Mixed Green Salad with Garlic Honey Vinaigrette

When it comes to holiday entertaining, it doesn’t get any easier than mixed greens and vinaigrette. This base recipe is ultra-simple and pared down to keep the budget low, but you can easily make the dish your own by adding chopped fruits, nuts, raw vegetables, or whatever you have available in your pantry.

Substituting three heaping tablespoons of raspberry preserves or orange marmalade for the honey and garlic in this recipe is a simple way to transform the dressing to a fruity vinaigrette. You can use a flavored vinegar to mix things up.

This recipe yields just over a cup of salad dressing– twice the portion than you need for a dinner party of eight. The extra dressing will keep well in a jar or bottle in the refrigerator. Just be sure to allow the dressing to come to room temperature before serving, since the olive oil will thicken when it is cold.

Mixed Green Salad with Garlic Honey Vinaigrette (serves 8)
Salad:
2 cups loosely packed spinach leaves, stems removed
1 bunch leaf lettuce, stems removed
1 bunch arugula, tough stems removed
Dressing:
3/4 cup organic olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup local honey
2 garlic cloves, pressed into a paste
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Chop the spinach, lettuce, and arugula into bite sized pieces and place them in a large salad bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss salad with half of the dressing and serve immediately. Store the remaining dressing for another use.