Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Sides & Salads Page 5

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Roasting vegetables brings out their depth of flavor and turns a simple salad into a spectacular one. Beets, in particular, become oh so sweet!

Ingredients

  • 2 small red or yellow beets, about 6 ounces each
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 4 cups micro greens or arugula
  • 1 ripe pear, halved, cored, and cut into thin slices
  • 3 ounces goat cheese, cut into slices
  • 1 small red onion, cut into thin rings
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted pistachios Balsamic vinegar of Modena

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 2

Scrub the beets and cut off the roots and tips, but don’t peel. Cut into medium cubes and transfer to the sheet pan. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast until the tip of a sharp knife easily pierces a few cubes, about 30 minutes. Remove beets from the oven and let cool.

Step 3

Divide the greens between two large plates. Top with equal amounts of beets, pears, cheese, red onion, and pistachios. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Serves 2

Soba Noodles and Peas with Olive Oil-Soy Dressing

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Thin buckwheat noodles, called soba, have been enjoyed in Japan for thousands of years. But it wasn’t until 1993 that the first soba restaurant was opened in the Southern Hemisphere. From Sydney, the concept spread to other Australian cities. Add cooked shrimp (boiled, sautéed, or grilled) if you want to turn simple soba into a more substantial dish.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

For the soba noodles:

  • One 8-ounce package soba noodles
  • 1/2 cup cooked green peas or shelled edamame
  • 2 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
  • 1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional), for serving
  • 2 jalapeños, preferably red, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise, for serving
  • Crushed red pepper flakes, for serving
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Set aside.

Step 2

In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook for 1 minute less than the package directions. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold running water to remove any excess starch. Drain once more. Place the noodles in a large bowl. Add the peas, scallions, and dressing to the soba and use tongs to combine

Step 3

Divide the soba among four plates or bowls. Top with the shrimp, if using. Offer small bowls of jalapeños, crushed red pepper flakes, and
lime wedges.

Serves 4

Burrata and Stone Fruit Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This dish is delicious any time of day—from breakfast to dessert. I love to mix different varieties of the same fruit, such as yellow, red, and purple plums, and white and yellow peaches, but most important is to buy local for the sweetest, freshest fruits.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey, preferably a variety local to your area
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar of Modena

For the salad:

  • 2 plums
  • 2 peaches
  • 4 apricots
  • 1/4 lemon 
  • 1 fresh burrata
  • Fresh thyme, oregano, or basil leaves
  • Black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Make the dressing by whisking together the oil, honey, and balsamic; set aside.

Step 2

For the salad, halve the fruit, remove the pits (the “stones”), and slice into wedges. Place in a large bowl and squeeze on the juice from the lemon.

Step 3

To compose the salad, cut the burrata in half and center a half on each of two plates. Arrange the fruit around the cheese and drizzle with the dressing. Top with fresh herbs and a few twists of black pepper from your grinder.

Yields 2 servings

Tropical Shrimp Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This shrimp salad refresh uses a light vinaigrette to bring out the flavors of the shellfish as well as the mango and avocado. For ease, zest the citrus fruits before juicing them.

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lime zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

For the salad:

  • 1 pound jumbo or extra-large shrimp, preferably wild caught, peeled and deveined if needed
  • 1 large ripe mango, diced
  • 1 large ripe avocado, diced
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 6 cups mixed lettuces such as arugula, radicchio, and green leaf, rough chopped

Directions

Step 1

Boil the shrimp in a large pot of salted water until they turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes; drain and set aside to cool.

Step 2

In a small bowl, whisk together the zests, juices, honey, and soy sauce. Keep whisking as you drizzle in the olive oil. Fold in the cilantro or parsley.

Step 3

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, mango, avocado, and tomatoes. Drizzle on half the vinaigrette and toss gently. 

Step 4

Divide the lettuces among four plates and top with equal amounts of the shrimp mixture. Pass the rest of the vinaigrette separately.

Yields 4 servings