Everyone needs a gourmet green salad recipe in their repertoire. This gourmet green salad with homemade red wine vinaigrette fits the bill!

Let’s count the ways this salad is classified as gourmet in my book:

Greens, sliced pear, and croutons in a bowl.

1) It comes from my sister-in-law, Mary, who is the epitome of classy gourmet. (Can you tell I have some talented sisters-in-law or what??)
2) It involves homemade croutons which can be classified as manna from above, in my opinion. I love me some homemade croutons. (Check out the homemade crouton how-to below the recipe.)
3) It is topped with a delicious homemade red wine vinaigrette that my husband may or may not love enough to drink straight from the jar. Sick, but true.
4) It looks so beautiful you could serve this at a dinner party and I swear everyone would forget what was served as the main dish. It’s that good.
5) It has such a unique combination of add-ins that compliment each other perfectly (my favorite bites? sweet, juicy pear, tender greens and Parmesan cheese…oh, yum).
6) It involves bacon. Enough said.

You may think salad is just plain ol’ salad, but wait until you try this gem.

You just might decide to go gourmet every day.

Small glass pitcher of salad dressing next to a bowl of salad.

FAQs for Gourmet Green Salad

How far ahead of time can I make the croutons?

You can make the croutons several days in advance and store them in an airtight container (make sure they’ve cooled completely or else they’ll get soggy).

How long will the dressing last in the refrigerator?

Usually if the ingredients you are using are fresh, homemade vinaigrette dressings are good in the fridge for up to a month.

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Gourmet Green Salad with Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette

Yield: 8 -10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
4.77 stars (13 ratings)
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Ingredients

Salad:

  • 10-12 cups mixed greens, I use the large rectuangular box from Sam’s Club
  • 1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 ripe fresh pears, sliced thin (you can also use fresh strawberries, raspberries, or apples)
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced Parmesan cheese, I grab my big block of Parmesan cheese and use my vegetable peeler to slice of thin peels of Parmesan
  • 1 large carrot, or about 5-6 baby carrots, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ to ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 5-7 slices of bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
  • 3 cups store bought or homemade croutons, (see below for a how-to)

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

  • ⅔ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ¼ cup red onions, finely grated (about 1/4 of a large red onion)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Ground pepper to taste
  • 2 cups canola oil

Instructions 

  • For the salad, put mixed greens in a large salad bowl. Top with other ingredients and toss. Serve with red wine vinaigrette dressing below (or any other favorite salad dressing).
  • For the dressing, add all ingredients except oil in a blender. Blend well. While processing, slowly add the canola oil and blend well. Transfer dressing to a jar or cruet.
  • It keeps well in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks (although I’ve found it gets a little thick if it is too cold so I’ll pop it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to help thin it out before I use it if it has been in the refrigerator for several days).

Notes

Candied Nuts: Mary serves this with candied nuts as well. I am not a huge fan of sugary sweet nuts but if that is your fancy, feel free to throw some in!
Author: Mel
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Method: No-Bake

Recommended Products

Vitamix Blender
Liquid Measuring Cup
8-Inch Chef’s Knife

Recipe Source: my sister-in-law, Mary

*Homemade Croutons:
Ok, the dealio with homemade croutons is that they are 100 times tastier than store-bought and require minimal effort. I don’t stress over what kind of bread to use. I open up my freezer and pull out baked rolls or homemade hamburger buns I’ve been storing there. A delicious rustic ciabatta loaf works well, too. Basically, I don’t think you can go wrong if you use a hearty, sturdy loaf or roll that won’t fall apart on you.

For today’s purpose, I am using some homemade buns I used with this recipe (subbing whole wheat for half the flour). Start by cutting them into about 1/2-inch strips.rolls on a white cutting board being cut into 1/2 inch strips

My rolls were thick enough that I then took those strips and cut each slice in half again lengthwise, as shown.
roll cut into 1/2 inch strips on a white cutting board

Cut each strip into about 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes.
rolls being cut into cubes on a white cutting board

You’ll end up with a big pile of yummy bread cube goodness.
one inch bread cubes on a white cutting board

Place the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and oh yeah, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
unbaked bread cubes on a cookie sheet

Drizzle the bread cubes with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss well with your hands so the cubes are evenly coated, for the most part.
bread cubes drizzled with oil on a cookie sheet

Next, take about a teaspoon of coarse/kosher salt and sprinkle it over the bread cubes.
handful of coarse salt over a pan of bread cubes

Do the same with about 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
handful of cracked black pepper over a sheet pan of bread cubes

Toss again until the spices are evenly distributed. Then pop the croutons in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, checking often and baking until the cubes are golden brown and toasted.
unbaked bread cubes on a metal cookie sheet

Serve them on this gourmet green salad or your favorite salad and try not to let your kids eat too many as a snack or your salad will look a little sparse.
.baked bread cubes on a metal cookie sheet

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