Chopped Romaine with Pine Nut Vinaigrette (Recipe 70 of 150)

Photo from Cuisine at Home

For book club last night I opted to bring a salad. We all tend to like to bring the same course - mine is usually appetizer. This time I decided to mix it up and bring a salad. 

When I do that I don't like to just bring any old salad. I like to find a new one to try. Enter Chopped Romaine with Pine Nut Vinaigrette. 

Pine nut vinaigrette? What? I've never, in all my years of cooking, made a vinaigrette with nuts - let alone pine nuts. 

Be careful when you toast the pine nuts. You can look away and they'll burn. I put mine in a dry nonstick skillet on a med-high heat. Toss them every now and then. You'll start to smell when they're done. 

The vinaigrette was good. I felt like it needed more honey, or sweetness to it. I also didn't have Dijon (I always have Dijon) and that sorta sucked so I put yellow mustard in it. That's not a great substitute by the way.

I'd make this one again for a dinner party. It was good. 

Chopped Romaine with Pine Nut Vinaigrette

Recipe from Cuisine Tonight

Serves 4

Dressing: 

• 2 T pine nuts, toasted
• 3 T each white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T chopped shallots
• 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
• 1/2 tsp each honey and Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

• 6 c chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 c peeled carrot ribbons
• 1 c halved grape tomatoes
• 1 c seeded, sliced cucumbers
• 1/3 c sliced red onion

Pulse pine nuts in a food processor until coarse. Add vinegar, oil, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, honey and Dijon. Puree vinaigrette until emulsified; season with salt and pepper. 

Toss romaine, carrot ribbons, tomatoes, cucumbers and onion in a bowl with vinaigrette.