This pretty and delightful Summer Millet Salad with Tangerine Mint Vinaigrette is refreshing and bursting with flavor. The veggies bring a delightful crunchiness, the mozzarella and millet adds a soft quality and the aromatic herbs tie it all together. The tangerine mint vinaigrette is absolutely intoxicating with its summer vibe. This all-around healthy salad is hearty enough to have as a meal and it is naturally gluten-free.
We had our June gloom right on scheduled this year and a very sunny start to July. Our goal has been to make the best of the situation that we are all in at this moment in time. So far, our friends Beto and clan have come down once a week for a beach day, which has been really nice! It’s been wonderful to have conversations with people in real life again. I hope you having a nice summer so far as well!
If you can’t tell, I am salad obsessed! They are extremely versatile and healthy. I love making recipes my own. You can make any salad recipe your own by omitting and/or substituting your favorite, grain, vegetables and/or dressing. For example, maybe you prefer red cabbage in place of the fennel or cous cous in place of the millet. Or, you might prefer basil in the dressing instead of mint. Maybe you aren’t a fan of arugula and you love spinach. The possibilities are endless! If you are vegan, you could omit the cheese and possibly sub in nutritional yeast. What would you change in this salad to make it your own?
I served this salad with a White Rioja but it would also be great with a Cava, Sauvignon Blanc, or a Rose.
Summer Millet Salad with Tangerine Mint Vinaigrette - CaliZona
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Dried Millet - recipe below
- Tangerine Champagne Vinaigrette - recipe below
- 2 Cups Baby Arugula
- 1/2 Cup Pink Radishes - thinly sliced
- 1/2 Fennel Bulb - about 1 cup - thinly sliced
- 1/2 Cup Fennel Stalks - thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 Cup Fresh Snap Peas - removed from the shell or Frozen Peas - thawed
- 2 Persian Cucumbers - thinly sliced
- 1/2 Cup Pecorino Cheese- finely grated
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil - chiffonade or roughly chopped
- 1/2 Cup Chives - minced
- 1 Container Fresh Mozzarella - thinly sliced - optional
Millet
- 1 Cup Dried Millet
- 1 3/4 Cups Filtered Water
- 1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube – unsalted
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Vinaigrette
- 2/3 Cup Tangerine Juice - about 5 - 6 - fresh squeezed
- 1 Teaspoon Tangerine Zest optional
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 Cup Champagne Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Mint - - minced
- 2 Shallots or 1/4 Cup - minced
- 2 Small Cloves Garlic or 2 Teaspoons - minced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
- Dash Black Pepper
Optional garnishes:
- Pistachio - salted/deshelled - roughly chopped
- Chive Flowers
- Fennel Fronds - to taste
- Mint Leaves - to taste
- Basil Leaves - to taste
- Pecorino Cheese - finely grated - to taste
Instructions
Millet
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Measure the millet and rinse with filtered water in a fine mesh colander.
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Add the millet, water, bouillon, and salt to a small saucepan.
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Bring to a boil, then mash up the bouillon.
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Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 – 20 minutes, undisturbed, until all the water is absorbed. ( I use a saucepan with a glass lid so it’s easy to see if the liquid is gone.)
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Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes with the lid on. Dump into a bowl and fluff up with a fork, then let cool completely.
Vinaigrette
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Add mustard, tangerine juice, zest, salt and pepper to a medium bowl and whisk together. Next whisk in the champagne vinegar, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the garlic and shallots.
Peas - for the fresh peas
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Remove the peas from their pods, measure and put into a pot of filtered water.
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Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and leave in the water for no more than one minute. Use a timer.
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Drain in a colander and rinse with cold filtered water.
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Let cool.
Assemble
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Mix everything in a large bowl except for the dressing. Add the dressing onto individual salads according to taste.
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Garnish with pistachios, chive flowers, fennel fronds, pecorino, mint and basil leaves. - Optional
