This has been dubbed, “weird salad” by my family.

But they eat it.

My husband looked at it the other day and said, “What is this?? Is it even a real thing?”

Yes.

It is.

It’s an awesome thing.

Fresh, and crisp, and clean, and healthy.

It travels through your body scrubbing corners and shaking out the cobwebs after winter holiday abuse.

We went back for seconds and thirds, and so did my middle guy.

You don’t have to do it with the exact ingredients I used. It’s more a concept than anything, and it comes from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks that has yet to fail me.

It’s perfect for a portable lunch. You can make some on Sunday, and it will keep in the fridge till next weekend – if it lasts that long.

It’s great for a simple dinner with some crusty bread and cheese, or maybe as a first course followed by a light pasta or a not-so-light pizza.

Pick your veggies, pick your beans, pick your cheese. . . decide whether or not you want your greens, and dig in. It makes your mouth happy, and it makes your tummy happy.

Recipe:

Veggie Antipasto Salad

Ingredients:
Artichoke hearts drained and quartered
Roasted red peppers, sliced
Celery, thinly sliced
Cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
Thinly sliced red onion
Olives
Tomatoes
Cheese (fresh mozz, shaved parm, crumbled feta. . . )

For the dressing:

extra virgin olive oil
fresh lemon juice
cayenne pepper
Fresh ground black pepper

Serve over your choice of salad greens. (I used baby spinach)

Directions:

Slice, dice, or otherwise prepare the ingredients you’ve chosen according to your taste. Mine were:
Marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, celery, garbanzo beans, red onion, Kalamata, and green Spanish olives, and grape tomatoes.
Arrange them on a platter in attractive rows if you like. Then sprinkle with your choice of cheese.

Drizzle everything with olive oil and lemon juice and top with cayenne pepper and fresh ground pepper to taste.
(I actually like to put the lemon juice, olive oil, and both peppers into a container, close tightly with a lid and shake them well. Then I drizzle the mixture over everything.)

Place individual servings of greens on separate plates. Top with antipasto mixture, and serve.

If you choose to serve the salad without greens, toss everyting in a colorful jumble in a large serving bowl. Best served warm.

This salad can be kept in the fridge without the greens and tomatoes for up to a week.

Source: Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home by The Moosewood Collective