Charlotte's Salad

Living in Florida, a light and refreshing salad is always something I look forward to on a hot day (which most days are).  On a visit to my friend’s house several years ago, I was introduced to Charlotte’s Salad. It had been a long drive across the state from Tampa to Miami with two toddlers in the car.  I was exhausted and famished. My best friend from high school, Charlotte, welcomed us with a beautiful and delicious dinner. Most memorable from that particular meal, was her salad. Although I love all of the ingredients separately, I had never combined them together.  Artichokes, hearts of palm and creamy avocado come together with a splash of tart lemon juice in an unexpectedly awesome way. Freshly shredded parmesan cheese adds just the right amount of saltiness and richness. Tomato adds color and freshness.  Yumm!!!

So Easy to Prepare!

I could say that Charlotte’s Salad is as simple as throwing everything in a bowl and giving it a stir.  That is almost all there is to it.  The one thing I would recommend preparing ahead of time is chilling the hearts of palm and artichokes.  I usually just stick the cans/jars in the fridge the night before. Although you can serve Charlotte’s Salad at room temp, I prefer it chilled.  If you chill it after mixing it all together, the avocado may brown by the time you serve it. I also prefer not to chill tomatoes because they can become grainy.  So that’s the method to my madness! 

Goes with Everything!

Charlotte’s Salad will be great with just about anything and everything!  I particularly like it with grilled meats like Cumin and Lime Marinated Flank Steak, Perfect Thyme Chicken or Sweet and Spicy Chicken.  Broiled Salmon with Creamy Basil Sauce, Perfect Baked Potatoes, Roasted Gourmet Potatoes or Sweet Potato Fries would also be delicious combinations.

Charlotte's Salad

5 from 1 vote

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Servings: 8 servings

Calories:

Ingredients  

2x3x4x

• 1 14oz. can/jar marinated artichoke hearts - drained & quartered
• 1 14oz. can hearts of palm - drained & chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 avocados - diced
• 20 grape or cherry tomatoes - cut in half or quartered
• 3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice - from 1-2 lemons
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• If possible, refrigerate the artichokes and hearts of palm a day ahead so that when you assemble the salad it is ready to serve immediately and is chilled. If you chill it after assembling it, the avocados may brown. Another option would be to assemble and chill the salad, waiting to add the avocado until just before serving.
• Prepare ingredients by grating the parmesan cheese, reserve a tablespoon or so for garnish if you wish. Rinse and cut the tomatoes, dice the avocados, drain the artichoke hearts and hearts of palm, cut them into bite sized pieces if needed.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure to incorporate the lemon juice well with the avocado to reduce browning. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese and freshly ground pepper. Serve right away