Baby Greens with Mediterranean Vinaigrette
This is such a flavorful salad, the vinaigrette brings all the flavors together, and the spinach, dried cranberries and cheddar cheese are perfectly delicious with this tasty dressing.
Yield
4 servingsPrep
20 minCook
15 minReady
45 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| For the vinaigrette | |||
| ½ | teaspoon |
mustard seeds, black
|
|
| ¼ | teaspoon |
coriander
ground |
|
| ⅛ | teaspoon |
cumin
ground |
|
| ½ | cup |
carrot juice
|
* |
| 2 | tablespoons |
golden raisins
seedless |
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
red wine vinegar
|
|
| 4 | each |
cilantro
sprigs, fresh |
*
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
yogurt, plain
nonfat |
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
honey
|
|
| 1 ½ | teaspoons |
red pepper flakes
|
|
| ¼ | teaspoon |
salt
|
|
| 1 | x |
black pepper
freshly ground to taste |
*
|
| ¼ | cup |
olive oil
|
|
| For the croutons | |||
| 1 ½ | cups |
whole wheat bread
cubed |
*
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
olive oil
|
|
| For the salad | |||
| ½ | small |
garlic cloves
|
*
|
| 1 | pinch |
salt
|
*
|
| 4 | cups |
baby spinach
baby beet greens or baby chard |
*
|
| ¼ | cup |
cranberries, dried
|
*
|
| ¼ | cup |
cheddar cheese
shredded, prefer smoked |
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| For the vinaigrette: | |||
| 2.5 | ml |
mustard seeds, black
|
|
| 1.3 | ml |
coriander
ground |
|
| 0.6 | ml |
cumin
ground |
|
| 118 | ml |
carrot juice
|
* |
| 3E+1 | ml |
golden raisins
seedless |
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
red wine vinegar
|
|
| 4 | each |
cilantro
sprigs, fresh |
*
|
| 15 | ml |
yogurt, plain
nonfat |
|
| 5 | ml |
honey
|
|
| 7.5 | ml |
red pepper flakes
|
|
| 1.3 | ml |
salt
|
|
| 1 | x |
black pepper
freshly ground to taste |
*
|
| 59 | ml |
olive oil
|
|
| For the croutons: | |||
| 355 | ml |
whole wheat bread
cubed |
*
|
| 15 | ml |
olive oil
|
|
| For the salad: | |||
| 0.5 | small |
garlic cloves
|
*
|
| 1 | pinch |
salt
|
*
|
| 946 | ml |
baby spinach
baby beet greens or baby chard |
*
|
| 59 | ml |
cranberries, dried
|
*
|
| 59 | ml |
cheddar cheese
shredded, prefer smoked |
|
Directions
For the vinaigrette:
Heat mustard seeds, coriander and cumin in a small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in carrot juice and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Put raisins in a blender and add the hot juice.
Let stand for 5 minutes to plump the raisins.
Then put in vinegar, cilantro, yogurt, honey, crushed red pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper and blend until combined.
Pour in ¼ cup oil and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
For the croutons:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Toss bread and 1 tablespoon oil in a medium bowl until well combined.
Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Bake, stirring once, until golden and crisp, about 14 minutes.
For the salad:
Season a salad bowl by rubbing with garlic.
Chop the garlic and add to the bowl along with greens.
Pour ¼ cup of the vinaigrette over the greens. (Cover and refrigerate the remaining ½ cup vinaigrette for up to 3 days.)
Sprinkle the salad with cranberries, cheese and the croutons, toss and serve.
