I’m in my bagged salad era. When I’m ready to make a meal, I don’t reach for knives, instead, I reach for scissors and snip open packets of greens and small packets of crunchy mix-ins and packaged dressing.
What I like about this: convenience and no waste. What I’m ambivalent about: they’re kinda always the same. Ranch or Asian or a variation on the savory-and-sweet combo that I love (usually involving Craisins and a creamy cheese).
When I’m ready to cook again in my kitchen, I look for unusual recipes with some of my favorite ingredients, like this Cherry Pistachio Salad recipe found on NYT Cooking. It makes a smart addition to a barbecue menu — the rich fruit and snappy onion offer a fresh counterpoint to saucy chicken or pork ribs.
In fact, this recipe has become a much-requested accompaniment for our 4th of July potluck dinner.
This recipe has a handful of ingredients, but can be time-consuming to assemble (remember how spoiled I’ve become by opening my supper salad bag with scissors). Get a kitchen helper to pit the cherries, using a cherry pitter or methods like placing the fruit on the mouth of a bottle and using a chopstick to force the pit into the bottle.
Cherry Pistachio Salad Recipe
adapted from NYT Cooking
Serves 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds black cherries
1/2 cup raw pistachios, unshelled
1 bunch green onions
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Instructions
- Using your favorite cherry pitting method, halve the cherries and discard the pits. I like to use a cherry pitter tool. Add halved cherries to a bowl.
- Coarsely chop the pistachios and toss in bowl with cherries.
- Trim the scallion ends and tippity-tops, then cut into two long pieces, separating the white bottoms from the green tops. Using tongs, hold the bottoms over a stovetop burner and cook them until they’re charred on the outside.
- Place the cooked scallions on the cutting board and mince them until they’re a paste. You can add salt here, if you’d like. Add to a small bowl and stir in apple cider vinegar and olive oil. This is your vinaigrette.
- Cut the green scallion tops into long-ish pieces, about an inch or so, and place in bowl with cherries and nuts.
- Pour the charred onion vinaigrette over the salad and toss. Taste for salt and add, if needed.
- This salad is especially pretty on a platter or low-rimmed bowl.
- In the off chance that there are leftovers, store them in a sealed container in your refrigerator for a couple days.
More Recipes from A Cook and Her Books
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