I'm usually pretty boring when it comes to dinner salads but when I'm having company or hosting a special event I want something out of the ordinary. I make this salad a lot for those type of occasions and it always gets rave reviews, but it's nice to have a few different recipes to rotate.(Anyone out there with a fabulous salad recipe? Please share!)
To make a salad look extra fancy I always use hearts of romaine (Hearts are the tender, innermost leaves - more delicate, brighter in color, and milder in flavor than the outer leaves) and then add to it with either baby spinach or a spring mix that includes a mixture of different lettuces like baby Lettuce, Baby Greens, Endive, & Radicchio.
This salad was delicious! The dressing, made from mostly oil with a touch of honey and lemon juice, was really light and fresh. It was the perfect accompaniment to all the different textures from the crunchy toasted almonds, crispy bacon, grated cheeses and homemade croutons! This salad will be going in the tried and true file!
Salad de Maison with Fresh Lemon Dressing
adapted slightly from A Bountiful Kitchen
1 large Heart of Romaine lettuce, cleaned & 1 small container spring mix lettuce
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup grated Swiss cheese (I used mozzarella)
1 package center cut bacon, cooked and chopped (or pre-cooked bacon, crisped and chopped)
1 1/2 cup homemade croutons
1 package (4 oz) slivered almonds, toasted
Dressing
Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Just before serving, toss with about 1/3 cup of the prepared dressing.
Salad de Maison dressing
3/4 cup oil (I used safflower oil but canola or olive oil would be other great choices)
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients, mix well and chill. This is enough for 2 whole salads.
Homemade Croutons
about 1/3 loaf french bread (or whole if you want a lot of croutons)
3 tbsp. melted butter (olive oil would work well too)
garlic salt to taste ( I think I used about 1/2 tsp.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut bread into slices and then into 1 in. cubes. Drizzle with melted butter and toss to combine. Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste. Toss again.
Place cubes on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown, tossing half way through.
Makes approx 3 cups of croutons.
Posted by: Sallie
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3 comments:
I love homemade croutons- they are always a hit around the table. The lemon dressing sounds yummy, light and refreshing- lovely for spring and summer salads.
mmm this looks lovely and im always looking for new salad recipes so thank you for sharing
Let me know how you like it. I think candied pecans would be a great alternative to the toasted almonds. I might try that next time.
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