Show of hands… who loves salad? See me waving over here – two hands up? Few things make me happier than a large bowl filled with a kaleidoscope of fresh colorful vegetables like this amazing Midwest salad. Why do I call it a Midwest salad? For one thing, I live in Ohio, so CORN! You’ll have to keep reading to find out the other reason. I like when there is something unexpected like corn, almonds, dates or goat cheese added in. Nothing like the element of surprise in a meal! This salad has them all and is bursting with a variety of tastes and textures and dressed in a heavenly dressing.

It is a little tangy from the crumbles of goat cheese, juicy from the tomatoes, has sweetness from dates, creamy from the avocado, crunchy from the almonds, and crispness from the fresh corn. I like to cut everything bite size so you get a little bit of everything in every bite. Topped off with a perfect vinaigrette and there’s nothing better. I wish I could take credit for coming up with it but I can’t. It’s another Northstar Café creation, the same place as my beet and black bean burger. They serve amazing salads and this one is our family favorite. It’s the type of salad you dream about.

One fun note about this salad… at each of their locations they name it something different according to the town or locale they are in which is pretty cute. There’s the Beechwood, the Townsfair, the Village, the Uptown, and the Liberty salad – I told you – cute. At my house we call it the Midwest aptly named for our location and an homage to where the salad originated.

I don’t think you can ever have enough of what I call toppings on this salad so I’ve amped it up a bit. I’ve taken liberty and added Persian cucumbers, my new favorite salad addition. I also made homemade croutons from ciabatta bread which when tossed in the vinaigrette = perfection! The restaurant uses a mix of greens with kale and some cabbage; I prefer a spring mix with some romaine and radicchio added – get creative here an make it your own.

Use whatever types of lettuce you like it’s really the toppings and dressing that make this salad sing. It serves two as a main dish as is or with the addition of a protein like salmon, cubed grilled tofu or chicken (omit cheese if adding chicken if you keep kosher). It also makes a great starter for 4. FYI, I know this is a really big salad – it’s just the way we like them. Am I right? Enjoy!

ingredients
7 cups any combination of lettuces: spring mix, romaine, radicchio, endive
1 cup cherry or teardrop tomatoes cut in half (or ¼’s if on the large side)
1 medium avocado cut in ½” cubes
2 Persian cucumbers diced
¾ to 1 cup fresh steamed corn* cut from the cob (you can also use canned/or frozen in a pinch)
½ cup goat cheese
4 large Medjool dates cut into ¼” pieces
1/3 cup lightly salted almonds very roughly chopped
1 cup homemade croutons (recipe follows)
optional added proteins: grilled salmon, tofu, diced cooked chicken (if kosher omit cheese if adding chicken)

café vinaigrette
¼ cup champagne, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup good extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I like Maille brand)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
pinch salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

directions for vinaigrette
Add all ingredients into a mason jar and shake vigorously. Alternatively you can put all ingredients in a blender. Set aside until ready to use.

directions for salad
Add greens to the bowl and using kitchen shears (or sharp knife on cutting board) cut the lettuce into bite size pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients in the order written. Toss lightly and dress with vinaigrette.

directions for croutons
Preheat toaster oven or conventional oven to 350 degrees.
I like to use ciabatta bread but you can use any bread of choice like a hearty French bread or focaccia. Cut the bread into 1” cubes. Place on a cookie sheet. brush (or spray) with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a freshly ground pepper. Place in the oven and bake until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes tossing ½ way through the baking time. You can also quickly toast them in a frying pan.

directions for corn
I prefer steaming the corn, it maintains the vitamins. To steam: put 1 to 2 inches of water in the bottom of a pot. Put steamer basket in and bring water to a boil. Place corn in the basket and cover the pot. Steam for about 6 minutes depending on the size of the corn and how many you have in the pot. If you don’t have a steamer, you can take a deep pot add 1 inch of water in the bottom, break the corn in half and place cut side down in the pot so it’s standing up. Cover and steam.