Recently my husband and I attended a dinner party where everyone was asked to bring their favorite dishes to share. I love these kind of dinner parties as you get to sample the best recipes from all the guests plus the hostess can relax a bit and actually enjoy their own party. One young woman brought this amazing green salad, full of fresh romaine, kale and spinach. Simply dressed with one of the best dressings I have ever tasted, her salad was a total hit with everyone. I thought that this dressing would be a perfect complement to my Italian Garden Salad.
Of course I asked her for the dressing recipe and she kindly emailed it 3 days later.
I made the recipe up and tried it on some fresh vegetables taken from my garden. I think you will agree that the combination is fabulous. You can use less or more dressing on this Italian Garden Salad, depending on your preference.
I would encourage you to try this dressing on any savory salad combination that you love.
Feeds 4-6 persons. Can be doubled for a larger group
Italian Garden Salad Ingredients
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 English cucumber, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
8 basil leaves, cut in slivers
¼ cup crumpled goat cheese
12 Greek olives
Few Basil leaves and parsley for a garnish
Dressing Ingredients
Makes enough dressing for a number of salads.
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 ounces fresh basil
¼ tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Italian Garden Salad Method
Dressing
Assemble all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender, except the olive oil and blend. Slowly add in the olive oil a bit at a time and continue to blend until dressing becomes smooth and creamy. Pour into a dressing container and put in fridge to cool.
Salad
Assemble all vegetables in a salad bowl.
When ready to serve, pour 1/8-1/4 cup of the dressing and toss into the vegetables. Top with crumpled goat chess and Greek olives. Add a decorative garnish of Fresh Basil leaves and parsley.
Note:
Keep the dressing in the fridge in a closed glass bottle. This dressing can be used with any savory salad, including just mixed greens.
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