We were having paneer tikka and I wanted something light and fresh to go with it, so I created this light and crisp salad with a toasted cumin and mango chutney vinaigrette. The ice berg lettuce, fresh vegetables and fried onions were a perfect balance to the heavy paneer. I don’t normally use iceberg, but it was absolutely perfect in this. I wanted it to be a crisp background rather than have a strong flavor.

I fried thinly sliced pearl onions which were tedious to slice, so next time I will use a red onion instead!

I recently discovered avocado oil when trying to find a healthy oil with a mild flavor. It works great in dressing and for sauteing.

Cumin & Mango Chutney Vinaigrette
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon mango chutney
1 garlic clove minced
Salt

1. Toast the cumin seeds in a skillet until brown and toasty.
2. Mix everything together (I use a mason jar and shake it real well).

Big Fresh Salad
1 red onion or a few shallots thinly sliced (I used tiny shallots and they took way to long to peel and slice!)
Avocado or olive oil
~1/2 ice berg lettuce head chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper sliced
1 small cucumber chopped
1 tomato chopped and salted
Cumin & mango chutney vinaigrette

1. Fry the onions in a good amount of oil until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
2. Mix all the ingredients together and toss with the cumin & mango chutney vinaigrette.