A flavorful homemade vinaigrette is really a game changer, especially on a simple salad. Using your favorite flavored vinegar, fruit, fresh herbs or even chopped nuts adds not only adds a lot of flavor to your greens or fresh vegetables, but texture as well. I love the smoky, salty taste of smoked almonds; we seem to always have some in the pantry for a quick snack on-the-run. I decided to spruce up a simple butter lettuce and fresh fennel salad with a nice sherry vinaigrette. Not just any sherry vinaigrette but one that included finely chopped smoked almonds. The smoky flavor of the almonds works very well with the bold taste of the sherry vinegar. Try this simple vinaigrette on a simple tomato salad, or even a broiled piece of fish as well.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Butter Lettuce & Fresh Fennel Salad with Smoked Almond Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 1 head of butter lettuce, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- For the vinaigrette:
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 3 Tablespoons finely chopped smoked almonds (either chopped by hand or in a mini food processor*)
Directions:
- To make the vinaigrette, simply combine all of its ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a spoon. Drizzle over the salad and serve.
Tagged: butter lettuce, fennel, lemon wedges, olive oil, Salad, sherry vinegar, side salad, smoked almond vinaigrette, smoked almonds, vegetarian
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