Hailing from the almighty Food & Wine magazine, this unique salad has an amazing depth of flavor.  This ‘Butter Lettuce Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette’ is a modern take on a class wedge salad.  Instead of crisp, iceberg lettuce, tender butter lettuce wedges are used instead; and instead of simply dicing tomatoes and using crumbled blue cheese on top, both of these ingredients are part of a lovely vinaigrette.  This is no ordinary vinaigrette—you start by roasting plum tomatoes and shallots until tender and lightly browned, then pureeing those with sherry vinegar and some Dijon mustard.  Then, on top of that lovliness, you puree the blue cheese into the vinaigrette as well.  A smoky, yet tangy dressing that really takes this salad to a whole other level of taste.  We’re not done yet!  You then add crispy bacon, chile-flavored pumpkin seeds, and fresh red onion and diced tomatoes on the top for extra color.  A wonderfully satisfying version of the wedge salad that is truly remarkable!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/butter-lettuce-salad-with-tomato-vinaigrette)

Tagged: bacon, blue cheese, butter lettuce, chile powder, Dijon mustard, Food & Wine, Food & Wine magazine, plum tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, red onion, Salad, shallots, sherry vinegar, side dish, Tomato, tomato vinaigrette