Hi Friends!
I wanted to share with you my current light lunch obsession, an easy, semi-homemade, veggie salad. I consider it semi-homemade because I use the Trader Joe’s Carrot Ginger Miso Salad Dressing. If you haven’t tried this dressing and love a good carrot ginger dressing at your favorite sushi spot, you have to try it! I included a picture below for reference since it’s not available online. It’s available in the produce section at Trader Joe’s and must be refrigerated. Their Green Goddess Dressing is also delicious.
If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, I’ve heard this one & this one are also delicious. There are also a ton of recipes for carrot ginger dressings online (I am going to try this one this week!)
Inspired…
This salad was inspired by the Misticanza Poinciana Salad (pictured below) at one of my favorites restaurants in Palm Beach, Sant Ambroeus. The original has bibb lettuce, cottage cheese, almonds, fresh herbs, ginger dressing. I tried it on a whim because I love ginger dressing but thought, “how weird, cottage cheese?” But I was pleasantly surprised and loveddddd it.
A few weeks ago, after just having the salad at Sant Ambroeus, I was inspired to try my own version at home. Since, I’ve had this salad like 2-3x a week whenever I am looking for a quick and light lunch. I’ve been getting these small 4 oz packs of cottage cheese to keep in the fridge. When I am ready to make the salad, I empty out the entire 4oz container of cottage cheese into a wide bowl and spread it with a spoon as a base. Then, I layer bib lettuce and whatever other veggies I have on hand, top with a spoonful of chopped pistachios and pour on the TJ carrot ginger dressing.
Recipe below
- 1 4oz container of Cottage Cheese
- 1/2 a head of Bibb Lettuce, roughly chopped or torn
- 1/2 an Avocado, diced
- 1/2 a Small Tomato, diced
- 1 Carrot, sliced
- 2 Mini Sweet Peppers, sliced
- 1-2 Tbsp Chopped Shelled Pistachios
- Sprinkle of Dried Basil
- Sprinkle of Dried Dill
- 2 Tbsp of Trader Joe's Carrot Ginger Miso Dressing (or equivalent)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Empty container of cottage cheese into a bowl or plate and spread as base.
- Layer lettuce and other ingredients on top of cottage cheese.
- Top with herbs, salt and pepper and dressing.
- Mix/chop and enjoy!
- Feel free to play around with the ingredients, add cucumbers or zucchini, sub sliced almonds instead of pistachios or leave the nuts out completely. This salad has changed everyday for me depending on what veggies I have on hand.
