This simple Italian Salad is a fantastic recipe for a side or a hearty main. It goes perfectly to accompany pasta or grilled protein on the BBQ. Add a sliced or shredded chicken breast and you’ve got yourself a filling salad, with all the crunch and texture to satisfy your cravings.

This recipe calls for only fresh ingredients like tomatoes (whole or cherry tomatoes will work), red onion, freshly grated parmesan and crispy romaine lettuce. In times when we are going to the grocery store less and buying in bulk, romaine lettuce has been my go-to green since they tend to last longer than kale or spinach. In the past weeks I’ve tried to get boxed greens, but only to find them getting soggy after just a few days. A bag of whole romaine heads can last up to 7 days without any wilting. They also make the best leafy green to pack for lunch since they don’t get soft in your lunch container, once chopped and prepared.

Top this yummy salad with some simple homemade croutons, which you can find the recipe for here. This recipe is also a great base salad since you can add a variety of other ingredients to it like; olives, pepperoncini or mild chilli peppers, avocado, celery, grated carrots and even chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

Salad Dressing

  • 1/2 cup of good quality olive oil

  • 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar

  • 1 tsp of garlic powder

  • 1 tbsp of dried basil

  • 1 tsp of dried oregano

  • 1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper

  • 1/2 tsp of salt

Salad

  • 1 romaine lettuce head (about 6 cups, shredded)

  • 1 cup of chopped tomatoes (cherry, Roma of vine tomato will work just fine)

  • 1/2 of red onion, sliced

  • handful of homemade croutons (recipe here)

  • fresh basil for garnish

  • 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese

  • add any other ingredients previously mentioned

DIRECTIONS:

To make this easy dressing, combine all ingredients into a measuring cup. Using a folk or whisk, mix all ingredients until all combined. You can store this dressing in a jar for up to 7 days (just give it a shake before you use it).

For the salad, chop your romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and top with all other ingredients. Garnish with freshly shaved pieces of parmesan cheese and a few pieces of fresh basil.

Pairs perfectly with Italian white wines like Verdicchio or Vermentino. These wines have quickly become a favourite and they are known to be sort of like a Pinot Grigio upgrade…

Cheers!

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