Thyme Vinaigrette Salad Recipes

GRILLED SWORDFISH AND EGGPLANT SALAD WITH HONEY-THYME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, chopped thyme and some salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
• Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high for direct grilling. Brush the eggplant, poblanos and bell pepper with canola oil, scatter over some of the whole thyme leave sand season with salt and pepper. Grill the poblanos and bell pepper until charred all over and somewhat tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam. Continue to grill the eggplant until charred on both sides and tender, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Brush the swordfish on all sides with canola oil, scatter the remaining whole thyme leaves on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the swordfish until charred on both sides and just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
• Peel, seed and dice the poblanos and bell pepper and transfer to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the watercress. Pour some of the dressing around the sides of the bowl, and toss to dress the vegetables.
• Put the fish on a large platter. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and top with the salad. Serve.

SHERRY THYME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Shake all ingredients in a well-sealed jar. Use immediately, or store in refrigerator up to 1 week. Before serving, bring vinaigrette to room temperature and reshake to combine.

CITRUS-THYME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a salad bowl, whisk together marmalade, Dijon, zest and juice of 1 lemon, stream in olive oil, season dressing with salt, pepper and thyme. Add chopped lettuce and vegetables to the bowl and toss to coat evenly.

VINAIGRETTE FOR GREEN SALAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, garlic, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.
• Place the salad greens in a medium bowl and add enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with a little extra salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.

FINGERLING POTATO SALAD WITH HONEY-THYME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Scrub the potatoes and cook in boiling water with the 1 tsp salt until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and spread on a cookie sheet to cool. Halve lengthwise when cool enough to handle.
• Trim and halve haricots verts or green beans. Drop into 3 cups boiling water, return to boil, reduce heat and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and drop into a bowl of ice water. Let stand 5 minutes, then drain well.
• For vinaigrette, mix vinegar, shallot, honey, thyme, mustard, salt and pepper in food processor or blender and process until smooth. With processor or blender running, slowly pour in the oil in a steady stream, until the mixture is thickened.
• In a large salad bowl, combine the potatoes, beans and red onion. Drizzle over enough dressing to coat everything thoroughly. Cover and chill from 2 to 24 hours.Serve.
• Just before serving, toss salad with bacon and top with feta. Serve additional vinaigrette on the side, or reserve for another use.
• Note1: Fingerling potatoes are not around just now, so I used red potatoes that I peeled and cut into quarters or eights, which worked very nicely. I have also added some sweet potatoes to the other potatoes, and that was good, too.
• Note2: I mixed the vinaigrette in a 2 cup measuring cup with my stick blender, which worked perfectly.
• Note3: Extra dressing keeps for several weeks, according to chef, but I used it up faster than that.
• Note4: This makes a whole lot more salad than I can use. I just cook up two or three potatoes, a good handful of the beans and drizzle a bit of the dressing on it. Once you make the dressing, this is a snap.
• Note5: I use just a slice or two of bacon per serving, and often don't use it at all. I think chunks of good ham or turkey would be really nice in this, too.

MEDITERRANEAN LENTIL SALAD WITH LEMON-THYME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• To make the salad, combine the lentils and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain, place in a large bowl and let cool. Toss the tomato, olives, feta and celery with the lentils.
• To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic and thyme in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Whisk in the salt and pepper. Toss the vinaigrette with the salad and season to taste. Divide among 4 plates, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.