This fresh, springy salad is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.
Hello...cheese filled tortellini?
It is so dang hard eating healthy.
All I really want to eat is pizza loaded with mushrooms, Canadian bacon and sausage, fried chicken dripping in buffalo sauce, brownies buried under ice cream topped with peanut butter cups and the occasional fried donut with maple frosting.
That, my folks, would be my ideal diet.
But alas, I cannot. I would probably have a gut ache most of the time and my pants most definitely would NOT fit. Plus, we are about two months away from swimsuit season around these parts. I need a new one badly. So bad, that even the husband mentioned that I need to throw the "old one" away.
Much agreed.
Now, don't get me wrong, I definitely indulge in some of those favorite foods listed above now and then, but I am trying to sprinkle in healthier options because I know it is good for me and I know that I feel much better after eating them, instead of, let's say.....that mouth watering slice of ooey gooey pizza.
I had some girlfriends over last week {and the kiddos too, they follow us everywhere...} and when that happens we tend to all bring a hodge podge of whatever is leftover in our fridges to make lunch for the thousands.
My one friend brought the fixings for a salad similar to this one. At first glance, I thought, "pasta in my salad"?
But I quickly squashed that thought as I like both pasta and salad so why not put them together, right? She told us how a friend of hers made it for her and since then she has been making it. So I guess this is a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend type of salad. Or something like that.
The salad is made up of just four ingredients - spinach, cheese filled tortellini, sweet peppers and the dressing.
Ah....the dressing.
If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see my "dressing photo". Which had mixed reviews from my followers, but whatever, I never said dressing was pretty!
So I ending up eating this salad last week, craving it again over the weekend, then after a trip for groceries and essential ingredients on Monday, promptly had it for dinner again that night. The kids even had a helping! I'm lucky as they will usually eat salad. Thank god I don't have to fight them on that one, but they didn't haven't two helpings like me.
This would be a great potluck meal {just mix together right before serving} or a perfect side dish when barbecuing to go along side a juicy burger {I crave those a lot too}.
Spinach Tortellini Salad
4 c. fresh spinach leaves
8 oz. cooked and chilled cheese filled tortellini
4 sweet bell mini peppers, sliced
Dressing:
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
2 T. Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. salt
1. In a bowl layer in the spinach, cold tortellini and slice peppers.
2. Place all dressing ingredients in a mason jar, put on the lid and shake to combine.
3. Pour enough dressing over the salad to coat {you will have some leftover, just keep it chilled in the fridge to top on more greens later}. Toss the salad. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan if needed.
4. Eat immediately.
