Post-Party Salad

a tossed salad with greens and beans

The guests are gone but some of the crudités remain, along with the extra chickpeas you didn’t need for the hummus and the avocados that weren’t quite ripe enough to make guacamole. Half of the chives you were chopping for garnish are still in the crisper drawer.

That means you have lunch for Monday.

Makes one large entrée salad or two side salads

Ingredients:

  • Chives
  • Chopped
 red bell pepper slices
  • Chopped
 carrot sticks
  • Crumbled goat or feta cheese
  • 
Chickpeas
  • 
Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 
Champagne vinegar (or whatever you have in the pantry)
  • 
Torn mixed greens (pictured here is a layer of spinach topped with red leaf lettuce)

  • 1/2 avocado, sliced

Directions:

  • Layer the first five ingredients (or more bits of crudités, if you have them) in a large glass jar.
  • Add salt and pepper, then pour about a tablespoon of olive oil over, followed by about the same amount of vinegar. Dressing shouldn’t rise above the vegetables and chickpeas—this will keep the greens fresh.
  • Add greens, packing lightly.

To serve:

  • Empty jar so greens hit the bowl first and the dressing and colorful veggies top it off.
  • Add avocado just before eating.