#FancyFriday Okay, so this Plum Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing is a little fancy for me, but after overdosing on pasta and pizza over the past week or so, I needed a salad BAD. Although it sounds pretty fancy, the salad is actually incredibly simple (just check out that short ingredient list!). The best part? This salad holds up really well to refrigeration, so you can make a batch and eat a little every day!
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What’s in this Plum Salad?
This deeelish salad features plums, which aren’t the least expensive fruit at the fruit stand. But pairing the expensive plums with an inexpensive green like parsley and some grains to bulk it out helped balance the price of the salad. I also added a super simple lemon ginger dressing and a few slivered almonds for crunch.
I really enjoy using parsley as a salad green because it’s cheap and blends well with a lot of flavors, but if parsley isn’t your thing, you could easily make this Plum Salad with mixed baby greens, baby spinach, or some other delicate salad green.
Can I Substitute the Bulgur?
My favorite thing about this Plum Salad is that it’s a great way to use up leftover cooked grains. I used bulgur, but you could easily sub quinoa, couscous, rice, or another grain. So, if you’re in the habit of cooking a big pot of grains at the beginning of the week, this plum salad is yet another way to put them to use!
Love “refrigerator salads” (salads that hold up for days in the refrigerator)? Check out my round up of 19 Refrigerator Salads for Eating Healthy on the Go!
Plum Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing
Servings 3 (1 cup each)Ingredients
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger ($0.12)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ($0.45)
- 3 Tbsp canola (or other light oil) ($0.24)
- 1 Tbsp honey ($0.12)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
- 2 plums (about 1/2 lb. total) ($1.49)
- 1 bunch fresh parsley ($0.89)
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds ($0.66)
- 2 cups cooked bulgur, quinoa, couscous, or rice (chilled) ($0.74)
Instructions
- Grate about one tsp of fresh ginger into a jar or small bowl. Add the lemon juice, salad oil, honey, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Shake the jar (or whisk) until the ingredients are combined. Let the dressing sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Rinse the parsley well to remove any dirt or debris. Shake off as much water as possible. Pull the leaves from the stems and then give them a rough chop. Place the chopped parsley in a bowl.
- Thinly slice the plums and remove the sections from the pit. Add the plum slices and sliced almonds to the bowl with the parsley. Give the dressing a quick stir, then add it to the salad (start with half and add more as needed). Toss the salad until everything is coated in the dressing, then serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Plum Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing – Step by Step Photos
Start the dressing first so the flavors have a little time to meld while you make the rest of the salad. Begin by grating about 1 tsp of fresh ginger into a bowl or jar. Make sure to do it over the bowl or jar to catch all the juices.
Then add 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon), 3 Tbsp of canola or another light salad oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp honey, and some freshly cracked pepper. Place the lid on the jar and shake until the ingredients are incorporated (or whisk if using a bowl).
Rinse your parsley very well. Shake off as much water as possible, then pull the leaves from the stems and give them a rough chop.
Slice two plums into narrow sections, then pull the sections from the pit.
Place the chopped parsley, plums, and 1/4 cup of sliced almonds into a large bowl.
Add 2 cups of cooked and cooled grains of your choice (I used whole wheat bulgur). Give the dressing a quick stir, then add some to the salad (start with half). Stir until everything is coated, then add more dressing if desired (I added about 3/4 of the dressing). Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
I’ve had the salad in my refrigerator for one day so far and it still looks marvelous. I suspect I’ll get about 3 days out of it before it starts to look a bit sad. This Plum Salad makes about 3 cups, or three side dish sized servings of 1 cup.
Loved this. I added some lemon zest to the dressing and toasted the almonds. I made the dressing and cooked the bulgur the night before so I could throw it together quickly over lunch.
Oh yeah, I just used 1 cup of dry bulgur, it made maybe 2.5 cups but the ratios were fine. I got 4 large servings.
This is really good. We are having it as a non-traditional Thanksgiving side. I’ll definitely be making it again to keep as a refrigerator salad.
I just made this with quinoa, I didn’t have parsley so I just left it out & I added crumbled feta on top, it was delicious! The dressing is really really yummy!
Do you ever use extra virgin olive oil instead of canola oil or vegetable oil? It is a lot better for you! I sure am enjoying trying your recipes! THere are so many to choose from! THank you!
Yes, I use different oils or combinations of oils based on the application and how my budget is looking at the moment. :)
I just made this while my morning coffee was brewing to have for lunch this week. It may not make it past breakfast. Wonderful! Love the nutty, tart, lemony flavor. I used leftover quinoa.
do you think i could use Italian prune plums in this recipe. i was just gifted around 10 lbs.
This was amazing! I used quinoa and spinach, I didn’t have any nuts on hand, although it worked because quinoa is a little bit crunchy, plus a good source of protein. I think the next time I make it I will put in the sliced almonds. thanks for the recipe!
I just made this and it is delish!
This is SO GOOD! forgot to get almonds the first time i made it, but had cashews so threw them in and they worked great. Made it a second time soon after with almost and not sure which I like better. This is a perfect solution to my I can’t eat hot food when it’s hot out problem, thanks Beth!
Hmmmmmm, what about nectarines? I have those in my fridge (and I like them more than plums)
Yes, I think those would be great with this. :)
I loved this!! I made mine with couscous and mixed some other greens in too. As someone else mentioned, my plums were initially a bit on the sour side, but worked really well with everything else. I added some chopped mint and threw some dill and honey into the dressing. I had to stop myself from eating the whole serving bowl. :)
Oooh, I love the mint idea!
This was phenomenal. I was worried because plums aren’t on the top of my list of favorite fruits but wow the flavors together were amazing. I wanted to make it a bit more substantial so I added goat cheese, too – really yummy!
Oh holy mother of yummy this was good! I used pearl barley and doubled the dressing because I like it saucey. The parsley is more peppery than I expected but the lemon n ginger mellow it out. I tasted my plums pre salad and thought they we kinda sour and then in salad they were little purple boats of sweet goodness. I never would have put this all together but it sounded good and it is. Thank you Beth!
This salad sounds so fantastic and fresh! Eat ALL the fruit! :)
This looks great! I have peaches from my produce basket, so I can substitute that for the plums. This will be great to mix with my leftover grains sitting in my frig.
I wonder how it would taste if I added baked tofu for a protein? I’ve never had tofu with fruit and don’t know if it would take on too much plum flavor and be unpleasant to chew.
I don’t think it would take on too much of the plum flavor, but the texture is definitely completely subjective. I think I’d rather add more nuts for protein. Either more almonds or even some walnuts.