Three Salad Recipes for Spring Progressive Dinners

A progressive dinner is a party in which people move from house to house, eating one or more food items made by the families at each house. They can also be setup by food establishments, such as mountain resorts. It is like a potluck spread out over several houses.

A spring progressive dinner is one which takes place in the spring with spring vegetables and fruits. Below are healthy salads suitable for progressive dinners.

Spring Green Salad Recipe

This is a salad that incorporates many of the available spring vegetables.

Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8

1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
12 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, cabbage, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens, escarole, etc.)
10 scallions, sliced
4 small zucchini, sliced
2 cucumber, peeled and thinly cut
1-1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
4 tablespoons vinegar
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a pot, boil the sugar snap peas until tender but still crispy. Drain and allow to cool. In a bowl, mix the peas, greens, scallions, zucchini, cucumber, olives, and basil. In another bowl, mix the vinegar, oil, lemon juice, ginger, honey, garlic, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Salad Nicoise Recipe

This salad is full of flavor, especially because of the Nicoise olives, the salad's namesake.

Time: 30 min
Servings: 8

Salad:

8 cups spinach, ripped by hand
8 eggs, hard-boiled
2 (12-ounce) cans tuna in water, drained
4 green onions, chopped
2 tomato, chopped
1 pound green beans, blanched
4 large red potatoes, cubed and boiled
salt and pepper

Lemon-Olive Vinaigrette:

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup olives, chopped (nicoise preferably)
salt and pepper

To make the salad: Spread the spinach on a serving tray and top with the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and pour the Lemon-Olive Vinaigrette dressing over everything.

To make the dressing: In a bowl, stir the mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, thyme, olives, pepper, and olive oil thoroughly together. Allow the ingredients' flavors to blend together for 10 minutes.

Chipotle Potato Salad Recipe

Chipotle peppers and lime juice give this salad a little bit of southwestern or Mexican flavor.

Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 8

5 pounds potatoes (8 large, Russet recommended), peeled and sliced
4 (7 ounce) cans chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
6 tablespoons lime juice
6 tablespoons vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 small red onion, chopped
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
4 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
Salt and pepper

In a pot, cover potatoes with water seasoned with salt, and boil the potatoes until tender. In a bowl, mix the chipotle peppers with sauce, lime juice, vinegar, and olive oil thoroughly to make a dressing. Drain the potatoes and toss them with the dressing, onions, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled.

Sources: University of Illinois, P. Allen Smith GardenHome, Food Network