I came upon this recipe a few years ago and although I didn’t make-up the name for this salad, the title doesn’t disappoint. It is absolutely one of our favourites! I like to roast my own peppers and don’t always have artichokes on hand, so I do find it is a bit more of a “plan ahead” salad and thus I don’t make it as often as I’d like. This recipe for Our Family’s Favorite Salad is brought to you by Gimme Some Oven.

Our Family’s Favorite Salad

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head red-leaf lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• (I am never too particular about the greens I use in my salads and will sometimes just opt for the store bought “Spring Mix” in lieu of above or just use a mixture or what I have on hand)
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly-sliced
• 2 (14 ounce) jars quartered artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped (I only use one but this is just personal preference)
• 1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced (I prefer OVEN roasting my own peppers! It is simple to do and can be done ahead of time. Here is a simple tutorial. One pepper is probably enough, but I would roast two and then decided if it looks like too much and if it does, just store the extra in the fridge for your next salad, pizza topping or omelette!)
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts*
• 1 batch zesty red wine vinaigrette (See below)
• optional garnish: extra freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Place the ingredients in a large bowl and toss.  Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.

ZESTY RED WINE VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano is super yummy!!)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I sometimes substitute with avocado oil)
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, store-bought or homemade
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Place all of the ingredients in a jar and shake like crazy!  Toss in salad and serve immediately.*

*Pine nuts can be pricey and I fine them to be quite bland. I will use them if I have them on hand, but will throw in other nuts or seeds when I don’t. I really like the salad with pistachios! We buy a large bag at Costco, so I pretty much always have them on hand. So yummy!!