Get the Recipe: Feta and Almond Romaine Salad
A simple salad with romaine lettuce, crumbled feta cheese and toasted almonds, tossed with a sweet, sour and garlic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup canola oil, or sunflower, vegetable oil, or other neutral-tasting oil
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar, or seasoned rice vinegar and reduce the brown sugar by half
- 4 teaspoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely grated, loosely packed
- salt and freshly ground pepper
For the salad:
- 3 - 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted *see Notes below for how to toast almonds
Instructions
- Cut the romaine lettuce. (See Note 1 below for how to cut romaine lettuce.) Then place it into a shallow salad bowl.)
- Toast the almonds: Toast the 1/4 cup sliced almonds (toasted *see Notes below for how to toast almonds) until lightly golden, in either the oven, on the stovetop in a skillet or in the microwave. (See Note 2 below for how to toast almonds.)
- Mix the vinaigrette: Combine the 1/4 cup canola oil (or sunflower, vegetable oil, or other neutral-tasting oil), 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar (or seasoned rice vinegar and reduce the brown sugar by half), 4 teaspoons light brown sugar (packed), 1 teaspoon fresh garlic (finely grated, loosely packed) and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small jar (or bowl). Shake or whisk well to combine. Set aside.
- Prepare the salad: Scatter crumbled feta cheese and toasted almonds over the sliced romaine lettuce. Drizzle with enough of the vinaigrette to moisten to the desired level. Toss to combine to serve.
Notes
Note 1: How to cut romaine lettuce:
To cut the romaine lettuce, lay onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make a slice in the romaine lettuce lengthwise, from about 2 inches from the stem end, straight through to the other end. Turn the head of romaine lettuce 90 degrees and make a second slice as you did with the first slice. Now, start thinly slicing crosswise from the top of the head to about 2 inches from the stem end. Note 2: How to toast almonds:
In the oven: Scatter evenly on a baking sheet and toast in a 350F oven for 3-4 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until lightly golden. In a skillet: Heat a dry, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring, until lightly golden. Remove almonds from the baking sheet so they don't continue to cook on the hot baking sheet. In the microwave: Scatter almonds in an even, single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Cook for 30 seconds, stir, then cook in 15-second increments, stirring well between increments, until the almonds start to colour. Careful! The plate may be hot, so use an oven mitt. Remove almonds from the plate when they reach the desired colour, so they don't continue to brown on the hot plate. Tips! If you want to prep parts of the salad ahead, toast the almonds ahead and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Prepare the vinaigrette and refrigerate. Slice the romaine just before serving, then top with almonds and feta. Dress with vinaigrette just before serving. Make extra dressing and toasted almonds and refrigerate, so you're ready to enjoy this delicious salad anytime! Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips, substitution suggestions and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
To cut the romaine lettuce, lay onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make a slice in the romaine lettuce lengthwise, from about 2 inches from the stem end, straight through to the other end. Turn the head of romaine lettuce 90 degrees and make a second slice as you did with the first slice. Now, start thinly slicing crosswise from the top of the head to about 2 inches from the stem end. Note 2: How to toast almonds:
In the oven: Scatter evenly on a baking sheet and toast in a 350F oven for 3-4 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until lightly golden. In a skillet: Heat a dry, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring, until lightly golden. Remove almonds from the baking sheet so they don't continue to cook on the hot baking sheet. In the microwave: Scatter almonds in an even, single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Cook for 30 seconds, stir, then cook in 15-second increments, stirring well between increments, until the almonds start to colour. Careful! The plate may be hot, so use an oven mitt. Remove almonds from the plate when they reach the desired colour, so they don't continue to brown on the hot plate. Tips! If you want to prep parts of the salad ahead, toast the almonds ahead and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Prepare the vinaigrette and refrigerate. Slice the romaine just before serving, then top with almonds and feta. Dress with vinaigrette just before serving. Make extra dressing and toasted almonds and refrigerate, so you're ready to enjoy this delicious salad anytime! Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips, substitution suggestions and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 226kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 145mg, Potassium: 132mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 3123IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 1mg
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