into small, bite-sized florets. Grate in a couple of carrots and half an onion. Throw in a handful of sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. Pour in the dressing, mix to combine, and cover that baby up for at least an afternoon if not the next day. The broccoli needs time to absorb the creamy dressing goodness.
And don’t be afraid to try different vinegars! A tomato vinegar with some added tomato powder gives it a wonderful depth of flavor, almost like a pizza sauce dressing. Rice wine vinegar has worked well, as has regular vinegar, though you do need to adjust sugar and seasonings. I think balsamic works ok, but it’s not my favorite.
Salads are my salvation. I can make a hearty pasta and chicken salad ahead of time and not cook on hot days. Or, just don’t cook when I don’t want to.
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