Christmas

Small Oven's Green Salad With Preserved Lemon & Candied Ginger

by:
November 21, 2017
4.6
18 Ratings
Small Oven's Green Salad With Preserved Lemon & Candied Ginger
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Serves 4 to 6, with leftover dressing for more salads
Author Notes

A winning formula for salad that will energize—and not bore—you will be a boon year-round. But during holiday feasts (and when in recovery mode from holiday feasts) it’s an especially welcome invigorator—perhaps most of all because it won’t taste like any green salad anyone’s had before. Recipe adapted slightly from Small Oven in Easthampton, Massachusetts. —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Preserved Lemon & Candied Ginger Salad
  • 14 ounces high-quality salad greens (Small Oven uses a baby mix from Queen’s Greens in north Amherst)
  • 4 tablespoons minced preserved lemon rind
  • 4 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger
  • 12 large basil leaves, chiffonaded
  • 4 ounces grana padano or Parmesan cheese, shaved into thin strips on a mandoline or with a potato peeler
  • Thyme Vinaigrette from below, to taste
  • Thick-cut, salted olive oil toast and avocado, to serve (optional)
  • Thyme Vinaigrette
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/4 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Leaves from 8 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
Directions
  1. Preserved Lemon & Candied Ginger Salad
  2. Combine the greens with the preserved lemon, candied ginger, basil, and grana padano. Dress right before serving with thyme vinaigrette, to taste. Serve as a side, or with avocado toast for a complete meal.
  1. Thyme Vinaigrette
  2. Combine all ingredients and use a blender or immersion blender to emulsify fully. Store leftovers in the fridge and use within a week.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • TheAnxiousBaker
    TheAnxiousBaker
  • Karen Brooks
    Karen Brooks
  • Natalia Kolk
    Natalia Kolk
  • lplynch
    lplynch
  • pauline
    pauline
Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

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20 Reviews

TheAnxiousBaker
TheAnxiousBaker November 29, 2024
Excellent salad! Surprising and delicious, just as others say. But I was confused about the quantity of greens. 14 oz. by weight? By volume? Went with about 10 cups, which didn’t overwhelm add-ins and served 8 as a Thanksgiving side.
 
Karen B.
Karen B. August 25, 2022
One of the best salads I have ever made! The addition of preserved lemon and candied ginger is genius!! I made this for company without saying anything about the ingredients. It was fun to watch as the first bites were taken.
People literally perked up and mmmm'd. The vinaigrette works well on other salads as well.
 
LULULAND
LULULAND July 11, 2020
I would like to make this but, is there a sub for the preserved lemon? thanks ahead!
 
Natalia K.
Natalia K. July 11, 2020
There’s a “quick” preserved lemon recipe from Mark Bittman that only takes a few hours to be ready. Basically you dice up a lemon and let it sit out on the counter with a mix of salt & sugar for a few hours. Otherwise, it’s one of those things that there isn’t really a good substitute for (at least that I’ve found).
 
LULULAND
LULULAND July 12, 2020
Thanks, but I don't have the actual recipe, so I am thinking just lemon zest have work.
 
Natalia K.
Natalia K. April 8, 2019
Love this salad! It’s like a guilty pleasure without the guilt. The combination is just so refreshing and unexpected. Since I hate just using the rind of preserved lemons I like to add the segments (rinsed of course) to the vinaigrette. I just reduce the salt and vinegar a tad. And I’ll add basil too, in place of the parsley and/or thyme.
 
dkv
dkv January 27, 2019
An excellent salad. Note that the dressing must be made in advance for the thyme to infuse. It tastes like nothing when it’s fresh but mellows into something lovely if left alone for a few hours.
 
Joan T.
Joan T. October 25, 2018
The dressing is so delicate! The bits of candied ginger are a wonderful surprise. This entire salad was perfect and I will be making it again very soon.
 
lplynch
lplynch January 4, 2018
I made this to go with dungeness crab over the holidays. I have never had so many people ask me what was in the salad! This is our new go-to for easy entertaining. We're making it again tomorrow night to serve alongside some Guinness stew. Thank you!
 
Madelyn M.
Madelyn M. December 27, 2017
It looks tasty but should I add spinach?
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. December 30, 2017
Sure, why not!
 
witloof
witloof December 24, 2017
Inspired by this recipe, I made a lovely dressing for a green salad by mincing up preserved lemon peel and candied ginger and mixing it with walnut oil, lime juice, pomegranate molasses, and about a teaspoon of the juice from the lemons. SO GOOD. This was my first batch of preserved lemons, and I am so excited to cook with them.
 
pauline
pauline December 4, 2017
Try glace pineapple or chestnut, or make yourself a separate bowl of this delicious salad.
 
Alyssa
Alyssa December 4, 2017
Any recommendations for an alternative to the ginger? I love it, but my other half doesn't.
 
gcooks
gcooks November 27, 2017
such an easy upgrade ~ bright and fresh and fast. thanks!
 
pauline
pauline November 26, 2017
Absolutely fantastic salad and with the avocado toast it proved a meal made in heaven. I used pea shoots, cucumber, romaine and spring onions.
 
Gigi S.
Gigi S. November 25, 2017
Where do you find preserved lemon rind?
 
FrugalCat
FrugalCat November 23, 2017
I have a jar of preserved lemon slices. Should I just dice up the outsides? What should I do with the inside part? I'm thinking add it to the dressing.
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. November 25, 2017
I thought the same thing! Until I tasted the inside and it was mostly very salty without the same fragrance and flavor of the rind. You could include a little for seasoning, but definitely start with a little and add to taste.
 
Marja M.
Marja M. December 2, 2017
Try to put half of a preserved lemon in the water when cooking rice - it gives a fantastic flavor, and you don't need to add salt at all!