SERVES 6 · VEGAN, DF, GF ADAPTABLE
This is a vibrant and flavorful salad that can either complement a meal with Asian flavors or add some punch to a meal of a simple piece of fish. Salads can be complicated or simple, but I want them all to be like this one—clean, fresh, bright, and with an interplay of interesting textures. Crisp lettuce, juicy citrus, creamy avocado, and crunchy nuts all come together with a light sesame dressing. I have also made this as an entrée salad, cutting back on some of the lettuce and adding cooked quinoa or salmon.
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon pure Grade A or B maple syrup
2¼ teaspoons shoyu (not GF), tamari, or coconut aminos
⅜ teaspoon ground ginger
⅜ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1½ tablespoons unrefined toasted sesame oil
1½ tablespoons unrefined extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
3 small oranges or tangerines
10 cups romaine lettuce (about 1 large head), cut into bite-size pieces
1 to 2 firm but ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
⅓ cup sliced almonds or sunflower seeds
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the vinegar, maple syrup, shoyu, ginger, mustard, and the sesame and olive oil. Or shake vigorously in a screw-top jar.
2. To supreme the oranges: Using a very sharp knife, slice a bit off the top and the bottom of each orange so it sits flat on a cutting board. Starting at the top of the orange, cut the peel away from the fruit, following the natural curve of the fruit down towards the cutting board. The idea is to take off the peel, white pith, and membrane, but not to remove too much of the fruit. Continue around the entire orange until no more peel remains. Take the orange in one hand positioned over a bowl (to catch the juices) and the knife in the other hand. Identify the white lines in the orange that separate the segments from each other and slice as close to the white line as possible, cutting down to the center of the fruit. Cut alongside the membrane holding the segment and wedge the piece out with the knife. Continue with the remaining segments. Or cut away the peel and slice the fruit crosswise into pinwheels.
3. Place the lettuce in a serving bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat lightly.
4. Add the fruit, avocado slices, and almonds to the bowl. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.
TIP: Whatever salad you are making, be sure all the ingredients that have been washed (e.g., lettuce, herbs, vegetables) are dry. Otherwise, the dressing will not cling to the ingredients (oil and water don’t mix) and it will be diluted.