I had this crazy dish for the first time last July during my summer vacation. A friend who lives near Frankfurt invited us to a vineyard tour near Wiesbaden.
We crossed the Rhine and reached a beautiful valley that is relatively warm for the area. We started at a stunning French chateau-style castle and continued to an ancient monastery, where we had lunch. In my mind, I saw monks sitting around long tables, blessing a modest meal in a Gregorian style and retiring to the prayer chambers after a short while.
In the vast hall under arched ceilings, surrounded by laughter and the clinking of glasses, we had this wonderful salad accompanied by rustic bread. The combination of flavors created a delightful experience in my mouth: plenty of greens, some local and just picked, wrapped in fantastic vinaigrette sauce and dotted with fresh raspberries. My friend Gladys, with whom I was staying, explained that the dressing consists of raspberry vinegar, which is popular in Germany. Well, of course, I ran to REWE, and in a typical act, I bought two: clear raspberry vinegar and another one that contains thick raspberry paste (recipes coming soon).
In my version, the greens section consists of crunchy lettuce, endive, baby, micro leaves, lentil sprouts, cucumbers, edamame, and scallions; Cherry tomatoes and radishes add light touches of blush, raspberry vinaigrette wrap everything softly, while chia seeds and sunflower seeds put the salad in the superfood league; As a final touch, on top of all this goodness, fresh raspberries, almond ricotta that I made two days before and vegan goat cheese are placed.
The truth is, I was afraid that my enthusiasm for the salad may have been due to the vacation atmosphere. After all, we eat with our eyes (and ears, too), but the result was beyond expectations – a stunning combination of flavors and textures.
Thanks to Alon Talmor for the spectacular photographs and photography tips!
Enjoy, and let me know how it turned out 🙏❣
Salad
- 6 Red cherry tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 4 Thinly sliced radishes
- 2 Cucumbers halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 5 Crunchy lettuce leaves
- 5-7 Endive leaves optional
- 2 cup baby greens
- 2 handful Micro pea leaves and/or micro kale leavesל
- 1 handful Sunflower sprouts or lentil sprouts
- 1 Chopped green onion
- ⅓ cup Frozen peeled edamame optional
- 150 gram Almond ricotta or combined with vegan goat cheese
- 100 gram Fresh raspberries or fresh figs cut into quarters
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds
Raspberry Vinaigrette
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tsp raspberry vinegar or white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- salt and pepper
For Serving
- Rustic bread, baguette, or pretzel bun
Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Put all the sauce ingredients in a small jar, close, shake well, and keep aside.
Salad
- Put the tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes in a bowl.
- Tear the lettuce and endive leaves into large pieces and add to the bowl.
- Roughly chop the baby leaves and add to the bowl; add the micro leaves, the sprouts, and the green onion.
- Strain the edamame and add to a bowl.
- Add the sauce and toss the salad gently.
- Sprinkle with chia and sunflower seeds, top with vegan goat cheese or almond ricotta.
- Sprinkle the raspberries on top and serve immediately with sourdough bread, a baguette or a pretzel bun.
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