Popcorn? In a salad?

Over the Labour Day weekend, I got to meet my in-laws-to-be for the first time. We all met at my fianceé’s mother’s house for a salad potluck. Given my love of salads — my favorite restaurant is Sweet Tomatoes/Soup Plantation — I was delighted by the array of salad choices and made sure to have a little bit of each one.

Some were better suited to my palate than others, but for me the stand out salad of the day was — get this — Popcorn Salad.

I would never have thought of putting popcorn in a salad, and, frankly, I didn’t even recognize that as an ingredient until I tasted it. I asked my mother-in-law-to-be for the recipe.

If I had seen this recipe before I tasted it, I would have left out a couple of ingredients. I’m not a big fan of celery and I might have tried to find a substitute for the mayo. But it was so good, I knew I had to share this with you as it was presented to me.

I think it could be your next hit — with kids and adults alike — when it comes time to bring something to the buffet again.

Check it out here.

So now put on your creative thinking caps: How could you use this basic recipe to come up with something uniquely your own? Here are some ideas that came to the top of my mind:

• Use cheddar popcorn instead of plain
• Toss in some ranch dressing mix
• Add Craisins for color and a touch of sweetness
• Increase the chives or add in chopped green onions
• Add in 1/4 cup shredded purple cabbage for flavor and color

Share Your Kitchen Creativity!

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I did. If you do — and if you experiment with it and come up with something new — please tell us about it in a comment below. And be sure to share it in social media using the hashtag #carmascookery.