House Salad

Oh my gosh, I don’t know what is wrong with me but once again, I forgot to post on Monday. Yikes! I’m not sure what exactly has caused me to break from a six year routine but I promise to try to get back on track or at least post on Tuesdays 😉

And once again (you’ve heard this so many times before), my photo does not do the recipe justice. So much so, that I considered omitting the picture and only including the link to the original on Heather Christo’s site for delicious allergen-free recipes. But then you’d be left wondering, “Well, what did Dani’s salad look like? Was it really that bad?”

In all fairness, the recipe does not call for the adorable little edible flowers that adorned the original image and I did not include them, so strike one against my photo. On top of that disadvantage, I forgot to take the picture BEFORE tossing the salad ingredients with dressing. I’ve made this mistake before and would have thought I’d learn but I’m just an amateur blogger over here, cooking for family and friends and trying to inspire with my love of food…there, does that excuse every bad photo from this point forward?

Anyway, as Heather Christo explains in her post about this salad, she was inspired by another blogger’s “house salad” to share her own. This is her go to basic combination to eat alongside any meal or to top with protein and call a meal on it’s own. For me the salad was very good but two components made it noteworthy. The first being the dressing because come on, isn’t it all about the dressing? A good dressing can elevate any combination of healthy bits and this one is no exception. I have a handful of homemade salad dressings that I love, a few that I’ve shared here (Glory Bowl Dressing, Carrot Ginger Dressing, Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette), and a couple that I’ve been holding out on you. Now this dressing will be added to the rotation. I haven’t found a bottled dressing that can hold a candle to homemade so I tend to keep one or two of these in my refrigerator at all times.

The second revelation in Heather’s salad was the addition of toasted breadcrumbs (in her case, gluten-free, in mine, panko). I found the little toasted bits to be a nice addition to a creamy salad and so much more delicious than happening upon an occasional crouton. The next time I make a Caesar salad (ooh, my Caesar is another recipe I need to share!), I will be incorporating the bread crumb trick.

So without further ado, here is Heather Christo’s House Salad. As I’ve alluded to, I think that the combination of ingredients work but are not essential. Make this salad and then riff on it, incorporating your own favorite salad ingredients to land upon your very own House Salad. Just don’t forget the dressing or breadcrumbs! Enjoy!

House Salad

House Salad

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 3 romaine hearts finely shredded
  • 6 radishes chopped
  • 1/4 c red onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 c cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • 1/3 c panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free or not) baked or pan toasted in olive oil until golden

Dressing

  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 Tbls tahini
  • 1 Tbls dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbls maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 c red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • In a large bowl or on a platter, pile the shredded romaine, radish, red onions, cherry tomatoes and avocado slices.
  • In a bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until smooth and then drizzle over the salad.
  • Top with the toasted bread crumbs and serve immediately.