Salads that make a meal

Vegetarian Journal, March-April, 2005 by Peggy Rynk

SALADS THAT MAKE A MEAL ARE TERRIFIC ADDItions to our cooking repertoire. They're often super easy to put together--so easy that some almost seem to make themselves. Many can be made ahead of time, even the day before, and require little more than bread or crackers and a beverage to go with them. Dessert is optional.

One of the greatest joys of preparing a salad--besides the pleasure of eating it--is shopping for the ingredients. When choosing produce, whether you shop at a supermarket, health foods store, farmers' market, or roadside stand, get the freshest you can find--the crispest greens, the most succulent carrots and bell peppers, the juiciest tomatoes.

Many of these salads are built on beans and peas of various kinds--canned, dried, frozen, or fresh. Among the many possible choices are pinto, navy, Great Northern, lima, and black beans. Green peas, garbanzos, and black-eyed peas are versatile possibilities, too. Because dried beans and peas take a while to cook, it's often more convenient to cook them the morning of the day you'll need them or even the day before.

Grain choices include corn, pasta in various shapes, bulgur wheat, and many varieties of rice. Potatoes make an excellent base for main dish salads, too--not just for the side salads to which they're usually relegated. White, red-skinned, Yukon Gold, and russet potatoes, for example, all work well.

Although not all salads require them, greens make an important contribution. Sometimes they're incorporated into the salad. More often, though, they serve either as a bed for other ingredients to rest on or as a garnish. Parsley is perhaps the most common garnish, but you might want to try spinach, too, or a few celery leaves for variety.

There's a wide range of greens to choose from, some of which are not green at all. Commonly available ones are romaine, red- and green-leaf lettuce, radicchio, escarole, cabbage of various kinds, curly endive, spinach, and iceberg lettuce. Also worth trying are oakleaf lettuce, Boston (or butterhead) lettuce, and watercress.

Mixed salad greens come prepackaged in plastic bags and some, such as mesclun mix, are available loose in the produce section of well-stocked supermarkets. But whatever greens you choose--even prepackaged ones--should be rinsed thoroughly and dried well before use. A salad spinner is especially useful for drying, but if you don't have one, blotting the leaves well between clean dish towels or paper towels will work just fine.

Give attention to the colors in a salad, too. Contrast adds interest, whets the appetite, and cheers the soul. Picture black beans nestled against succulent kernels of yellow corn. Or plump green peas, chopped sweet onion, and rice mingled together.

Add a dressing you love, if any, and you're set for a memorable meal. There are many commercial salad dressings available--or you can make your own. The type of dressing you choose will depend on the salad itself, what it needs to complete it, and what you have a taste for. Sometimes a creamy dressing made with vegan 'sour cream' or vegan 'mayonnaise' is what you'll want. Other times, a simple oil and vinegar dressing is just the right finish. And sometimes perfection is no dressing at all.

Experiment with various ingredients, even ones you may not have encountered before, and be prepared to make some fabulous discoveries. If there are any rules for making salads, they are these: use the best quality ingredients you can find, and equally important, choose what you like, and skip what you don't. Enjoy!

COLD PASTA WITH VEGETABLES AND PEANUT BUTTER DRESSING (Serves 4)

Bright, well-rounded flavor, color, and texture.

1/2 pound uncooked pasta of choice,
  such as spaghelti, penne, or spirals
Salted boiling water
1 1/2 cups diced fresh broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups mini-carrots, thinly sliced
  into rounds, or regular carrots,
  halved or quartered lengthwise and
  thinly sliced
2/3 cup sliced scallions (green and white
parts)
1/4 cup smooth or crunchy peanut buffer
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, or more
  to taste
Dash cayenne (optional)
1/4 cup additional boiling water
2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
Cucumber slices and tomato wedges
  to garnish, if desired

Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Drain well and put in a large mixing bowl.

While the pasta is hot, stir in broccoli, carrots, and scallions. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, garlic powder, ginger, and cayenne. Add the boiling water, then the rice vinegar and tamari or soy sauce, and blend until smooth. Pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Chill thoroughly before serving. Serve garnished with cucumber slices and tomato wedges.

Total calories per serving: 335

Fat: 9 grams

Carbohydrates: 53 grams

Protein: 13 grams

Sodium: 510 milligrams

Fiber: 6 grams

BEAN AND TOMATO SALAD (Serves 4)

A pretty salad with an Italian flare. Serve with warm Italian bread, if desired.