Birch’s Gatherer Salad

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

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• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 2-4 servings 1x

Ingredients

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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

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Instructions

Salad directions:

1. In a large salad bowl layer the butter lettuce, quinoa, red onion, avocado, and pistachios.
2. Break the soft chèvre into small pieces and place on top of the salad.
3. Serve with the avocado herb dressing.

Dressing directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients except for the water in a mini food processor and blend well.
2. Gradually add water until you achieve the desired constancy.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

• Author: Emily Maxson
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 20 min