Tomato Avocado Spinach Salad w/ Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

Here in Oklahoma, we are in that seasonal blur between summer and fall, some days feel just like mid-July and other days whisper of change with gray overcast skies and cool breezes. Yes, it’s time for something a little different but while while summer keeps hanging on, I feel the urgency to make the most of summer’s produce. This salad is a blend of fresh summer goodness and still perfectly points to fall’s hearty, comforting, flavor-packed sides.

This salad is a tasty twist on the standard leafy green salad and is assembled in as much time as it takes to dice some tomatoes and mix up the yummy fresh lemon vinaigrette. It is loaded with fresh diced tomatoes, avocado & tender leaves of baby spinach all tossed in a tangy lemon basil vinaigrette.

I first came across a version of this salad last spring at a bible study potluck. I have made it several times since and tweaked it until that first bite made my tastebuds smile. Once my  tastebuds were happy, I quickly jotted down the particulars, and here they are::

First, mix together the vinaigrette ::

• 3 lemons, juiced & zested
• ½ c olive oil
• 3 – 4 T chopped fresh chives
• 20 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced ((about 1 T))
• ¼ c red onion, finely chopped
• 2 t sugar

This dressing is really simple to make and so very delicious. The fresh lemon juice and zest add a great addition to the other ingredients.

For the salad ::

• drain 2 cans of garbanzo beans
• dice 4 c of Roma tomatoes
• dice 3 medium avocados
• have 3 c fresh baby spinach on standby, to toss in at the last second

Right before service time, pour about half of the dressing over the tomatoes and garbanzo beans and toss in the  baby spinach. Add additional dressing as needed. I wasn’t paying attention and added all of the dressing at once. Something I immediately regretted, not because there was too much dressing ((although there was too much dressing)), but I immediately wished I had saved some of the dressing to use with another recipe or even over a bowl of leafy greens. This dressing is the star of the show & uses are limitless! My wheels are already turning, I have BIG plans for this lemon basil vinaigrette!