The Spicy Spatula

Salads. They are my jam. I’m not one of those people who pretends to hold her nose and eat salad because it’s healthy, because I’m supposed to or because I have to. And, not to toot my own horn or anything but I used to be one of those teenagers who mocked girls/women who went out to eat and ordered a salad. Like, what a waste.

My how the times have changed.

Anyway way, yes, I love salad. I also have a very broad definition of salad but if you’re curious check out some of my vegan salad recipes here.

The key to making a really good vegan salad is to use fresh and local ingredients, and make sure you pick them when they are at their absolute best. Forget about scoffing at misshapen tomatoes. Are they red and firm but with a little bit of give? Then grab a few and get ready to grub. Look for vibrant colors and fresh smells.

And don’t be so beholden to tradition. Grate those carrots and add it to your salad. Want to add beans? Go right ahead! Pickles? Do it!

Today’s vegan salad is just that sort of hodge-podge of salad ingredients. It’s kind of a Panzanella salad but this is the internet and I don’t have time to argue with purists because it’s missing some key ingredient. This is just a really fresh vegan salad with leftover rustic bread and fried (okay sauteed) capers.

Forget about that, let’s just get to the recipe, shall we?

Kitchen Tools:

*Cutting board
*Kitchen knife
*Mixing bowls

Ingredients:

Instructions:

*Preheat oven to 200C/400F. This step is optional only if you want to crisp up the bread a little so it can soak up the vegan salad dressing. 3 to 4 minutes is plenty of time.

*Rinse and chop the vegetables and fresh herbs, and drop them in a large mixing or salad bowl.

*Melt the vegan butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add chopped garlic and capers and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly brown and fragrant. Remove from heat.

*In a small mixing bowl, combine the mustard, capers & garlic and balsamic vinegar (accidentally cut it off the photo, oops) and whisk to combine. Oil option but I don’t think it’s necessary.

*Place remaining ingredients–bread & sprouts–into the mixing bowl and drizzle salad dressing on top. Toss to combine and serve.

This is quickly becoming a favorite vegan salad of mine because we usually have little bit of leftover bread from the bakery. BTW, have I ever told you just how many bakeries there are in Romania? They are as bountiful as Starbucks in the U.S. and sure you can get some of them everywhere but each bakery has a few unique options that makes it a treat to just stop at a bakery and see what they have.

Back to the vegan salads.

We always have bread left over and this is a great way to use it while keeping the meal fairly calorie friendly.

You can use any type of vinegar you want and I also advise experimenting with different types of mustard in lieu of oil. Stone ground or Dijon work great, but even a regular spicy brown mustard can change the flavor of the dish or bring out something new in your fresh ingredients.

And that’s all folks! Have a happy, healthy Wednesday!

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