Everything But the Kitchen Sink Salad

At my house, I never know if i’m going to be feeding 2 people or 10.  We have a constant stream of friends and houseguests, so I always cook more than I need to just in case someone shows up at the last minute.  Sometimes I really really don’t feel like cooking, but I do want to eat something hearty and filling- that’s when my Everything But the Kitchen Sink salad comes in handy.

The finished salad

I use whatever we have on hand, plus whatever fabulousness my mom has grown in her garden.  I want the salad to be filling, so I use veggie sausage, seasonal fruit, cheese and croutons to round out all the vegetables.  This salad was originally inspired by my friend Cecily, who made a quick lunch for me one day that got me over my fear of making salads.  Hers was a simple one made with spinach, feta, veggie sausage and fresh cherries.  I’ve been a salad-making fiend ever since.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Salad:

Makes enough salad to generously feed 4 people

Ingredients:

Several bunches mixed lettuces (I used butter and sierra lettuce), washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

Small handful of pea pods or peas

Yellow Heirloom Pea Pods

1 avocado, peeled, halved, pitted and diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1 tomato, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced

1/2 large cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

Several handfuls of sliced seasonal fruit (cherries, apples, pears, mangoes, etc;)

2 veggie sausages, sautéed in olive oil and diced

Add the following to your taste:

veggie bacon bits

crumbled cheese (goat or feta)

sunflower seeds or nuts of your choice

croutons

Several handfuls of your favorite sprouts (I used alfalfa)

Salad mise en place

Directions:

Place the following ingredients in a large salad bowl and mix with your favorite dressing.  I use Annie’s Goddess Dressing when I don’t feel like making my own.  Grub down and enjoy!

Note: to make this salad vegan, simply do not add the cheese.

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