This is a very tasty salad; a swanky version of a regular everyday salad. The addition of blue cheese and dried cranberries give it something special. Wherever it is brought people always ask for the recipe!
I made this salad with a couple adjustments. I didn't have cuke, so I added some sliced red onion and also some apple chunks. It is now my absolute fave summer salad. Try adding blueberries, also, it's a great salad for fruit and the balsamic tastes great with it all!
Read MoreOk - made it for a dinner party. I used feta instead of blue cheese. Maybe that is what made it so-so. But those toasted walnuts were the bomb!
Read MoreI made this salad with a couple adjustments. I didn't have cuke, so I added some sliced red onion and also some apple chunks. It is now my absolute fave summer salad. Try adding blueberries, also, it's a great salad for fruit and the balsamic tastes great with it all!
Really nice flavors. I did add more cranberries - personal preference. Once the balsamic vinaigrette is gone I'm going to use raspberry vinaigrette on the salad instead. I bought good blue cheese & I really liked it better than the cheaper stuff.
Very Very Good. Consider altering the ratio fo cheese and cranberries to romaine hearts, I halved the greens so as to get more blue cheese and cranberry goodness in each bite.
This is an amazing salad! I personally don't add the cucumbers and walnuts. The combination of tomato, blue cheese, and cranberry works so well together, sometimes i just skip the lettuce and eat that by itself! I use oil and red wine vinegar as my dressing and the flavor is perfect.
This was so delicious it almost didn't need vinaigrette. I had no grape tomatoes so cut up small hothouse tomatoes instead. I also used the bulk spring salad greens as well as some romain hearts. Then I made a simple salad dressing of a very aged balsamic vinegar (which has an amazing sweet flavour) and a gourmet orange olive oil, salt and pepper and that made the salad perfect. I recommend you use a high quality vinaigrette or high quality ingredients to make your own. Be careful not to burn your pecans when you toast them in the cast iron pan!
Everyone loved this salad. I made this with a Cranberry/Orange Pork Tenderloin recipe and this came out more flavorful. Good combination. Cranberries, toasted nuts & blue cheese are great with the balsamic. A diner was hesistant to eat it because he doesn't like balsamic/oil based dressings, but he was pleasantly surprised by the blend and had seconds. Great simple work free salad.
Ok - made it for a dinner party. I used feta instead of blue cheese. Maybe that is what made it so-so. But those toasted walnuts were the bomb!
I love this fresh tasting salad! It is the perfect salad for the hot summer months. I don't always have pecans on hand and use whatever nuts I have on hand, pumpkin seeds usually but roasted almonds are a good crunchy choice too!
This is a great change from an ordinary dinner salad. I followed the recipe and it turned out great. I loved it and plan to make it again soon. Thanks!
I took this to a church luncheon. It was SO easy to put together, but looked very festive in a trifle dish. I didn't dress it, just put a bottle of fat free raspberry vinaigrette next to the bowl. All gone!
I added a little raspberry vinaigrette to the dressing and "snowed" the frozen blue cheese over the top.
I made this for our family Christmas dinner. The only thing that I omitted was the cucumber - I didn't see how that would enhance the flavor of the salad with the blue cheese and toasted pecans. I used Paul Newman's Light Cranberry Walnut dressing. I think next time I would use a balsamic vinaigrette instead and add a little purple/red onion for a little more kick. Will definately make a again as it was a beautiful salad for the holiday! Thanks for the recipe!
Fabulous salad, very filling. My only caveat is to go light on the walnuts, since too many nuts can leave an aftertaste and take away from the great flavors in this salad. That's just my own taste, though. Overall, this is a delicious salad.
I made this recipe exactly as written, with no changes or substitutions, except I reduced the amount of blue cheese by 50 percent, because it was over-powering. While all the ingredients sounded wonderful together, this salad could have been saved using a different dressing. Just using balsamic vinegar alone as the sole dressing on this salad ruined it - it did not go with the salad at all. Only two out of 7 people liked the salad, but I think they were being polite. With a different dressing, this salad could have been saved. Good ingredients; with an expensive salad, I would highly recommend a different dressing.
I used the wholoe cucumber and more pecans. Delicious and simple! Topped with my favorite balsamic vinaigrette: Newman's Own. Yum
Whenever I try to make a salad on my own, the flavors don't seem to blend well so I decided to try following a recipe and this one was great. I just left out the cucumber- it's easy to add or leave out ingredients to your taste, but the nuts, cranberries and blue cheese made an excellent combination. The balsamic vinaigrette dressing is a must for a perfect salad. I made it for christmas dinner and everyone raved about it!
Instead of the cucumber and tomatoes - add a Granny Smith apple or a large Anju Pear - you don't have to toast the nuts - just put a handful of walnuts - cracked pepper - salt and a good Olive Oil. I love using Iceberg instead of Romaine lettuce.
Love it! Would be great as a main meal with grilled chicken breast added. Next time I might add some red/orange/yellow pepper slices.
Very good. Served it at a family dinner and many were going back for 2nd and 3rd helpings. I would make sure to add the balsamic vinaigrette just before serving because after a while the salad started to wilt. Or you could have it on the side and let people add it themselves.
I've made this three times in the past two weeks, once with Romaine, once with iceberg blend and once with spinach. We liked the spinach best. Made w/o cukes and didn't miss 'em a bit. This is definitely a keeper!
This salad was awesome! It almost tasted like the chopped salad at Outback Steakhouse. Next time I will chop up the Romano lettuce a little more. This made for a great and quick dinner!
Great combo of flavors...you must toast nuts, given the option. Makes a big difference when you do.
I tweaked it slightly adding some spinach, red onion, and celery. I wouldn't change a think except for dressing the salad with variations of vinaigrette's. It was a very good salad.
Substitute the cranberries for dried cherries & use cherry vinaigrette (can be hard to find)....candied walnuts & red onions. Once you have had it, you won’t go back!
