As the coronavirus became more and more serious, Americans got more and more serious about their canned goods. My local supermarkets, all of them, were wiped clean of non-perishables in an instant. To be fair, they were wiped clean of just about everything, but I am pretty positive that the canned goods people bought would quickly get lost in their kitchen cabinets never to be seen again; at least all the toilet paper they were hoarding would go to good use!
Anyone who knows me well is in on my secret that I was a lover of non-perishable goods long before the coronavirus made them popular. While most non-perishable items get pushed to the back of the pantry, lost forever among pasta, rice, salsa and canned vegetables, it certainly doesn’t have to be that way. There are many creative ways to put your cans to work and one of my favorites is in a salad.
It’s your Can Can Salad after all…
The recipe below isn’t really a recipe per say, it is more of an assembly. Treat the ingredients as idea starters. Remember those choose your own ending books we all loved when we were little? Well this salad is kind of like that. You get to choose what the final product looks like. When making a salad highlighting your non-perishables, the combinations are endless. Include what you like best being mindful that the flavors complement each other. I challenge you to take a look at your pantry and come up with your own combination.
What dressing should I use?
Top with your favorite store-bought dressing choosing one that makes sense with the flavors that you’ve chosen for your salad. Or you could really up your chef game and make this quick Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette. I’ll let you in on a little secret: once you start making your own dressings, you won’t go back to store-bought! Except for those crazy weeknights when the very thought of making anything is beyond you…but that’s ok because you’re whipping together a Can Can Salad—so feel good about that!
Get salad-ing!
If you enjoy salads as much as I do, give one of these a try: Asparagus Tomato Salad, Broccoli Cabbage Caesar Salad or Tomato Avocado Cilantro Salad! As always, let me know how your Can Can Salad turned out and what you ended up using by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Can Can Salad
Ingredients
- arugula or green of choice: hearts of romaine, spinach, iceberg, kale, etc.
- small can 13.5 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 small can 14 oz artichoke hearts, quartered
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or cheese of choice: cheddar, goat, gorgonzola, mozzarella, etc.
- ¼ cup sliced almonds or nut of choice: walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, etc.
- dressing of choice see what you have in the fridge or make one of our dressings
Instructions
- Combine salad ingredients and toss with dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you want to make this salad ahead of time, put all of the wet items at the bottom of the bowl and the greens on top so your greens stay nice and crunchy. Toss (try this whole grain mustard vinaigrette) and dress right before serving.
