Romaine Salad with Oranges, Red Onion, and Walnuts
This green salad has been making an appearance at our family dinners and events for at least the last 30 years. It is light enough to be a reprieve from heavier main courses, but also flavorful enough to stand on it’s own.
Yield: 4-6 servings
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Ingredients
1 head romaine lettuce, cleaned and torn/cut into bite size pieces
1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained*
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline**
1 cup walnut halves (optional, but they add a nice textural component)
Instructions
In a small dry skillet, lightly toast the walnut halves. Allow the walnuts to cool, and then lightly chop.
In a large serving bowl, add the romaine, drained oranges, red onion, and walnuts. Make ahead: You can assemble the salad to this point in your serving bowl, cover, and stash in the fridge about 4 hours in advance. That way the salad is all ready to go when your main course and other sides are hitting the dinner table. Drizzle with the Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette and toss to combine.
Notes
*If you have a fresh orange on hand, feel free to substitute that in place of the canned mandarin oranges. Simply cut off the very top and bottom of the oranges to obtain a flat surface. Position the orange on your cutting board with a cut side down. Place your knife on the top of the orange where the flesh meets the pith/peel. Slowly move your knife downward, along the curve of the orange, to just remove the peel and white pith. Repeat until all the peel and outer pith is removed. Cut the orange in half from top to bottom and cut each half into thin slices (about 1/8" to 1/4" thick).
**You can also substitute in 1-2 shallots (depending on size), instead of red onion.
