Abstract Expressionist Salad (Printable)

A vibrant blend of fresh produce, seeds, and feta tossed with a bright, tangy dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables & Fruits

01 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes (red and yellow), halved
02 - 1 small golden beet, peeled and shaved
03 - 1 small cucumber, sliced into ribbons
04 - ½ cup red radishes, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cup watermelon, cut into irregular cubes
06 - 1 ripe avocado, cubed

→ Greens & Herbs

07 - 1 cup mixed baby greens (arugula, baby spinach, frisée)
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, torn

→ Crunch & Texture

09 - ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
10 - ¼ cup pomegranate seeds

→ Cheese

11 - ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

→ Dressing

12 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
13 - 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
14 - 1 teaspoon honey
15 - ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Halve cherry tomatoes, peel and shave beet, slice cucumber into ribbons, and thinly slice radishes. Cube watermelon and avocado. Arrange each prepared ingredient in separate bowls.
02 - Scatter mixed baby greens and torn mint leaves loosely on a large serving platter or shallow bowl.
03 - Artistically distribute the tomatoes, beet shavings, cucumber ribbons, radish slices, watermelon cubes, and avocado over the greens, allowing the colors and textures to mingle naturally.
04 - Sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds, and crumbled feta cheese unevenly across the top for texture and visual contrast.
05 - Whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until fully emulsified.
06 - Drizzle the dressing generously over the salad in zigzag and splatter patterns to emulate brushstrokes.
07 - Present immediately, allowing guests to admire the vibrant and wild composition before mixing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's a salad that actually excites you—every bite is a surprise of color, texture, and flavor working together in the most unexpected ways
  • You'll feel like an artist every time you make it, and honestly, impressing people with something this beautiful that takes just 20 minutes never gets old
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free without any compromise on taste or satisfaction
02 -
  • Add your avocado at the very last moment before serving—it oxidizes quickly and will turn an unappealing brown if you prepare it too early, which completely changes the visual magic
  • The dressing should be drizzled just before serving, not mixed in ahead of time, otherwise your carefully arranged colors blur together and you lose that gallery-opening moment of impact
  • All your vegetables should be prepped but kept separate until the final assembly—this takes just 15 minutes if you work efficiently and keeps everything at peak freshness and crispness
03 -
  • If you're serving this to guests, do all prep in advance but assemble it just 10 minutes before serving—this keeps everything crisp and ensures maximum visual impact when it arrives at the table
  • A mandoline or sharp vegetable peeler is genuinely worth the investment for this recipe, as those delicate beet and cucumber ribbons are what elevate it from 'nice salad' to 'is this real?'
  • Taste your dressing before it goes on the salad—it should be balanced enough that you'd want to drink it from a spoon, because it's going to be the final voice that ties all these wild flavors together
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