A simple Mixed Green Salad with sweet dates and an out-of-this-world anti-inflammatory turmeric dressing full of fresh, tangy flavour and a little spice from the ginger. An elegant side perfect for dinner parties, girlie lunches or curry nights.
Not only is this mixed green salad delicious, but it also has all the health benefits of curcumin a potent anti-inflammatory.
The pungent turmeric and spicy ginger dressing complement the crunchy celery, earthy pistachios and sweet Medjool dates while crisp salad leaves add the perfect base for this salad.
You Will Need
How to Make It
Step 1 - Prepare Ingredients
Wash your mixed lettuce leaves in a colander under cold running water, and remove any damaged or wilted leaves.
Shake to remove the excess water, and then either pat them dry with a clean towel or spin dry in a salad spinner.
Wash your celery stalks, and remove the strings either by using a small sharp knife to lift the edge of the strings then gently pull down the celery stalk.
Or as a faster and easier alternative use a vegetable peeler to peel them.
Then either finely dice your celery with a sharp knife, or
slicely them thinly in your food processor.
Remove the seeds from your dates and chop them into small pieces. Then crush your pistachios, just to break them apart and not turn them into pistachio powder.
Add everything to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2 - Shake up the Dressing
Add all the dressing ingredients in a glass jar, season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper then shake until emulsified.
Taste and adjust seasonings according to your personal preferences.
Step 3 - Assemble Your Salad
Pour your dressing over your salad, and season with salt and pepper.
Gently toss to combine so that you don't damage the salad leaves.
Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter the extra pistachios on top to garnish and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions 🍽
A wonderful salad that can be adapted to suit many occasions, we have enjoyed it at...
- A fancy dinner party served with a stuffed pork belly roast
- A girlie lunch with a sweet potato flower tart and perfectly grilled salmon fillets
- And as a super casual dinner alongside a hot Madras takeaway curry
Tips and Questions
Make-Ahead Tips
While this mixed green salad cannot be made in advance there are a couple of things you can do to save yourself some time on the day.
- Slice your celery a few days in advance and keep it covered in a container topped up with water. This will keep your celery fresh and make it super crunchy. Just make sure you strain it well and pat it dry before adding it to your salad.
- Make the dressing several days ahead and keep it in a covered container in your fridge.
- Chop the dates, crush the pistachios and keep them covered in separate containers until you are ready to use.
- Once made up this salad should be eaten on the day, the leaves will become soggy after several hours once the dressing is poured over.
How Do I Prevent the Salad From Becoming Soggy?
To prevent sogginess, make sure that your salad greens are completely dry either by patting them dry with a clean towel or by spinning dry in a salad spinner.
Store the dressing separately and toss it with the salad just before serving.
Are There Any Alternatives for the Turmeric Dressing?
If you're not a fan of turmeric, you can try a balsamic vinaigrette, orange mustard dressing, or a simple olive oil and lemon dressing for a different flavour profile.
Can I Meal Prep This Salad?
- To meal prep this salad for your lunches - make up the salad and keep the dressing in a separate container to add just before you are ready to eat.
- Without the dressing, it will keep in your fridge for approximately 2 days.
- For some added protein you could try some grilled chicken, flaked salmon or chickpeas for a vegetarian/vegan option.
A couple more of our salads with turmeric to try...
Recipe Card
Equipment
- Salad Spinner
Ingredients
- 120 grams mixed lettuce leaves 1 (approximately 3 cups)
- 4 stalks celery (400 grams approximately 2 cups sliced)
- ⅓ cup pistachios (slightly crushed ) 2
- 5 Medjool dates (⅓ cup chopped dates)
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon turmeric, fresh (grated)
- 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh (grated)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsps pistachios (slightly crushed)
Instructions
- Wash and dry your mixed salad leaves.
- Wash your celery stalks, de-thread them and slice thinly then chop your dates, add all your salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake until emulsified.
- Pour your dressing over your salad, season with salt and pepper and toss until combined.
- Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter the pistachios on top to garnish and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- My salad mix had a lot of radicchio in it which seemed to suit this salad perfectly.
- The pistachios are crushed in this salad for their bright green colour
Leave a Reply