Vacation Salad with Balsamic Dressing

This lovely vacation salad is bejeweled with pomegranate arils, mandarin oranges, feta cheese, candied nuts and probably the most scrumptious dressing ever!

I like having a beautiful salad in my recipe repertoire for the vacations.

It rounds out a vacation meal so completely – each in seems and with scrumptious, contemporary flavors!

Vacation Salad Substances

This salad makes use of each combined salad greens and romaine for the bottom. I just like the heft and crunch that the romaine provides to the tender salad greens.

The salad add-ins are tasty and fairly!

• pomegranate arils (can sub in dried cranberries or cherries)
• crumbled feta cheese (can sub in one other favourite cheese, like shaved Parmesan)
• mandarin oranges (I take advantage of canned oranges which were drained and patted dry – can sub in segmented contemporary mandarin oranges)
• candied pecans or walnuts (can sub in sliced almonds)

As you possibly can see, this salad is actually adaptable based mostly on the time of 12 months you make it and your style preferences! Nevertheless, the way in which you see the salad within the submit is my favourite approach to take pleasure in it! I like the tangy feta, candy and spicy pecans, juicy oranges and tart pomegranate arils. SO GOOD.

A Word About Candied Pecans

My favourite recipe to make use of for the candied pecans is that this oven-baked recipe. The pecans prove completely each time. It’s foolproof and straightforward! I omit the cinnamon and add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a candy/spicy kick.

The skillet model from this romaine salad recipe additionally works properly if you’re on the lookout for a faster recipe.

For both methodology, the pecans might be made a pair weeks prematurely and saved in a tightly lined container.

Balsamic Salad Dressing

The dressing for this vacation salad is easy and so tasty.

Mel’s Tip: use a light-colored vinegar within the dressing recipe! A darkish balsamic vinegar will overpower the flavors within the salad.

My desire is to make use of a white balsamic. A fruit-flavored white balsamic will work properly, too! It’s also possible to use white wine or purple wine vinegar.

This salad shouldn’t be closely dressed. The dressing is mild and refreshing and a little bit goes a great distance!

Rave Critiques for This Vacation Salad

My youngsters LOVE this salad. I lately made it for dinner with grilled hen on the facet, and my 17-year previous son was scraping each final little bit of salad out of the serving bowl after his third serving to.

A number of of us would have perhaps challenged him on that with the intention to get the final dregs ourselves, however he’s a highschool wrestler, and in case you didn’t know…life lesson #187 states that you just by no means get in the way in which of a highschool wrestler and his meals throughout highschool wrestling season.

This vacation salad comes collectively extremely quick (the candied pecans and dressing might be made per week prematurely!) and is certain to be a crowd pleaser everytime you select to serve it!

I hope you adore it!

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Vacation Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Yield: 6 -8 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Complete Time: 25 minutes

Salad:

• 6 ounces (3-4 cups) combined salad greens
• 6 ounces (3-4 cups) chopped romaine
• 2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained and oranges patted dry (see notice)
• ½ to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (see notice)
• ½ to 1 cup pomegranate arils (can sub dried cranberries or cherries)
• ½ to 1 cup candied pecans or walnuts (see notice)

Dressing:

• ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar or purple wine vinegar (see notice)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Frivolously toss all of the salad components collectively in a bowl (be certain the mandarin oranges are dried properly).

• Whisk or mix the salad dressing components collectively till well-combined.

• Drizzle the salad dressing over your entire salad and toss to mix OR serve the dressing on the facet for particular person servings.

Mandarin Oranges: instead of the canned mandarin oranges, you possibly can slice and section 2-3 small contemporary mandarin oranges for the salad.
Feta Cheese: crumbling feta cheese from the block vs shopping for already crumbled feta is a sport changer. It’s worlds creamier and tremendous scrumptious (most grocery shops carry it within the specialty cheese part). 
Candied Pecans: my favourite recipe to make use of for the candied pecans is that this oven-baked recipe – it’s extra foolproof than skillet recipes. I omit the cinnamon and add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a candy/spicy kick. For a skillet model, I take advantage of the one from this romaine salad recipe. The pecans might be made a pair weeks prematurely and saved in a tightly lined container.
Vinegar: my desire for the salad dressing is a light-colored vinegar like white balsamic or white wine vinegar (I’ve used a fruit-flavored white balsamic, too, with nice outcomes!). Purple wine vinegar may also work. 

Serving: 1 serving, Energy: 183kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 3g, Fats: 14g, Saturated Fats: 3g, Ldl cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 212mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g

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