Hearty Winter Salad

After the holidays we tend to want to up our salad intake. This is a nice hearty salad that I like to have in the winter. The roasted tomatoes and potatoes add so much flavor. I was given a summer sausage recently, so I decided to add that and really liked the flavor combination with the roasted veggies and Gruyere cheese. This salad can be made vegan by using a vegan swiss cheese and adding avocado instead of summer sausage. Both versions are delicious. Toss with a creamy champagne vinaigrette and enjoy. 

Ingredients

olive oil to drizzle

salt and pepper

1 pound small yellow potatoes

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 heads romaine lettuce

½ cup chopped Gruyere cheese

1 small summer sausage, chopped 

1 avocado, sliced (vegan alternative)

Ingredients for dressing

¼ cup champagne vinegar

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Place on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes on another baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Lightly toss both so they are evenly coated and bake for 25 minutes. The potatoes should be easy to pierce with a fork when done and the tomatoes should be slightly burst. Let cool slightly.

In a small pitcher add all the dressing ingredients. I recommend using an electric whisk/frother to get it really creamy. You can also use a spoon, but it will not be as creamy.

Use 1 romaine head per individual salad. Tear the leaves into bite size pieces into each bowl. Drizzle dressing on top of each bowl and toss so the romaine is lightly coated. Add ¼ cup of sausage and cheese to each bowl. Add ½ cup of the roasted potatoes and tomatoes to each bowl. Enjoy!  There will be leftover tomatoes and potatoes, so I just continue to use them on salads throughout the week.

Serves 2