Yay! It's salad season. Our spinach is at the perfect, baby-leaf stage. And our leaf lettuce is still tender and young. Meanwhile, over in the rhubarb patch, the stalks are going gang-busters. Tender green leaves combined with bits of rhubarb make a lovely spring lunch combination. Let's head into the kitchen.
This sweet dressing is delicious on baby spinach or mixed greens, along with some diced cooked chicken, bacon crumbles, sliced boiled eggs and strawberry halves. Lacking the extras, Simple Rhubarb Salad Dressing is our favorite dressing for baby spinach with boiled egg slices.
Simple Rhubarb Salad Dressing
you'll need:
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh rhubarb
1 to 2 shallots minced (or 1 to 2 tablespoons of finely minced onion)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar (bump it up to 3 tablespoons if you like a tangy dressing)
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
1/3 cup salad oil
Chop your rhubarb very fine.
Mince shallots (or onion).
In a small stainless saucepan, combine rhubarb, shallots, sugar, vinegar and salt.
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| It will look like this when you first combine everything in a saucepan |
Simmer, with a lid on, for 10 to 12 minutes (until rhubarb is soft).
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| Once cooked, it should look like this |
Whisk in oil. Add black pepper.
This makes 3/4 cup of dressing, and will keep in the fridge for about 10 days.
Toss salad with about a tablespoon of dressing per serving.
There you have it -- our go-to dressing for springtime salads!
Do you have a favorite dressing for spinach salad?
Never thought about making rhubarb dressing. Actually that could be because I don't like rhubarb. However, I'm going to pass on this idea onto my sisters that love rhubarb and spinach.
ReplyDeleteHi live and learn,
DeleteYeah, rhubarb has that flavor that you either like or don't. And there are some rhubarb items that I really don't care for (tastes like old tires). I do like this one, and I hope your sisters do too. It's a sweet dressing, and would also be good on fruit salad.
Yum, this looks good :) My favourite salad dressing is pretty boring (but tasty) - just olive oil, balsamic vinegar and wholegrain mustard. Sometimes I add herbs as well if I have them.
ReplyDeleteHi Economies,
DeleteMmmm, I love a good mustard vinaigrette. And I don't think it's boring at all. Sometimes a mustard vinaigrette is just the right blend of flavors for a dish.
I usually use an herb vinegar and add some chives to a mustard dressing. We had this just the other night. I'm a huge salad-lover. I could eat salads everyday of the year!
Lili,
ReplyDeleteYummy! I love salads anyway and anytime! I would love to sit down to this one, with all of your fresh ingredients-this is packed with pure nutrition and the salad dressing - I am in!
Thank you for sharing`
Happy Thursday,
Jemma
Hi Jemma,
DeleteI love salads, too. This is one of my favorite times of the year with the garden, as I have salads for lunch nearly every day!
Hope you're having a nice Thursday!
It's a beautiful color too! Now I am wishing we had planted spinach. We have kale and arugula going right now.... Maybe I can squeeze some in! Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteHi Jen,
DeleteI know, I love it when a food is both beautiful and delicious! I don't know your planting zone, but here in the Pacific NW US, I just started a second round of spinach a week ago. We're cool enough in May that it does fine to start this late.
I didn't plant arugula this year (I'm out of those seeds), but am wishing I did. I love the flavor!
Thanks for visiting!
I am very fortunate to have received this recipe from Lili years ago and I must say its one of my absolute favourites EVER! I use it spring, summer and fall. it tastes great on any kind of salad.
ReplyDeleteLili thanks for the reminder -- it's time to make another batch (or three)!
Hi Jayne,
DeleteI'm really glad you like this recipe. It's been a favorite of mine for many years as well!
I do share with the family, but mostly it gets gobbled up on my own weekday, lunchtime salads!
Thanks for your comments!
Back in the 80’s I worked at a restaurant that served a great Spinach salad (spinach, mushroom, bacon, HB egg, swiss and croutons) with caper dressing. I have the Caper dressing recipe but I have never cut it down from food service to a household sized quantity.
ReplyDeleteYour rhubarb dressing sounds really good, I think I'll give it a try.
Hi frugal spinster,
Deletethat caper dressing sounds delicious! Please post it on your blog sometime.
Enjoy the rhubarb dressing!
I love homemade salad dressings - thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteHi Cheapchick,
Deleteme, too! Have you found a generous neighbor with abundant supplies of rhubarb yet? If you lived nearby, I have plenty to share. (I've supplied a few people in our area for the last few years. My patch just keeps growing and growing.)
Thanks for stopping by!
That looks delicious, Lili. And I love the new look for your blog. And your photo too, it's so nice to put a face with your name. Beautiful! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Belinda,
Deletethank you! Yes, I thought it finally time to be friendly and put my picture up.
I'm looking forward to reading your upcoming blog posts in the near future!
Good to hear from you!
I will try this - I love fruit-flavoured dressings, and rhubarb!
ReplyDeleteHi anexacting,
DeleteI hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Lili always a big fan of your blog. I made this last night. My husband and I loved it! Def a new favorite dressing!
ReplyDeleteHi Jody,
DeleteI'm so glad you liked it! That reminds me that I have some in the fridge that I should use with tonight's dinner!
Thanks for the comment!