We have a wonderful restaurant close to our home called Birch’s on the Lake. It is one of those places that has a neighborhood feel and everything on the menu is great. There is one salad they serve that I particularly love made with crisp lettuce, quinoa, chèvre, avocado, red onion, pistachios, and a lovely green goddess dressing. I find myself craving it at times. When Covid hit and restaurants temporarily closed, I recreated the salad at home using my avocado herb dressing. In this recipe, I use parsley, basil, and chives for the dressing, but you can use any combination of fresh herbs you’d like.
Birch’s Gatherer Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Salad ingredients:
6 cups butter lettuce pieces
1 1/2 cups cooked tricolor quinoa
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1 avocado sliced
1/2 cup pistachios
4 oz. chèvre
Avocado Herb Dressing, recipe below
Dressing ingredients:
1 avocado peeled and pit removed
1/2 cup of homemade or good-quality mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
1/4 cup fresh chives chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 – 3/4 cup water
Instructions
Salad directions:
- In a large salad bowl layer the butter lettuce, quinoa, red onion, avocado, and pistachios.
- Break the soft chèvre into small pieces and place on top of the salad.
- Serve with the avocado herb dressing.
Dressing directions:
- Place all of the ingredients except for the water in a mini food processor and blend well.
- Gradually add water until you achieve the desired constancy.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
