Mixed Vegetable and Avocado Salad with Almond Herbed Flatbreads

It's almost starting to feel like spring here in southwestern Ontario, although after a long and brutally cold winter I'm not counting on sunny warm days sticking around anytime soon. But with the hint of warmer days on the horizon, I find myself thinking more of salads, even if they are often made to go along with a hot steaming bowl of soup or curry.

My latest dressed-up salad was inspired by a complimentary copy of A Taste of Pesach by Yeshiva Me'on Hatorah. This cookbook, devoted to Passover solutions, features both classic and modern recipes, complete with lovely full colored photographs of each dish. If you observe Passover, this might just be the book for you, and even if you don't there are plenty of diverse recipes to inspire cooks. Those with a sweet tooth won't want to miss the dessert section. While the amount of meat and sea food recipes that occupy the book certainly won't appeal to vegetarians, this vegetarian was intrigued by many of the salads and sides showcased in the book.

Accordingly, after flipping through the pages, I was attracted by a colorful "flatbread" salad and I'm glad I tried it, with some minor modifications.

The salad had a nice creamy component due to the addition of avocado that contrasts pleasantly with crisp romaine lettuce and sweet red cabbage. As the salad is tossed, some of the avocado ends up getting mashed in and incorporated, making it an ideal accompaniment to the tangy and zesty dressing that adorns each serving. The almond flour flatbreads make for an even more substantial salad that you can enjoy as an appetizer while you await the rest of your meal.

Also bookmarked from the collection is Avocado Salad with Portobello Mushrooms, Veggie Roll-Up and various kugels.

Notes: I cut the recipe in half because I didn't require as much salad as the original recipe called for, but it is easily doubled to feed more hungry diners if required.

To make this salad vegan, omit the non-vegan flatbreads suggested below and use flatbreads or croutons that suit your diet or leave them out altogether — the salad is substantial and delicious enough without any garnish, other than perhaps some freshly cracked black pepper. Feel free to increase the amount of dressing by a wee bit if you like your salad smothered with more zing.

You can make your own almond flour for the flatbreads at home if you can't find it or prefer not to buy it. Blanch the almonds and grind into a fine powder in a food processor, taking care not to over-process. You want a grain-like flour consistency, not a sticky mixture.

I received a complimentary copy to look over. The opinions expressed here and my modifications to the original recipe are my own.

Mixed Vegetable and Avocado Salad with Almond Herbed Flatbreads

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from A Taste of Pesach Published on April 11, 2014 Simple colorful mixed salad with multiple textures dressed with a sweet and tangy dressing and topped with herbed almond flour flatbreads Print this recipe Flatbreads: 1 1/2 cups almond flour 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 3/4 teaspoon sea salt fresh cracked black pepper to taste 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon olive oil Dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons white vinegar 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard a few pinches of dried red pepper flakes (optional) sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste Salad: 1 small head romaine lettuce, torn 1 1/2 cups red cabbage, cut into thin strips or grated 12 to 14 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed 1 small red onion, cut into fine strips Instructions: Begin by making the flatbreads. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat an oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, herbs, salt, egg, olive oil and black pepper with a fork. Gently knead in the bowl until a soft dough forms. Transfer to the baking sheet with the parchment paper, tear off another sheet of parchment paper, and cover the dough. Flatten with a rolling pin until the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. Remove the parchment paper from the top and cut the dough into 2-inch squares or triangles. Sprinkle with more salt and black pepper if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until well combined. For the salad, toss all of the ingredients in a large bowl. To assemble, dish up some salad onto a plate, drizzle with some of the dressing and top with flatbreads broken into smaller pieces. Makes 6 servings

This is my contribution to this month's No Croutons Required Soup and Salad Challenge. Jacqueline is hosting for April. Jac and I look forward to another round of delicious ideas.

More salads to grace your table from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Avocado Salad
Peach and Bocconcini Salad with Arugula
Wild Rice and Asparagus Salad
Chickpea and Lentil Salad with Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

On the top of the reading stack: Orwashers Artisan Bread: 100 Years of Techniques and Recipes

Audio Accompaniment: Mark Hollis