The two good things to come out of 2020: The birth of my son and The Quarantine Salad. Maybe in that order. It’s nothing against my son, The Quarantine Salad is just that good.
I wish I had a better reason we ended up calling this The Quarantine Salad other than it was created amidst the excitement of eating lunch at home every day and the magical possibilities that opened up (fresh salads? non-brown avocados? Dressing that doesn’t have to be packaged away like an unstable explosive? Sign me up. So we pretty much dumped all our favorite things on a bed of greens, topped it with goddess dressing, and repeated the process over and over and over (and plan to do so long after quarantine).
A key element of this salad is the goddess dressing. If you haven’t had it yet, it truly will enhance your life. We hoard it like squirrels. Not intentionally, though. I’ll go to the grocery store one week and pick up a bottle or two, not wanting to run out (heaven forbid) and Jackson will go to the grocery store the following week and pick up another two bottles for the same reason. I don’t know if it would be more or less alarming if I was referring to bottles of alcohol instead of salad dressing here.
You can buy goddess dressing at Trader Joe’s, but the Annie’s goddess dressing is also fantastic (I’m fairly positive they are the exact same thing, to be honest) and that can be found at most grocery stores.
This salad also features CROUTONS. Those crunchy, crispy, buttery squares of bread that turn a sad salad into a happy salad in no time. Personally, I like to make my own croutons. It’s easy and the results are always tasty. Also, I’m almost certain it’s way cheaper than the store bought variety. My advice is to use sturdy, stale bread (the sturdier and more stale the better), don’t be shy with the olive oil and herbs, and set a timer when you stick them in the oven. I always forget this last part and usually end up with a quarter of the croutons being burnt to a crisp. Oh well. Burnt croutons make tasty dog treats.
The Quarantine Salad also features tomatoes (I like the Wild Wonders that they currently carry at Costco), chicken, crispy chickpeas, carrot ribbons, cucumber, avocado, red bell pepper, eggs, feta (or sharp cheddar), and herbs. We’ve served this over mixed greens, kale, romaine, and baby spinach. It works well with any bed of greens you choose.
Alrighty well, I think I’ll let the photos do the rest of the talking here. Quarantine may leave you feeling down, but The Quarantine Salad is guaranteed to make things look a little less bleak.
I wish all of you happiness, salads, and vaccines in your future!
The Quarantine Salad
Ingredients
- 8 cups greens (romaine lettuce, mixed greens, kale, etc)
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and peeled into long ribbons
- 1 Avocado, skin and pit removed and diced
- 2 tbsp green onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, minced
- 1 cooked chicken breast, sliced
- 2 hardboiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta or shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1.5 cups croutons
- goddess dressing
For the croutons
- 2 slices stale crusty bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, etc)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
For the salad
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Thoroughly wash and dry greens and tear or cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to a large bowl.
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Heat olive oil in a skillet to a medium heat and add chickpeas, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring often, for about five minutes. Set aside.
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Combine all ingredients in the large bowl and toss well. Add enough dressing to taste. Divide between two large bowls and serve.
For the croutons
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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Spread pieces of bread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and add herbs, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well.
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Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until croutons are crisp and golden brown.
