Bold Spring Greens Salad

I love salad. When I say that, I mean that I REALLY love salad. The variety of flavours, the delicious crunch of the veggies, the range of dressings and veggies and other ingredients… there is a lot to love about salads.

This time of year is one of the best times of year for salad lovers everywhere though, as all of the fresh young plants are sprouting up and bursting forth with energy and vitality and life. These are all things (energy, vitality, life) that consuming these foods will impart to us when we consume them. When your parents told you to eat your veggies growing up, they were onto something! The benefits we get from consuming whole plant foods are plentiful and backed by solid science.

So take this recipe as a great excuse to celebrate the bounty of spring! It has a variety of different vegetables, which provides a variety of different nutrients, and a great bold flavour (hence the name). The vegetables are extremely flexible too… use any in-season greens that you can find. My favourite spring green is dandelion leaves! This is a mild bitter green that packs a nutritional punch (it is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K. They also contain vitamin E, folate and small amounts of other B vitamins. What's more, dandelion greens provide a substantial amount of several minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium). Pair a handful of those with about ¼ cup of chopped radicchio and some romaine or even iceberg lettuce to sweeten up the otherwise-bitter flavour of the other greens. Each type of salad green has a slightly different and unique nutritional profile, so by including a few different ones in your meals every day, you are ensuring that your body is getting the full range of nutrients available. This is so necessary for improving your health!

Toss this salad into a glass container and bring it down to the lakefront with your water bottle and ipod this beautiful sunny afternoon! Celebrate spring!

Bold Spring Greens Salad:

• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ tsp. kosher salt

• ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper, or to taste

• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

• 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar

• 3 to 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 10 cups bitter mixed salad greens, such as chicory, radicchio and escaraole

• 2 cups spring greens, such as dandelion greens, spinach, mustard greens and kale

• 3 large hard-boiled eggs

1) Place the garlic in a large salad bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and vinegar and mash together. Let stand for 5 minutes

2) Stir in anchovies to taste. Whisk in the oil in a slow steady stream until well combined

3) Add the salad greens and toss

4) Shred 3 egg whites and 1 egg yolk through the large holes of a box grater (reserve the remaining yolks for another use or discard). Sprinkle the salad with the grated egg

5) Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve