A colleague shared this Taste of Home salad recipe about a year ago and it quickly became one of our favourites! I love the sweet dressing and fruit combined with the distinct flavour of Swiss cheese. This is certainly another must try!

Holiday Lettuce Salad

Dressing Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil (I almost always use olive oil or avocado oil in my dressings)
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup (I have used corn syrup but found that I could reduce the sweetness and calories, by using 1-2 T. of maple syrup instead)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped lightly salted cashews (I opt for pistachios or whatever I have on hand ~ pumpkin seeds might be a nice option as well although I have tried them on this salad)

Salad Ingredients:

• 10 cups torn romaine (or mixed greens of your choice – Spring Mix is a great option!)
• 1-2 medium red apples, cubed or thinly sliced*
• 1-2 medium pears, cubed or thinly sliced*
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Make the dressing first. In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, oil, corn syrup, onion, mustard and salt. (Or place all of the ingredients in a jar and shake like crazy!)
2. In a large bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients for the body of the salad.
3. Pour the dressing over the romaine mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cashews.

*Although the dressing and most of the salad could be prepped ahead of time, be mindful of the fruit, as it will discolour when left exposed to the air. Cut the apples and pears just before serving. Also, the original recipe calls for 2 of each, but I will often only use one apple and one pear. I prefer my salads to be more heavily greens based, with a hint of other fruits/vegetables. This is just my personal preference. Finally, I generally prefer my fruit and vegetables to be sliced rather than cubed, but again this really makes little difference, so prepare as you wish.

This salad truly brings a smile to my face every time we sit down to eat it. So yummy. Enjoy!!