Green Salad with Dill, Capers, and Raisins

Sometimes all you want is a plain and simple green salad. When the greens are fresh and tender you really don’t need much more than straight greens, a good dressing, herbs, and a surprise or two. Fresh dill fronds look beautiful and add flavor that will give you that surprise.

I often dismiss dill as being boring but that isn’t the case. It’s a stand out veggie in this salad. The addition of capers add a briny saltiness needed in a simple salad. The raisins add a hint of sweetness that compliments the salty capers. I plump the raisins by adding them to the dressing for 30 minutes or more, which makes them extra delicious.

Dill is the star in this fresh green salad.

Capers and raisins add just the right amount of salty and sweet but don’t overwhelm the goodness of the greens.

Get started by gathering these ingredients. The salad serves four and is a great compliment to a simple pasta dish.

• 6 cups of fresh mixed greens

• 2 cups of spicy greens like watercress, arugula, or baby mustard greens

• 1/2 cup of fresh dill fronds, tough stems removed

• 2 tablespoons capers

• 2 teaspoons diced shallots

• 2 tablespoons sherry

• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

• 1 teaspoon of finely diced preserved lemon or lemon zest

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup raisins

First prepare the dressing. Place the shallots, sherry, and vinegar in a jar with a lid and allow to macerate for 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, honey, dijon mustard, olive oil and raisins to the jar and shake vigorously. Let the raisins rest in the dressing for 30 minutes or more.

Wash, dry, and break greens into large bite size pieces and place in a salad bowl. Add the capers to the bowl. Sprinkle the dill across the salad.

When you are ready to eat, toss the salad with the dressing. Serve immediately.