Sunday 21 December 2014

Balsamic Garden Salad with Cashew Cheese

Summer calls for salads.  Something easy that requires lots of greens, something juicy, a sharp vinaigrette and creamy cheese is perfect.  Caeli's Strawberry Balsamic Salad with Cashew Cheese has been on my mind ever since she posted it.  Finally I made it, albeit with tomatoes and beetroot instead of strawberries.  It is the sort of salad that will welcome what is in the fridge and excite your taste buds. 

I'd highly recommend this dish for Christmas either as a side dish or even a light meal after all the feasting.  We had a little of the cheese leftover and loved it with crackers.  Sylvia wasn't keen on the cheese but she dipped her vegies in the vinaigrette and yelled out that I should make it every day.  That makes it child friendly in our house!

I am sending the avocado hummus to Healthy Vegan Fridays #27 hosted by Kimmy of Rock My Vegan Socks and Robin of Vegan Dollhouse.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Cabbage salad and digital disquiet
Two years ago: Cranberry, apple and butterscotch muffins
Three years ago: Buttermilk bread
Four years ago: Buns, soup and crunchie in yaz's kitchen
Five years ago: The Witchery - Scottish Fine Dining
Six years ago: Lentil Loaf with Chutney
Seven years ago: Nadine’s wild rice salad

Balsamic Garden Salad with Cashew Cheese
Adapted from Little Vegan Bear
Serves 2

Salad:
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
1/2 green capsicum, chopped
1 small handful snow peas, sliced
2 small cooked beetroot, sliced
1 small tomato, sliced
snow pea sprouts, chopped

Cashew Cheese:
1 cup cashews, soaked
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt

Dressing:
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Make the cashew cheese by blending all ingredients.

Lightly whisk dressing ingredients (or shake in a sealed jar).  Toss the spinach with about half the dressing.

Divide spinach between two bowls.  Arrange remaining salad ingredients in the two bowls.  Spoon dollops of cheese over the salad.  Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.

NOTES: I only soaked the cashews for about an hour because I used a high speed blender.  I did take note of Caeli's advice not to make the cheese too smooth for the salad and left a little texture in it.  I found I had a little cheese and dressing leftover but they were gone before the end of the night.

On the stereo
There is no one what will take care of you: Palace Brothers

20 comments:

  1. In this globalized world, salads are also on the menu up here in the frozen north! Our lettuce and tomatoes grew in Mexico, our white cheese and olive oil came from Israel, our palm hearts were from an Equadorian can, our wine vinegar came from Italy, dried tarragon source unknown ... but last night we ate salad just as you did!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh I love the look of this salad with the cheese!! Great Sylvia liked most of it too :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I always end up eating all the leftover cheese too...on crackers or straight out of the bowl ;) salad looks great, it's certainly becoming the season for it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Caeli - I think I might need to make some cheese just to eat on crackers because it is so good

      Delete
  4. I'm quite jealous of your summer! What a fabulous salad!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Don't you love it when you cook something for your child and they love it so much they ask you to make it every day! It's so true that this is summer salad season and your salad has a great variety of ingredients and I do like the sound of your cashew cheese xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Charlie - I think I am so amazed to make something for dinner that sylvia loves that much - usually she pretends to never have loved it next time and the world seems normal again :-)

      Delete
  6. Anything that has kids clamouring for more is a winner - they are such tough critics! This looks like a very versatile salad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Amanda - sylvia sure is a tough critic! And yes this salad is versatile - you could mix an match with different vegies or dressings or even cheeses

      Delete
  7. Hi Johanna,

    Your cashew cheese recipe is very interesting! Love to try making these for our salad :D

    Merry Christmas and happy 2015 to you and your family. I hope that you have a lovely holiday :D

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Zoe - hope you enjoy the cashew cheese

      Delete
  8. I'm definitely going to have to make that cashew cheese. I even bought cashews so that I could make it! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lorraine - once you have the cashews there is no excuse not to try it :-)

      Delete
  9. I am intrigued by the cashew cheese. Looks delish!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This does look perfect for summer. Well done on the cashew cheese - between that and your bread making, you are really nailing domestic goddess status!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kari - it still amazes me at time to think I make things like bread and cheese that used to seem so mysterious.

      Delete
  11. Very Christmassy! Now...we've only got a year to go! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oooh I love the sound of this salad. Perfect Christmas fare. Especially when it's not particularly cold out. It's winter here, but California doesn't get particularly cold.
    I have never seen snow pea sprouts - they look delicious.
    Thank you so much for sharing this on Healthy Vegan Fridays! I have pinned your recipe to our board. Happy Holidays Johanna.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kimmy - I find that snow pea sprouts are a bit more robust than alfalfa sprouts and last quite well. Sounds like salads would go down well in your christmas too.

      Delete

Thanks for dropping by. I love hearing from you. Please share your thoughts and questions. Annoyingly the spammers are bombarding me so I have turned on the pesky captcha code (refresh to find an easy one if you don't like the first one)