That might sound like a terribly clueless thing to ask someone whose definition of a salad is a bowl of mixed raw vegetables — green leaves especially — tossed with a little oil and vinegar dressing. But the truth is that it is the very people who define salad so narrowly who are in fact clueless.

Salads can be savory or sweet. They can be served as an appetizer, snack, side dish or even a main course. Some (like ambrosia) are even served as dessert. The salad can be “composed” as when the ingredients are arranged on a serving plate or shallow bowl or it can be a simple tossed salad. Then, there are “bound” salads (think macaroni salad) which if pressed lightly into a bowl and inverted on a plate, the salad retains the shape of the bowl.

Another misconception about salad is that it is necessarily low fat and, therefore, healthy. I’m not sure we will agree on the definition of “healthy” but let me just say that there are salad dressings that contain fat in not-so-negligible amounts. Think mayo and salad dressings based on mayo and dairy. Ranch dressing, Thousand Island dressing and Caesar salad dressing are just a few examples.

So, you see, the world of salad is huge. And I’m glad.

Seedless grapes and toasted pecan salad

Connie Veneracion

To allow the flavors to develop and blend, after tossing the salad, cover the bowl and chill for half an hour. Give the salad a final toss before serving.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 0

Chilling 30

Total Time 10

Course Appetizer, Salad, Snack

Cuisine Accidental

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
grated zest of 1/4 lemon or lime
1 pinch dried minced onion (available in the spice section of the grocery)
1 teaspoon honey
1 tiny pinch salt
1 pinch pepper

For the salad

4 to 6 cups seedless grapes
1 to 1 ½ cups toasted pecans
50 to 70 grams cheese (hard or semi-hard cheeses are recommended)
8 to 10 stalks scallions root ends cut off and discraded

Instructions

Start by making the vinaigrette to allow the flavors to develop. Just place all the ingredients in a small jar with a screw-type cap, screw on the cap tightly and shake until the salt is fully dissolved.
Cut the grapes into halves.
Roughly chop the pecans.
Shred the cheese (I used the large holes of a box grater).
Finely slice the scallions.
Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss lightly.
Drizzle in the vinaigrette and give a salad a few more tosses.