Is popcorn salad a way to get kids (and salad-avoiding adults) a way to eat more salad? Is it a way to get more fiber into your salad? Is it food fun? Or is it all three?
 
 
POPCORN SALAD HISTORY

While it may sound quirky and new, popcorn salad has a long history.

According to Sylvia Lovegren in the 2005 book ‘Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads, American housewives made banana and popcorn salads back in the 1920s.

The recipe involved cutting a banana in half, placing it on a lettuce leaf, and dotting it with popcorn and dabs of mayonnaise. Sort of a green salad banana split?

Author Lauren Hough encountered popcorn salad in a church basement in Happy, Texas decades ago [source].

A popcorn salad was featured in 1994 community cookbook compiled by members of the Mercer County Historical Society in Beulah, North Dakota [Ibid].

Popcorn company like Jolly Time feature a popcorn salad recipe.

Food celebrity Molly Yeh notes that “Popcorn salad is one of those classic Midwestern dishes that you would often find in a church basement potluck.”

Yeh’s dish has roots in the mayo salad culture of the Midwest—we just can’t pinpoint the original source.

Yeh’s recipe uses fresh greens, sugar snap peas, shallots and white cheddar popcorn.

The more classic recipes are a mix of popcorn, bacon, water chestnuts, celery, carrots, chives and cheddar cheese, bound with mayonnaise.

While some people snicker at popcorn salad, food writer Allison Robicelli pointed out that, “If this [were] being served at a Michelin restaurant, people would say it’s genius. Eleven Madison Park, which was named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2017, has served popcorn with seared tuna, and the legendary Jean-Georges Vongerichten has paired popcorn with sea bass,” she notes [source].”

More recently, other grains—puffed quinoa, puffed sorghum—have made their way onto high-end plates.

So here’s a starter popcorn recipe. You can use your own creativity to take it from here.

Thanks to the National Popcorn Board for the recipe.
 
 
RECIPE: POPCORN SALAD

You can put your own touches to this salad. We added dried cranberries for a touch of sweetness (raisins work, too). We also added more greens: baby spinach leaves and frisée.

You can make it a main meal by adding diced chicken.

Our tip: Don’t mix the popcorn into the salad as a last step. Sprinkle it on top of the salad like croutons, to prevent sogginess. It will get mixed in fast enough as people dig in.

Check out popcorn nutrition below.
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the popcorn in an extra large bowl.

2. SAUTÉ the bacon until crispy, then drain on paper towels. Chop or crumble the bacon and set aside.

3. MIX together the mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in small bowl. Set aside.

4. COMBINE the celery, carrot, bell pepper and green onions in medium bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mix thoroughly.

[1] Today’s retro popcorn salad (recipe and photo © National Popcorn Board).

[2] An arugula and fig salad with a popcorn garnish (photo © Le Coq Rico | NYC).

[3] A takeout popcorn salad with jalapeños (photo © Just Salad | NYC).

[4] A bowl of popcorn, the indigenous snack of the Americas (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[5] We added dried cranberries to the popcorn salad (photo © King Arthur Flour).

5. ADD the vegetable/mayonnaise mixture, bacon and cheese to the popcorn in bowl. Toss very gently to just combine. Do not over mix. (Or, per our earlier suggestion, just scatter the popcorn on top of the salad, like croutons.)

6. SCOOP on top of the lettuce. If desired, garnish with extra shredded cheese and chopped bacon.
 

POPCORN NUTRITION

 
 
> THE HISTORY OF POPCORN

> MORE POPCORN RECIPES

[1] Rich and delicious, a boozy strawberry “shortcake” (photo © Baileys).

[2] There are plenty of fresh strawberries in the market (photo © In Harvest | Facebook)

[3] Crumble shortbread cookies for the “cake” layer, or use cubed pound cake (photo © Lark Fine Foods).

Looking for something special for Mother’s Day (or Father’s Day, or Valentine’s Day, or any day you just want a nifty dessert)?

Check out this swoon-worthy strawberry recipe from Bailey, made with Baileys Strawberries & Cream Liqueur.

The result: a beautifully boozy strawberry shortcake.
 
 
RECIPE: BOOZY STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

The recipe calls for crumbled shortbread cookies. You can substitute cubes of pound cake, if you prefer.

Or heck: Use both!

And of course, you can serve a glass of Baileys Strawberries & Cream liqueu with the shortcake.

You can build the shortcakes in pint glasses, large goblets, or anything else you have on hand.
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. BEAT the Baileys Strawberries & Cream liqueur and the cream cheese with a balloon whisk, until smooth.

2. WHIP the cream add it to the bowl with the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the strawberries.

3. CRUMBLE the shortbread into two glasses. Add the strawberries and cream mixture. Top with the strawberry garnish and chill for 30 minutes or longer. Serve and swoon!
 
 
THE DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF BAILEYS CREAM LIQUEUR

Since the debut of Original Irish Cream Liqueur in 1974, Baileys has expanded its portfolio to include Almande (vegan, made with almond milk instead of cream), Chocolate Cherry, Espresso Crème, Salted Caramel, Strawberries & Cream and Vanilla Cinnamon.

Some flavors, such as Crème Caramel, Hazelnut, Mint Chocolate and Pumpkin Spice, have been retired, leaving behind fond memories.

No doubt, there will be new varieties on the horizon!
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF BAILEYS IRISH CREAM
 
> THE HISTORY OF CAKE & THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAKE
 
> THE HISTORY OF SHORTBREAD
 
> THE HISTORY OF STRAWBERRIES

Soursop is in season. It’s harvested in April and May, and again in September through November.

What is soursop, you ask?

Also known as graviola and guanabana, soursop is a heart-shaped tropical fruit (photo #2) native to the Caribbean and South America.

Other names include thorny custard apple, thorny mango and thorny fruit, due to its exterior spikes (which are lightly prickly, and break off easily when ripe).

The fruit now also grows in tropical regions across Africa and Asia.

Is it sour?

Nope! Soursop is a deliciously sweet-tart fruit with a bright flavor.

The name was bestowed due to its slightly acidic taste: a pleasant tartness, like pineapple.

The flavor evokes coconut and banana, with notes of citrus, pineapple, apple or strawberry, depending on where it is grown.

The thick creamy, texture reminiscent of banana.

Ready to blend it into a smoothie?
 
 
MORE ABOUT THE TROPICAL SOURSOP

Soursop is the fruit of Annona muricata tree, a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree (photo #2). It is native to the tropical regions of the Americas and the Caribbean.

Soursop is in the Annonaceae family (also known as the custard apple tree family); and in the same genus, Annona,, as the cherimoya (photo #5—more about the family relationship below).

The size ranges from 4 to 12 inches long and up to 6 inches wide. A single fruit can weigh up to 10 or 15 pounds, so it is often cut up and sold in pieces (photo #1).

Soursop should be ripened at room temperature.

As it ripens, the fruit will lighten in color to a bright yellow-green color and the spines will soften. It will have a hollow sound when tapped.

A ripe soursop should yield to the touch and be somewhat fragrant of pineapple.
 
 
WAYS TO USE SOURSOP

Like most fruits, soursop is often eaten raw. You can scoop the pulpy white flesh right out of the halved fruit, with a spoon.

You can find the whole fruit in specialty produce, Caribbean and Latino markets. The pulp is also sold with the seeds removed, for easy consumption.

Important note: Don’t eat the seeds†. Otherwise, use the pulp to make:

 
 
NUTRITION & HOMEOPATHIC USES

Soursop is low in calories and high in fiber, with zero sodium or fat.

It includes a wide range of antioxidant phytochemicals*.

In terms of vitamins and minerals, soursop is packed with B-complex and vitamin C, and a hit of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.

Homeopathy

Soursop tea is used by some for medicinal purposes, for its perceived help in reducing the risk of certain types of cancers.

It may also help to alleviate pain and decrease inflammation.

However, it’s important to note that research on these applications is limited.
 
 
SOME SOURSOP RECIPES TO GET YOU STARTED

 
You can find many more soursop recipes online.
 
________________

*Phytochemicals are chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants; beta carotene from carrots is an example, as is lycopene from watermelon and tomatoes. Diindolylmethane, found in vegetables from the Brassica genus (bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens and turnips, among others) is being tested against respiratory tumors, cervical dysplasia and prostate cancer. Cooking may destroy the phytochemicals, which is why a raw diet is popular among a growing group of health-focused consumers.

†The seeds contain some toxic compounds.

[1] Soursop can be sliced and eaten like pineapple, either in larger pieces or in smaller bites for a fruit salad (photo © Mallivan | Panther Media).

[2] The fruit growing on its tree (photo © I Like Plants | CC By 2.0 License).

[3] The fruit is ideal for the “frozen group”: ice cream, ice pops and sorbet (photo © David Driver Fotografo | Panther Media).

[4] Ready for a Soursop Colada (photo © Wally G | CC By 2.0 License).

[5] Cherimoya, a similar-looking, much smaller fruit in the same genus (photo © Sid Wainer).