Hold the Lettuce: Nutritious Herb Salad Recipe

Reader Contribution by Kirsten Hudson
Published on July 8, 2009
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<p>When cooking, I never use herbs as the heart of a dish. A sprinkling of basil or parsley can add that extra zing of flavor that pushes a meal from blah to delish, so I have never considered using herbs as more than ingredients. But they can be!</p>
<p>Because it’s summertime, I crave cool, refreshing salads. For your next meal, rather than falling back on the standard lettuce-tomato-cucumber salad, skip the lettuce and use fresh herbs instead. Try this mouth-watering <a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/health/nutrition/15recipehealth.html?emc=eta1″ target=”_blank”>
<font color=”#800080″>mushroom and fresh herb salad</font>
</a>, from <em>The New York Times</em>, which is rich in vitamins, beneficial flavonoids and volatile elements. The recipe uses “sweet- and sharp-tasting herbs, such as tarragon, chervil, parsley, wild arugula and dill.”</p>
<p>(Read <em>The New York Time’s</em> “<a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/health/nutrition/15recipehealth.html?_r=1&emc=eta1″ target=”_blank”>A Focus on Fresh Herbs</a>”)</p>
<p>Try combining fresh herbs with mixed greens like in our <em>Herb Companion</em> recipe for a <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/cooking/mix-it-up.aspx?page=3″>
<font color=”#800080″>fresh herb and flower salad</font>
</a>.</p>
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Photo by <font color=”#800080″>Vigilant20</font>/Courtesy Flickr<br />
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynnszwalkiewicz/3501752525/” target=”_blank”>www.flickr.com/photos/lynnszwalkiewicz/</a>
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<b>Wild Spring Herb and Flower Salad</b>
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<i>Serves 4</i>
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<p>• 1/2 head romaine lettuce, washed, patted dry, and torn into bite-sized pieces<br />
• 1/2 head red leaf lettuce, washed, patted dry, and torn into bite-sized pieces<br />
• 1/4 cup sweet violet flowers (<em>Viola</em> spp., the common wild perennial)<br />
• 1/3 cup unsprayed sweet violet leaves, stems removed<br />
• 12 small young yarrow leaves<br />
• 1/4 cup arugula flowers or 8 arugula leaves<br />
• 1/4 cup organic dandelion leaves, picked before flowering<br />
• 12 tips each of two mild herbs, such as dill and lemon balm<br />
• 3 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil<br />
• 1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar<br />
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste</p>
<p>1. In a large bowl, toss all the greens and herbs with the olive oil. Drizzle the rice wine vinegar over the greens and serve with salt and pepper on the side.</p>
<p>Not only do herb salads make for a refreshing change, but they also offer <a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/health/nutrition/15recipehealth.html?emc=eta1″ target=”_blank”>
<font color=”#800080″>health benefits</font>
</a>. The dark green color of fresh herbs indicates their high nutrition value. For example, <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/7-herbs-that-grow-in-shade-parsley.aspx”>
<font color=”#800080″>parsley</font>
</a> is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and iron, while <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/natural-health/herbal-living-basil-discovery.aspx”>
<font color=”#800080″>basil</font>
</a> packs a punch with vitamin A, vitamin K, iron and calcium.</p>
<p>Do you have a delicious (and nutritious) herb salad recipe? What herbs do you think would make the best salads? Leave me a comment and let me know!</p>

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