In case you haven’t noticed, I have a weak spot for words. I fall in love with certain words (no matter what’s the idiom) the very first time I hear or read them. Watercress is one of those. I just love to say it, and I love to see it written with the twin s’s at the end shushing along hand in hand. And I also love the veggie, but where we live it’s hard to find. Plus, when we do find watercress it’s pricey, and sold in plastic containers that require a degree in Puzzle Solving to open. It’s precious stuff! When I found a carton at the grocery store the other day I gently placed it in my cart, hurried home and made a salad that received intense nods of approval from all guests. Full disclosure: there were two guests, me and my beloved. 😉
WATERCRESS SALAD WITH GINGER VINAIGRETTE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
Watercress, preferably young leaves
Orange segments
1 avocado, sliced
cherry tomatoes, cut in half, lightly salted
squeeze of lemon juice
for ginger vinaigrette
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp grated ginger (or use 1 Dorot cube)
salt and black pepper to taste
1/8 cup grapeseed oil
Start by making the vinaigrette. Dissolve the sugar in the rice vinegar, add the ginger, salt, and pepper, and whisk. Leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prepare the salad. Right before dressing the salad, you will add the oil, form an emulsion by vigorously mixing it.
Cut the avocado and sprinkle the slices with lemon juice to prevent oxidation. On a serving plate, distribute the watercress leaves, the avocado slices, tomatoes, and orange segments.
Add the dressing (you may not need it all, save leftovers for later), adjust seasoning, and….
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
If you don’t like ginger, this vinaigrette is definitely not for you… Both rice vinegar and grapeseed oil are very mild in taste, so you need something to perk this dressing up. If ginger is a no-no, add some lime zest and a little squeeze of lime juice. That should do it.
Blood oranges are perfect if you find them in your markets. In that case, I’d probably use yellow grape tomatoes, just to mix the colors. Chow-mein noodles are another great addition to this salad. I avoid bringing them home, though, because they usually win the battle against my will power.
ONE YEAR AGO: Carrot and Sweet Potato Puree
TWO YEARS AGO: Chocolate Bread
Bewitching Kitchen 
Such a pretty salad, Sally.
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Thank you! Turned out pretty good…
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Beautiful salad, Sally! I also love some words, and have this silly habit of saying them over and over to myself sometimes. I did that more often when I was a child. I don’t speak any other language, which is sad – I admire your fluency in several idioms, it must be great to be able to travel and communicate with “the natives”
I don’t use watercress very often, good reminder to buy some when available. Love the orange segments too
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Well, I wish I could say I was fluent in Chinese, but that one beat me into submission…. (sigh)
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Watercress is a fine word. I feel the same way about buttermilk – no matter the recipe – I’m immediately swooning ;). This is such a pretty salad Sally (say that 6 times fast) – I love all the colours and flavours and the combination of orange and avocado – yummm… The ginger vinaigrette sounds dynamite. Your ‘guests’ have very distinguished taste ;).
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You know, Kelly… I tend to pick my guests very carefully… 😉
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The ginger vinaigrette sounds fantastic. I know that Mike and I would love it, but it would really win Mr. N over. He’s a big, big fan of ginger and he’s actually a big salad eater too. I don’t think I’ve ever had watercress before, but I’m going to keep my eyes open for it now. 🙂
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I am sure you will love watercress – it has the softness of a baby spinach, but a milder taste. I love it!
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My husband is a big fan of ginger and I think he will love this one!
My dad is a big fan of watercress, I should pass this recipe onto mum
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I hope your Dad tries this recipe…. Thanks for stopping by! 😉
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Isn’t rice vinegar a magical ingredient? I love this salad.
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I do use it a lot… Lately I’ve also been using apple cider vinegar, and got a bit hooked. Vinegar is wonderful…
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Oh my goodness, this is a salad I would love to try! I was just thinking tonight how lazy I’ve gotten with salads, making a basic green one almost every time (ssshhhh, don’t tell anyone!). This would do the trick!! And I’m so pleased you love words as I do:)
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Words fascinate me, ever since I was a child – I remember having a phase in which I was in love with the word “cachoeira” – which means waterfall in Portuguese. Thought it was just a beautiful word, musical, mysterious word.. Go figure 😉
I guess I’m a bit nuts….
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No, I don’t think so… isn’t there a pasta that sounds a bit like that word?? Lovely… cachoeira…
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When I lived in Surrey, we would go mushroomng down by Abinger Hammer where there was a tea room which served amongst other delights toated teacakes and watercress sandwiches. I used to love the watercress sandwiches, which were literally wholemeal bread and butter piled high with fresh watercress from the local streams. A fashion ahead of its times or maybe a very old English teatime treat….. I share your passion for watercress, land cress is not the same, no matter what the seed merchants say. Save it and share it with your special guests always !
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Well, you got me dreaming about a simple watercress sandwich now… a light sprinkle of sea salt on that butter, the best possible whole wheat bread…. I am set!
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It is a lovely salad, Sally. The dressing you’ve created sounds wonderful. I hope you have a great evening. Blessings…Mary
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Thanks, Mary… I am on a ginger kick. And also on a tea kick… and tea with ginger kick… with the ongoing agave nectar kick….
😉
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Beautiful salad, I am going to have to try to find some watercrest, I don’t see it often but will be on the lookout for it.
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It is worth searching for it, I tried to find some this past weekend, but unfortunately… no one around any of our stores… pretty disappointing, I wanted to try another type of salad with it
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I had one bad experience with watercress at a restaurant years ago but I think it was due to something else in the dish and not the watercress…I just associated the two together. TIme to give it another go! This sounds so tasty!
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Funny that you mentioned that – when we lived in France in 2003, the week following our move there we had dinner at a bistrot and ordered steak with cepes sauce. We both got very sick next day, and the taste of cepes would not leave our mouth, or at least it seemed like it.
It took me MANY years to try it again, but slowly I stopped making the association between them and feeling miserable… 😉
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