Winter Romaine Salad with Yogurt Dressing

When the weather gets cold and the really fresh, flavorful produce at the supermarket gets harder to find, that when it’s time to make this Winter Romaine Salad. The green color with little hints of red is a balm to the eyes. The different crunchy and creamy textures are a pleasure for the mouth. And the flavor is a treat for your hungry stomach. Just looking at the picture I could eat another bowl of it right now!

And, like many salads, it’s a snap to make. A little whisking to make the yogurt dressing and a little chopping to get all the veggies sliced up. It probably took me longer to write down the recipe here than it did to make the salad. Two rules to make it the best salad you can: Don’t skimp on the parsley – that is an important flavor in the dressing! And make sure your avocados are at that creamy, ripe stage. You need their soft, smooth texture to provide the right balance.

The first few times I made this salad, I didn’t have any nuts in the mix, but it didn’t take me long to realize something was missing. What the salad needed was the meaty, crunchy flavor of nuts. And I feel they add some warmth to the salad too. I don’t know why, but I think of nuts as being an inherently warm flavor. And all those thoughts led me right back to my absolute favorite summer salad! My Green Bean Salad with Goat Cheese and Almonds, which includes some olive oil fried slivered almonds. These almonds are seriously good and I decided that only they would do to top my new favorite winter romaine salad.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

Print Recipe

Winter Romaine Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Cold weather doesn't mean the end of yummy salads! It just means that it's time to make robust salads featuring heartier ingredients.

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Salad

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Just a Little Bit of Bacon

Ingredients

Yogurt Dressing

• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt 2% or whole milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small clove garlic finely minced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Romaine Salad

• 1 large head romaine lettuce washed and dried well
• 1/2 an english cucumber
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

• Make the dressing: In a medium bowl and whisk together all dressing ingredients until fully combined. Set aside for the flavors to develop while you make the rest of the salad.
• Make the salad: Chop the romaine lettuce into slices about 1/2 thick. You'll need 4-6 cups of lettuce.
• English cucumbers are seedless and unwaxed, so they can be used as is without peeling. (If you can't find English cucumbers, peel the cucumber and also scrape out the seeds from the middle.) Cut the cucumber lengthwise and then slice thin half-moons.
• Slice the red onion to make thin quarter slices. And then cut the avocado in half; scoop out each half and slice it 1/4 inch thick.
• For the almonds, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from skillet and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
• Add romaine, cucumbers, and onion to a serving dish. Pour about half the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Distribute avocado and almonds over the top and serve with extra dressing on the side.