Taco Salad - Spring Salads

1 head of lettuce (cut up into bite size) or 2 bags of shredded lettuce

1/2 cup onions diced

1/2 cup Roma Tomatoes diced

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

1 can light kidney beans rinsed and drained

1 can dark kidney beans rinsed and drained

1 bag of Doritos

1 Bottle of creamy Italian Dressing

Right before serving; mix lettuce, onions, tomatoes, kidney beans and shredded cheese in a big bowl.

Pour in 1/2 of the bottle of Creamy Italian Dressing and mix up good. (add more if needed.) Then right before serving crunch up the bag of Doritos and mix into the salad and then serve right away. 

Strawberry Salad - Spring Salads

2 bags spring mix

1 quart strawberries
1/2 c walnuts

Dressing

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoon Vinegar

Make dressing the night before.
Mix together sugar, milk, poppy seeds, mayonnaise then add vinegar.
Combine bag salad with strawberries and nuts. Pour on dressing just before serving.

Spinach-Pasta Salad - Spring Salads

1/2 cup (1.6 ounces) uncooked mini farefalle pasta

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup chopped red onion

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine olive oil and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a large bowl, stirring well with whisk. Add garlic vinaigrette, spinach, and onion to pasta.

Cooking Light: Big Book of Salads (Starters, Sides, and Easy Weeknight Dinners) 

Page 124

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup).

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango - Spring Salads

YIELD 5 1/2 cups

1 mango, peeled and diced small

1 red pepper, seeded and diced as small as you can get it

1 cup chopped scallion

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons grape seed oil

1 ∕4 teaspoon salt

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled

1 1 ∕2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed (a 15 ounce can)

Combine the mango, red pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, grape seed oil, and salt and stir to combine. Add the quinoa and stir until everything is well incorporated. Fold in the black beans. Serve immediately or let sit for a bit to let the flavors meld.

Dill Cucumber Dressing (Yield 1 ½ gallon) - Spring Salads

1 gallon heavy mayonnaise

2 cups lemon juice

½ teaspoon tabasco

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 cups buttermilk

8 tablespoons dill weed

6 cucumbers (seeded, finely diced)

1 teaspoon salt

White pepper

Mix all ingredients in bowl and serve.

Aunt Dollie’s Five Cup Salad - Spring Salads

1 cup sour cream

1 cup coconut

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup mandarin oranges, drained

Mix all ingredients together and serve. Recipe can be doubled if serving large crowd.

Spinach Salad - Spring Salads

Fresh spinach

Avocado

Green onions

Strawberries

Green peas

Bacon

Blue cheese crumbles

Sunflower seeds

Toss all ingredients and serve with raspberry vinaigrette.

Creamy Lemon Thyme Dressing - Spring Salads

3/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup fresh Lemon juice 1 1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest 1/3 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme leaves 1/2 Tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper.
Put all ingredients in a bowl or food processor. Whisk or mix until thick and creamy.

Macaroni with Pancetta, & Peas in Lemon Thyme Dressing - Spring Salads

12oz package of pasta cooked according to package instruction and cooled.

1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
4oz diced and crisped pancetta

Creamy lemon thyme dressing (see below)
2 tsp. Thyme to garnish

In a large bowl with pasta, add pancetta and peas. Gently mix.  Add dressing.
Serve immediately. Otherwise keep components separate.  Store in fridge
until you are ready to serve salad.  When you are ready to serve, mix pasta/pancetta/peas.  Toss salad
with dressing. Garnish with Thyme.

Golden Lamb’s Egg Salad - Spring Salads

6 hard-boiled eggs, chilled and chopped (not too finely)

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 medium red or green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 Tablespoon yellow mustard (or more to taste)

Dash of each: tabasco sauce, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, salt to taste

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients except mayonnaise. Then gradually fold in mayonnaise until desired consistency is reached. (Salad should be thick).

Exotic Fruit Salad - Spring Salads

This fresh fruit salad made with exotic tropical fruits and a zingy lime dressing is the perfect dessert any time. 

1 Dragon fruit 

1 avocado 

12 lychees

1 star fruit 

2 kiwis 

1 Asian pear 

1 Tablespoon brown sugar 

Juice of 1 lime 

Within half an hour before serving, prepare the fruit for the salad. Halve the dragon fruit and cut out balls with a melon baller. Peel then halve the avocado, remove the seed, and slice the fruit. Peel the lychees and remove the seed. Wash and slice the stat fruit. Peel and slice the kiwis. Wash, halve, and core the Asian pear, and cut into wedges. Put all fruit into a serving bowl. 

Mix the brown sugar with the lime juice, then mix with the fruit. Let stand for about 15 minutes and then serve. 

Cottage Cheese Spinach Salad - Spring Salads

1 package fresh spinach, torn

1 carton small -curd cottage cheese

1/2 cup pecans, toasted in pan with small amount of sugar

1/2 cup  sugar or Splenda 

3 T white wine or rice vinegar

2 T prepared horseradish

1/2 t salt 1/2 t ground mustard

1/2 sweet onion sliced and sautéed with DARK sesame vinegar until crisp

1 sliced red bell pepper

  

In large bowl layer spinach cottage cheese and pecan , peppers , and onions, repeat layers. Make the dressing by mixing the sugar or Splenda, vinegar and mustard. 

Toss dressing and salad together. Makes 10 + servings.

Broccoli Salad - Spring Salads

This sweet and colorful version of broccoli salad appears on many tables and also in the grocery delis. The addition of raisins and bacon gives it great texture and flavor.

2 bunches broccoli (approximately 2 ¼ pounds)

10 thin slices bacon

1 large red onion, chopped

½ cup dark raisins

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup toasted sunflower seeds (optional)

Cut broccoli florets into smaller than bite-size pieces. Cut off the tough outer layer of the stalks and chop the tender part into small pieces. You need approximately 8 cups of broccoli (This can be done the day before and stored in a plastic bag).  In a small skillet, sauté the bacon until crisp and set aside. Slice the onion lengthwise, and then cut to julienne strips. In a large bowl; whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and pepper. Combine the dressing with the vegetables and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving, mixing once during this time. Top with the sunflower seeds.

Taken from Cooking from Quilt Country: Hearty Recipes from Amish and Mennonite Kitchens by Marcia Adams

Amish Potato Salad - Spring Salads

5-6 large Potatoes (boiled)

3-4 green onions (chopped)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 cup Sour Cream

1 cup Mayonnaise

½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

½ cup sugar

hard boiled eggs, sliced (optional)

shaved carrots (optional)

Mix Sour Cream, Mayonnaise and sugar together and taste.

All other ingredients mix together and pour dressing over potato mixture.

Quick Lettuce Salad - Spring Salads

Spread lettuce leaves on individual plates. Place a pineapple slice or spoonful of pineapple chunks on each plate of lettuce, and top it with cottage cheese. Top with a spoonful of mayonnaise, sprinkle with nutmeats or garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Perfection Salad - Spring Salads

1 Tablespoon flavored gelatin

½ cup cold water

1 cup boiling water

½ cup sugar

½ cup mild vinegar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cabbage, finely shredded

2 cups celery finely cut

2 pimentos finely cut

¼ cup red or green peppers finely cut

Soak the gelatin in the cold water for about five minute. Add the boiling water, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and salt. When the mixture begins to stiffen, add the remaining ingredients. Turn it into a wet mold and chill it. Remove the salad to a bed of lettuce and garnish it with mayonnaise.

Amish Cooking, Delux Ed; Compiled by a Committee of Amish Women

Pea Salad - Spring Salads

1 cup cooked peas, drained

1 cup celery finely cut

½ cup sweet pickles, chopped

½ cup diced cheese

Season with salt, pepper and sugar, and then mix all ingredients with mayonnaise to taste.

Kraut Salad - Spring Salads

1 quart sauerkraut, drained

1 cup each of finely cut celery and sugar

1 small mango, 1 small onion, both finely cut

½ cup each of cooking oil and vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and serve.