This salad is a take on your typical Italian house. I’d venture to say that the addition of avocado and cucumbers coupled with turning the volume way up on garlic gives this version an edge over the standard fare.

The next time I make this, I think I’ll sub out the green onion for red and will use half as much dressing, but it’s good as-is too.

Vegan Italian House Salad
Recipe courtesy of Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

Ingredients

2 tbs red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp vegan Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of salt and pepper, to taste
1 (9 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, leaves or spikes removed
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced (peeled,regular cucumbers work too)
1 large avocado, cut into slices or chunks
3 green onions, minced
1/2 cup garlic croutons, crushed

Note: I mentioned it before, but it’s worth saying again, I would strongly advise making 1/2 the dressing this calls for.

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, prepare the dressing by combining the vinegar, oil, cheese, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper
• Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters
• In a large bowl, add the lettuce, cucumbers, artichokes and avocado
• Sprinkle with green onion and then toss with dressing
• Plate and sprinkle each serving with crouton crumbs

Yield: Serves 3-4

Look who’s posting two salad recipes within a week of each other. Who am I?

Someone where my mom works makes this salad on the regular and has brought it in to share several times. Mom talks about it like it’s the second coming, so I figured I’d make the necessary adjustments (the original version features Roquefort cheese crumbles) and see what all the fuss was about.

As salads go, this one is, in fact, pretty noteworthy. I think I might actually enjoy it more in the fall with a seasonally themed meal. Still, this is a perfectly good addition to a summertime meal as well. Serve it up and see what you think!

Candied Pecans & Pear Salad
Recipe courtesy of Michelle Krzmarzick, allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
3 pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbs red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

• In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup sugar together with pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans
• Transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool and break into pieces
• For dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp sugar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor until well combined
• In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, avocado and green onions. Drizzle dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans and serve

Yield: Serves 6