The past few days in Los Angeles, the weather has been a bit erratic – 100 degrees on Friday and mid-60’s on Sunday. That end of the weekend “chill” led me to an easy and hearty favorite for our dinner, Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup. Adding to our menu for the night, I put together a salad similar to a Chopped Wedge Salad I tried once at Daily Grill. In their version, they use chopped iceberg, red onion, blue cheese and a vinaigrette. What I remembered liking about it was the flavor of the red onion, with the creaminess of the cheese, and the tartness of the vinaigrette. Using what we had in the house, I made ours with butter lettuce, baby spinach, English cucumber, red onion, a bit of crumbled Gorgonzola and my favorite Maple Grove Balsamic dressing. My salad hit all the savory flavors I loved and was a cinch to make.
Some tips
- I finely diced the red onion, since it is sometimes too strong for me cut otherwise
- I eat minimal dairy, but am convinced the Whole Foods brand Vegetarian Gorgonzola Crumbles are best
- Lettuce, spinach and cucumber need not be measured – use whatever you wish to enjoy for your salad
- Top with 1 tbsp. finely diced red onion, 2 tsp. crumbled Gorgonzola, 2 tbsp. Maple Grove Balsamic Dressing – add fresh ground pepper to taste