Fast and fresh Italian Salad with Garlic and Herb Vinaigrette with Lemon
This is a bright salad dressing with a simple yet elegant flavor, great with crisp greens, such as here when we use Romaine, or when served on more delicate greens such as Mesclun or spring greens. I make it in a jar with a tight fitting lid so it is easy to store any leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to bring it to room temperature before you shake it up to recombine and serve. For the salad, you can experiment with adding other Italian favorites, such as radicchio or fennel or try shaving Parmesan cheese over it instead of tossing it with the feta. Roasted garlic takes this to a whole new place, so try that sometime when you have leftover roasted garlic. Enjoy. You will use about 1/2 cup of the dressing to serve for people, which is the number of servings for the salad ingredients.
Makes: about 1 cup
Prep Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
For the Dressing:
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (use a good quality oil)
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Asiago cheese
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1 shallot minced (about 1 – 2 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons honey (or more, to taste)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme)
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or use white pepper if you prefer)
For the Salad:
2 Romaine hearts, torn into bite size pieces
1 bunch arugula
1 red grapefruit, peeled with a knife, sectioned, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or mint
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1. Make the Dressing: In a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, add all of the dressing ingredients. Secure lid and shake well to combine.
2. Make Salad: Toss salad ingredients together to combine.
3. Dress Salad: Drizzle salad with dressing and serve. Enjoy.
