Ingredients

  • 10 ounces salad greens (your favorite mix of salad greens. One bag of Dole is 10 oz which is about the right amount)
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half (I use a few more, but I like tomatoes)
  • 1/2 cup black olives, cut in half
  • 1 1/4 cups onions (1 large onion cut in half and thin sliced)
  • 1 cup garlic cheese crouton (just store bought is fine, crunched up in a baggie and used as my topping over the warm vinaigrette)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Dressing
  • 1 cup blue cheese (or you can use gorgonzola)
  • 1 cup vegetables or 1 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
  • 3 teaspoons white wine
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon grated shallot
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (you can more to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

  • Onions -- In a small saute pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, saute the onion just 4-5 minutes until lightly brown but not carmalized. Just lightly sauteed. Add the olives and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and put in a large salad bowl along with the halved grape tomatoes.
  • Make the dressing -- In that same saute pan, take 1 teaspoon from the vegetable or canola oil and heat on medium. Then add the garlic, shallot and cook just until slightly soft, 1 minute is all you need. Add the white wine, dijon mustard, vinegar, olive oil and seasoning and mix well, cook just another minute until it all comes together. Remove from the heat while you but put the salad together. The blue in the dressing will be added right at the end.
  • Topping -- Add store bought croutons to a baggie and crunch up. Just hit it with a bowl, pot, meat mallet anything to crunch them up. Not too fine, just a bit. Can't get much easier.
  • Greens -- Take your favorite greens and chop. Add to the bowl with the onions, tomato and olives.
  • Dressing -- Add the pan with the vinaigrette back to the heat and just cook another minute to warm up, add the blue cheese crumbles and stir. Pour the warm vinaigrette over the salad and toss. Plate the warm salad and top with the crumbled croutons.
  • Enjoy a very unique version of a classic salad.