This is one of my family's favorite salads. I like to take it to gatherings, but I always make a separate salad to leave at home. My husband and I will eat it until its gone, often devouring it right out of the bowl.
The recipe for this salad was inspired by a salad found on Iowa Girl Eats. It has dried cranberries, apples, walnuts, feta, and my favorite ingredient, bacon, tossed with romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and a creamy poppyseed-balsamic dressing. Yum!
I like to use Rome apples for this salad for two reasons. First, they are more mild in flavor than Gala, Fuji, and others, so if you are making this salad ahead of time and need to soak your apples in a lemon juice mixture, they will not be too tart for the salad. Second, the peel is a beautiful shade of red that is lovely in this dish.
I like to use Rome apples for this salad for two reasons. First, they are more mild in flavor than Gala, Fuji, and others, so if you are making this salad ahead of time and need to soak your apples in a lemon juice mixture, they will not be too tart for the salad. Second, the peel is a beautiful shade of red that is lovely in this dish.
This recipe serves 8-10 as a side salad.
Ingredients:
5 Cups chopped romaine lettuce
4 Cups baby spinach
2 Rome apples, diced
1 Cup dried cranberries
1 Cup walnut pieces
1 Cup hardwood smoked bacon, cooked until crispy and roughly chopped
1 Cup crumbled feta
1/2 Cup creamy poppyseed dressing (I used Brianna's brand)
1/4 Cup creamy balsamic dressing (Again, I used Brianna's brand)
Directions:
In a measuring cup, mix together the creamy poppyseed and creamy balsamic dressings. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, spinach, apples, cranberries, walnut pieces, bacon, and feta. Drizzle on dressing mixture, and toss again until entire salad is lightly coated with dressing.
Transfer to serving bowl, and serve.
Ingredients:
5 Cups chopped romaine lettuce
4 Cups baby spinach
2 Rome apples, diced
1 Cup dried cranberries
1 Cup walnut pieces
1 Cup hardwood smoked bacon, cooked until crispy and roughly chopped
1 Cup crumbled feta
1/2 Cup creamy poppyseed dressing (I used Brianna's brand)
1/4 Cup creamy balsamic dressing (Again, I used Brianna's brand)
Directions:
In a measuring cup, mix together the creamy poppyseed and creamy balsamic dressings. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, spinach, apples, cranberries, walnut pieces, bacon, and feta. Drizzle on dressing mixture, and toss again until entire salad is lightly coated with dressing.
Transfer to serving bowl, and serve.