Monday's Menu

Anyone who knows us very long knows that we are Seinfeld fans. One of Elaine's favorite meals is the "big salad" at Monk's and it appears more than once. I had a hard time finding a good clip but this is from the episode named after it:







In a later episode, she describes what is in this magical bowl -- it's a salad with a lot of stuff in it. Ok.

Surprisingly, I have read that the diner they use to film doesn't actually have any of the well-known Seinfeld items, like the big salad, on its menu. I would certainly want to capitalize on the fame.

As a result though, there are a lot of recipes for the Big Salad around the internet. Recently, I was up to bring a dish to our Bunco group and I decided to bring my own version of Elaine's Big Salad.

I forgot to get a picture before I left but I thought that would be okay since there was always so much food, I would be sure to bring some home.

I did -- approximately 7 chickpeas, 3 spinach leaves, and a little bacon. They cleaned me out!

And with good reason. It was an awesome salad. I was quite proud of it.

I looked at several recipes and basically made a list of suggested items to put in it. I primarily liked this one. Here's what I came up with. Enjoy!



Elaine's Big Salad

Foundation:
Lettuce (I used 1/2 baby spinach and 1/2 baby arugula; most suggested mixed baby greens)
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced cucumbers
Red onions

Meat:
Grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast   and/or
Chopped cooked bacon

Cheese:
Shredded cheese or cubes (I used cheddar)

Extras:
Cooked, drained chickpeas
Chopped walnuts or pecans
Dried cranberries/cherries/etc.
Raisins

Croutons (or per suggestions - chopped garlic parmesan bagel chips)

Dressing:
I used a balsamic vinegrette but you could probably use whatever dressing floats your boat.

Mix all together in large bowl adjusting amounts as necessary. If it will be some time before serving, you may want to leave off the croutons/bagel chips and dressing. Add those just before serving or as options on the side.