Green Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing

Mixed Green Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing

This is a light salad loaded with healthy and tasty ingredients. 
The dressing gives the salad a fresh citrus flavor. ​

I realize that I have posted a recipe for only one salad. I don't know why, because I eat them all the time. Years ago, I would go to the farmers' market and buy a variety of lettuce from my favorite vendor at the market. They were a sweet hard-working couple who grew many varieties of lettuce. Once home, I would fill my sink with water and wash, spin dry, rolling the lettuce leaves in a towel, then keep them in the crisper of my fridge for the rest of the week. And then one day, some marketer came up with the idea of selling lettuce already washed and ready to eat. And before you knew it, everybody was doing it. Nowadays, I pick my mixed lettuce from a basket at the farmers' market, although I still buy individual heads of lettuce from time to time. Among the lettuce family, arugula is my favorite . When I'm in Europe, I like eating Rapunzel  (or lambs' lettuce). ​

The salad I'm posting  today is one I make all the time. The dressing is my favorite and I keep it in my fridge most of the time. The base  of my salad is a mix of different kinds of green lettuce  (use whatever you like). I like to go heavy on the arugula. I add a handful of dried cranberries or blueberries depending on the season. Nuts are another another tasty and healthy addition. I roast the walnuts or pecans for 8-10  minutes at 350 degrees. Sometimes I use pistachios (which I don’t roast). I often crumble goat cheese (because it is my favorite), but have also added feta or blue cheese. I always add some fresh fruit. Right now, pears are in season, and apples are fine. And I have used fresh strawberries . This simple salad goes well with almost any meal. Try this salad with Ruth Ann's Pork Chops, a delicious recipe I posted last year.

Juicy ginger-flavored pork chops cooked with apples

Mixed Green Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing Recipe

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Ingredients

The Dressing

1 TBS honey
3/4 TBS  chopped fresh tarragon
6 TBS good olive oil
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ or less cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I use Meyers lemons)

The Salad

6-8 cups mixed green lettuce
1 cup roasted walnuts or pecans (optional)
¼ -½  cup dried or fresh blueberries, pomegranate seeds  or dried cranberries
1 peeled and sliced apple or other fruit 
1 cup crumbled soft goat cheese

Directions

Roast the walnuts at 350° for 8 minutes and cool.

For the dressing, put the honey in a jar and heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds or less. Stir in the olive oil until well combined. Add the orange juice and tarragon and shake in the jar. Any leftover dressing will keep in the fridge for several days. 

Put the mixed lettuce in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to the salad. Toss the salad with half or more of the dressing and serve immediately. 

Guten Appetit!
recipe by©sunnycovechef