I realized it’s been a hot second since I posted a salad recipe and with the warmer weather comes an inclination towards lighter, leafy meals. This blueberry broccoli salad with homemade ranch dressing is just the ticket.
To be completely honest, I often don’t like ranch. Cool Ranch Doritos are my least favourite flavour and the store-bought ranch dressing served with chicken wings is gross. The only example of ranch that I LOVE is the kind served with the fried chicken bao at Ottawa restaurant Datsun.
The poppyseed ranch I’ve paired with this salad is a very close approximation of the variety on offer at Datsun. Basically, I want to put it on everything.
I have to be honest with you, I’m more excited about this ranch dressing than I am about my dating prospects. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve started swiping on Bumble again.
I thought I was ready. I thought I had hit the reset button on my dating mentality and that I could return to the platform magnanimous and unflappable. But the first handful of interactions I’ve had since rejoining the congregation of celibate (or not-so-celibate singles) has been an unkind reminder of just how miserable the dating pool in Ottawa is.
My first digital suitor – a handsome, tall, 30-year-old lawyer – nearly dispatched entirely with pleasantries and suggested we “unite” after exchanging about four messages.
Putting aside the fact that we’re living in the midst of a global pandemic, I asked, “What do you normally do for dates during quarantine?” To which he replied, “Usually they come to my place, or I go to theirs, or we might outside somewhere.” Again, skipping lightly over the fact that this guy clearly has made no attempt to physically distance, I said, “Well, I’d be down to meet up in a park over the weekend for a drink.”
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
For the Poppyseed Ranch Dressing:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Prepare the Salad Base:
In a large salad bowl, add the fresh spinach leaves as the base.
Top with chopped broccoli florets, fresh blueberries, diced avocado, and dried cranberries.
Make the Dressing:
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, apple cider vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, dried dill, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
Assemble the Salad:
Drizzle the poppyseed ranch dressing over the salad.
Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and poppy seeds for an extra crunch.