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Plant-based salads are always in the rotation at my house, no matter what time of year. But when the weather starts to warm up and fresh fruits and vegetables become more plentiful, I tend to get a little carried away with my creations. The more ingredients I can pile onto a plate, the better! The same goes for the plate itself.
This vegan, gluten-free salad recipe is loaded with many of my favorite seasonal ingredients, including crisp green beans, tender baby salad greens, fresh mint, and big, juicy strawberries. Summer is strawberry time, and I just love using them in almost everything I make these days — both savory and sweet.
I used wild rice in this salad, as I like the mouthfeel it provides, but you can certainly substitute any of your other favorite cooked grains, such as quinoa or farro. I must warn you about the maple-nut clusters — they're highly addictive. They tend to disappear very quickly, so I recommend making a double batch so you have extra for snacking.
If you're looking for other salad recipes with fresh fruit, try this Citrus, Strawberry, and Spinach Salad.
SERVINGS
- For the dressing
- 13 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 34 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 teaspoon minced garlic
- 14 teaspoon salt
- 12 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- For the maple-nut clusters
- 12 cup Pecan halves
- 12 cup sliced almonds
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 18 teaspoon salt
- For the salad
- 2 cups cooked and cooled wild rice
- 12 ounces green beans (blanched)
- 6-8 ounces mixed baby greens
- 14 cup fresh mint leaves (torn)
- 14 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 pounds Harry & David strawberries (trimmed and halved)
- For the dressing
- Whisk together all the ingredients until combined. Set aside.
- For the maple-nut clusters
- Warm a small skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts and toast them, stirring frequently until they become fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the maple syrup and salt, stirring until the nuts are well coated with the maple syrup, about 1 minute more. Remove the skillet from the heat and spread the nut mixture onto a piece of parchment paper, letting it cool completely.
- Once cooled, break up any of the larger pieces into smaller clusters. Set aside.
- For the salad
- Add the wild rice, green beans, greens, mint, and red onion to a large bowl. Drizzle with some of the dressing (you probably won't use it all) and toss to combine.
- Divide the salad between serving plates. Top with strawberry halves and maple-nut clusters. Serve immediately.
AUTHOR
Liz is the creator and owner of Floating Kitchen, a recipe and photography website where she shares both sweet and savory dishes. She loves to create recipes based on seasonal inspiration from the fruits and vegetables that grow at her family's produce farm. When she's not in her kitchen, she loves walking the nearby beaches and going out for ice cream!