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I made 3 of Ina Garten’s salad recipes —the best felt the fanciest but was the easiest to make

July 29, 20240
The Cape Cod chopped salad called for arugula, bacon, apples, cranberries, and blue cheese.

Moriah House

The Cape Cod chopped salad calls for 8 ounces each of arugula and bacon, 6 ounces of crumbled blue cheese, one Granny Smith apple, and a half cup each of dried cranberries and walnuts.

I bought pre-crumbled blue cheese because it was easy to measure and sprinkle on the salad.

Next, I cooked bacon and tossed it with the rest of the ingredients.
The dressing called for ingredients like maple syrup, orange juice, and apple-cider vinegar.

Moriah House

For the dressing, I combined 3 tablespoons of apple-cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of orange zest, 2 tablespoons each of maple syrup and orange juice, 2-½ teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1-½ teaspoons of salt, half a teaspoon of pepper, and 2/3 cup of olive oil.

Finally, per Garten’s recipe, I tossed the salad with the dressing and finished it with half a teaspoon of salt. 

The final salad was pretty basic but still tasty.
The maple-roasted-carrot salad required arugula, goat cheese, cranberries, and orange juice.

Moriah House

Garten’s maple-roasted-carrot salad calls for 6 ounces each of arugula and diced goat cheese, 2/3 cup each of Marcona almonds and dried cranberries, and 2 pounds of carrots.

I thought the almonds and goat cheese made this salad feel a little fancier right off the bat.

Roasting the carrots was the most time-consuming part of this recipe.
The orange juice made the cranberries sweet and plump.

Moriah House

While the carrots were roasting, I brought the cranberries and 2/3 cup of orange juice to a simmer in a small pot.

Once the mixture started bubbling, I immediately removed it from the heat and set it aside to let the cranberries soak.

I didn’t understand the purpose of this step at first. However, I later realized that the orange juice made the cranberries extremely plump and juicy. 

As the dish came together, I appreciated that the salad and dressing required only a few ingredients.
I enjoyed the maple-roasted-carrot salad, but it took a while to make.

Moriah House

I enjoyed the balance of light, zesty citrus and hearty roasted carrots. The Marcona almonds and goat cheese added an elegant touch.

Garten’s maple-roasted-carrot salad would make a lovely side dish for a fancy meal.

However, it won’t be in my weekly rotation due to its expensive ingredients (like the Marcona almonds and goat cheese) and the extra time required for roasting the carrots.

Finally, I made Garten’s tricolore salad with oranges. 
Macerating the shallots was a pretty simple step.

Moriah House

After slicing the shallots into thin rings, I placed them in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of apple-cider vinegar to macerate.

The recipe said to let them soak for 10 minutes, so I set them aside while I prepared the other ingredients. 

I made the dressing with five simple ingredients.
I wasn’t sure how everything would taste, but the salad looked beautiful.

Moriah House

Finally, I removed the shallots from the vinegar with a slotted spoon and combined them with my other ingredients in a large bowl.

Again, I finished the dish with Garten’s seemingly signature sprinkle of salt.

The final salad was both delicious and beautiful.
I liked all three salads, but the tricolore salad with oranges was my favorite.

Moriah House

Garten’s Cape Cod chopped salad and maple-roasted-carrot version were both tasty. Still, her tricolore salad with oranges was the clear winner in simplicity, uniqueness, and aesthetic appeal.

It’s now a staple in my summer dinner rotation. I’m looking forward to pairing it with main courses, like her three-ingredient chicken, for a delicious seasonal meal.