This is my absolute favorite salad! This recipe was inspired by a wonderful restaurant here in Columbus called North Star Cafe. I used to order this salad all the time at the restaurant and just couldn’t get enough…then I tried to mimic the recipe at home and I think I’ve got it pretty close. I knew it was a winner when my HUGE Indian family came over for dinner and had this salad and kept coming back for more! Now, fancy salads is not the Indian “thang”…but when my non-venturesome food loving family inhaled this dish, I knew I was onto something great. I can guarantee that your friends and family will love this too!
So there are a few “magic” ingredients in order to make this happen…it just won’t be the same without Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar (I get it from Trader Joe’s) and Candied Pecans (also from Trader Joe’s). I’ve never measured these ingredients, but this is close to how I do it.
Dressing:
3-4 Tbsp Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
2 tsp Shoyu Sauce (this has a softer flavor than Tamari)
1/2 lemon, juiced (I just squeezed about 1 Tbsp worth of juice)
Salad:
5 steamed Baby Beets (I buy them pre-steamed from Trader Joe’s)
1 handful Candied Pecans, chopped
1 handful of Roasted Almonds, chopped
1 avocado (optional)
1 container of pre-washed Baby Lettuce
Assemble the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together and toss into the salad bowl. You can also add baked tofu and croûtons to this salad.
My mouth is watering just writing this…I hope you love this as much as we do!
We used to live in Columbus, and I so LOVED their salad. I'm excited to try your recipe! I was just turned on to this blog today through the MFA enewsletter, and am really enjoying your entries. Thanks!
Posted by: Christina | July 30, 2008 at 05:03 AM
We used to live in Columbus, and I so LOVED their salad. I'm excited to try your recipe! I was just turned on to this blog today through the MFA enewsletter, and am really enjoying your entries. Thanks!
Posted by: Christina | July 30, 2008 at 05:03 AM
Hi Christina!
North Star is really an amazing restaurant...if you are even in OH, please let me know and we can meet there! :)
Sangeeta
Posted by: Sangeeta Kumar | August 04, 2008 at 04:46 PM