The Random Salad with Blissful Basil Dressing

There is no substitute for a plate full of veggies dressed in something spectacular, and that's just what this salad offers.  Motivated by the warm fall weather we've been having, I decided to toss together a bunch of my favorite veggies and deck them out in a dressing that is as blissful as it is tasty.  With some brief chopping and processing, I had the above whipped up in just 20 minutes.  Better yet, I stored the leftover chopped ingredients in containers so that I could put this special salad together in the blink of an eye throughout the week.

The Random Salad w/ Blissful Basil Dressing (Makes 6 large salads)

For Blissful Basil Dressing:

◊ ⅓ cup mayo

◊ 7 oz plain greek yogurt

◊ 1 garlic clove, peeled

◊ 1 oz chives, chopped

◊ juice of 1 lemon

◊ leaves from 2 large sprigs of basil

◊ sea salt

Place garlic clove on cutting board, sprinkle with sea salt, and smash/smear it with a fork until tender.  Combine mayo, yogurt, garlic, chives, lemon juice, basil, and a dash of sea salt in food processor and give it a whirl until smooth.  Season to taste.  Pour the dressing into a glass jar and refrigerate until ready to use. (fyi, this dressing is out-of-this-world delish)

For Salad:

◊ 8 pearl tomatoes, quartered

◊ 3 persian cucumbers, diced

◊ 1 can heart of palm, sliced

◊ 1 can artichokes, quartered

◊ 1 cup sugar snap peas, diced

◊ 2 heads butter lettuce (I used red and green), torn into pieces

◊ sunflower seeds

Store each of the ingredients in its own container so that the salad can be quickly and freshly assembled as desired.

For Croutons:

◊ 1 small french baguette, cubed

◊ 3 tablespoon olive oil

◊ sea salt

◊ freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add baguette cubes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toast the bread cubes until golden brown on each side.  The croutons should be crunchy on the exterior and chewy on the interior.

To assemble salad, layer greens and top with each of the veggies.  Sprinkle a small handful of sunflower seeds on top.  Drizzle the salad with Blissful Basil Dressing and top with the freshly toasted croutons.  Serve and enjoy!