This Feel-Good Salad Tastes Just Like Spring
As we head out of winter and keep our eyes peeled for any signs of spring — birds, blossoms, and bright flavors — we find ourselves craving lightness and freshness in our food. That means we’re very much in the market for a tangy, wholesome salad: It’s the perfect bridge from hearty, cold-weather fare to warmer days ahead.
This crisp and pleasantly bitter salad filled with sweet, chewy Sunsweet Amaz!n Prunes and salty Pecorino cheese is exactly the answer. It’s a colorful bowl of good things tossed with a tart lemon vinaigrette to ensure every forkful is vibrant, which means it’s the ultimate step into spring.
Prunes Are the Ultimate Fast & Fancy Salad Add-on
What really makes this salad special are Sunsweet Amaz!n Prunes. Forget your preconceived notions of the dried fruit and it might surprise you. They lend deep, almost caramelized sweetness, along with chewy texture and a bit of juiciness to the bowl, transforming it from just another green salad to a show-stopping one.
Their nutritional benefits also make them an easy way to add a nutritious boost to meals and snacks! Prunes have no fat or added sugars — just lots of fruity goodness. Sunsweet Amaz!n Prunes also have three grams of fiber per serving (fiber can help keep you feeling full longer), and research suggests that eating five to six prunes each day may help prevent bone loss, as well as reduce risk factors for heart disease and inflammation.
Prunes are more than add-ons. If you’re looking to substitute fats or sugars in recipes, prunes can reduce calories without losing flavor. Swap prune purée for oils at a ratio of 1/2 cup oil = 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup prune purée; swap butter at a ratio of 1 stick butter = 1/2 stick butter + 1/2 cup prune purée.
What to Serve with This Special Salad
This vibrant salad pairs well with just about anything, and we especially love how it brightens a dinner table full of heavier dishes like roasts and braises. Here are a handful of our favorite mains to serve alongside this salad:
Or turn this salad into the main dish itself by topping with shredded chicken, flaked salmon, roasted shrimp, or crispy chickpeas. Hearty, filling, and full of flavor — everything we want in a salad!
Colorful Mixed Greens Salad with Prunes and Pecorino
Prep time 15 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
small clove garlic
- 1
medium lemon
- 3 tablespoons
olive oil
- 2 teaspoons
Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons
honey
- 1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2
medium head radicchio (about 8 ounces)
- 1
small head Belgian endive (2 to 3 ounces)
- 14
Sunsweet Amaz!n Pitted Prunes (about half an 8-ounce pouch)
- 1 1/2 ounces
Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
- 3 ounces
baby arugula (about 3 packed cups)
Instructions
Grate or mince 1 small garlic clove and place in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice from 1 medium lemon into the bowl (about 3 tablespoons). Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and whisk until combined and emulsified.
Prepare the following, adding each to the bowl as you complete it: Trim the core from 1/2 medium head radicchio. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide ribbons and separate the leaves (about 1 1/2 cups). Halve 1 medium Belgian endive lengthwise and remove the core. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide ribbons and separate the leaves (about 1 cup). Halve 14 Sunsweet Amaz!n™ Pitted Prunes (about 3/4 cup).
Use a vegetable peeler to shave 1 1/2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese (about 1/2 cup). Add half the cheese and 3 ounces baby arugula (about 3 packed cups) to the bowl. Toss to combine and coat everything in the vinaigrette. Garnish with the remaining cheese.