Artichoke & Sun-dried Tomato Salad with Parmesan-Romano Vinaigrette
This is a nice tossed salad with an Italian flair. The sun-dried tomato, roasted red pepper and black olives blend nicely together with the balsamic vinaigrette. I also use the healthiest lettuce available, with dark greens and reds for more vitamins.
This is a nice tossed salad with an Italian flair. The sun-dried tomato, roasted red pepper and black olives blend nicely together with the balsamic vinaigrette. I also use the healthiest lettuce available, with dark greens and reds for more vitamins.
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup light mayonaisse
- 2 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon romano cheese
- 6 roasted red peppers chopped
- 4 artichoke hearts chopped
- 12 black olives
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 12 ounce organic baby spring mix lettuce
- 3/4 cup croutons
- Carbohydrate 70.3437544285869 g
- Cholesterol 22.271 mg
- Fat 19.669514477355 g
- Fiber 15.5103810923888 g
- Protein 17.1567038542169 g
- Saturated Fat 4.7617259372488 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (514g)
- Sodium 972.695229166694 mg
- Sugar 54.8333733361982 g
- Trans Fat 1.66337110411484 g
- Calories 508 calories
Step-by-step
- To make vinaigrette dressing for salad, add first 14 ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth.
- Taste for your liking.
- If you prefer more of a tartness, add 1 teaspoon more of the balsamic vinegar.
- If you prefer less tartness, add 1 teaspoon more of granulated sugar.
- Refrigerate dressing to marry flavors together.
- When ready to serve salad, remove dressing from refrigerator and let sit out on counter for a few minutes while preparing salad.
- Toss half of the organic lettuce mix to your salad bowl.
- Add half of your peppers, artichokes, olives & sun-dried tomatoes.
- Pour lightly with vinaigrette dressing over salad.
- Repeat procedure with rest of lettuce and other ingredients.
- Pour lightly again with vinaigrette dressing and toss salad completely.
- Top salad with croutons and serve with vinaigrette on the side for anyone who likes more dressing on their salad.
Dumping dressing directly onto a large pile of delicate spring mix guarantees soggy leaves within minutes. Proper assembly requires building the bowl in two distinct stages, layering half the 12 ounces of greens with half the chopped peppers, artichokes, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes before drizzling lightly, then repeating the process with the remaining components. Blending the first fourteen ingredients—including balsamic vinegar, light mayonnaise, and grated hard cheeses—requires a high-speed countertop blender running for 45 seconds to fully emulsify the oils and solids into a uniform pourable consistency. Allowing the finished emulsion to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes permits the dried herbs and minced garlic to hydrate and release their essential oils into the base. Swapping the granulated sugar for honey alters the moisture balance and requires reducing the volume by half to maintain proper viscosity, while substituting regular mayonnaise for the light version increases the total fat content significantly without altering the physical blending mechanics. Storing leftover dressing in an airtight glass jar for up to four days keeps the emulsion intact, though a quick shake is necessary before serving. Layering the croutons strictly at the very end prevents them from absorbing stray moisture from the vegetables, preserving their crisp edge until the moment of consumption.
