I once had a most delicious salad dressing at a Vipassana centre. Ate it for ten days straight and loved it.(Google the V-word and you'll see what I'm talking about, with that. Was a wonderful experience a person might like to try once in her/his life.) That dressing has haunted me since, and finally I came up with one that tastes enough like it that I am in love with it. (So is an objective taste-tester) So I thought I'd share my idea of a really good salad.

I don't measure anything, so this will be a bit rough.
vinegar is 2-1 of oil or thereabouts.

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I used raspberry balsamic for this,(it's just what I have)
as well as apple cider vinegar (with "the mother")
then, a bit of tamari
a few cloves of garlic, (or you can leave out--as they did at the centre)
some fresh tarragon leaves, chopped.
then, just a knife's tip of raw honey.
If you don't have ACV, you might use a bit of fresh lemon.
For some reason I prefer ACV in the winter.
(Note: the tamari gives it the nice base note. Not just salt. Yes, a good salad dressing IS like a fine perfume made of ancient plant resins and so on... That's another subject: scented oils and incense-making. :-)

This is a herb I do NOT like, dried: it tastes too sweet and empty to me, but fresh it is delicious. (I am quite sure it has some amazing unknown properties that make it very soothing to the system, important for the Vipassana experience.) It may also be that in the past I've only ever tasted junky dried tarragon, grown on poor soil, and with pesticides. Try the organic kind, and you will see that is you haven't cared for herbs generally, you will begin to see them in a whole new light: they ARE a main source of food, and should be, for those of us eating the plant-based way.

That's it for the dressing. My usual one involves a lot of dijon mustard, but this one has become my favourite alternative. I never thought I'd want to do without dijon.


Then, the salad. I like the organic mixed baby 'greens'. They are all colours and kinds, with raddicio and the pale lacy stuff that looks like land coral. Add cilantro, parsley, watercress... If I was feeling like my liver was a bit off, I'd add more bitter greens too. Then, add grated carrots on top. and grated beets. Lots of green onions, almost forgot. Make sure these are organic and you will find you grow to crave them--Not just a few sprinkles, use lots. And add whatever else you like. If tomatoes are good, add those. (But be aware that if the food is poor-brix, you are not doing yourself any favours. Most tomatoes I've tested test very low. If you grow them, you will want to learn about brix also, in order to improve the nutritional profile.)

Then, if you like, you can have some oven-roasted sweet potato wedges, (and on this, balsamic vinegar and tamari makes a nice marinade to toss them in, then bake with a little coconut oil.

Delicious!