On New Years Eve, we were in Chicago ringing in 2012. We had dinner at 676 Restaurant on Michigan Avenue. It's a farm to table restaurant with as much local items as possible. We had several courses for dinner but one of our favorites was the Heirloom Apple Salad. I took note of all of the flavors and vowed to try to recreate it. I think I just did them proud...
When we ate this, we sank back in our chairs and agreed it tasted pretty darn close. The peppery bite of the arugula is cut with the tartness of the granny smith apple, the nutty kick of asiago and smoky undertones of bacon...all brought together by the sweetness of the citrus mango dressing. We can't be in Chicago all the time but we can sure enjoy that wonderful salad. If you find yourself in Chi-town, swing by
676 Restaurant and enjoy some great food! In the meantime, make my salad inspired by theirs. Here's what you'll need:
For the salad:
1 1/2 cups arugula (preferably Whole Foods, sadly TJ's was too bitter on this front)
1/2 ounce of asiago cheese, julienned
1 ounce granny smith apple, julienned
1/2 slice of Trader Joe's center cut uncured bacon, cooked & crumbled
Fresh ground black pepper
For the dressing:
4 ounces of Simply Orange with Mango juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp white pepper
In a small plastic bowl with a lid, combine all ingredients for the dressing. Shake well and set aside.
In a medium bowl, add the arugula and 1 tbsp of dressing. Toss to coat all of the leaves evenly. Plate the arugula, top with julienned granny smith apple, asiago cheese and sprinkle the bacon evenly. Grind some pepper over the top. Reserve the rest of the dressing for use within 1 week, giving a shake before each use.
This is easily one of my favorite salads and I'm not a big salad eater so I hope you like it!
Nutritional Information for entire salad: Calories 134 Fat 8g Sat Fat 4g Poly Fat 1g Cholesterol 20mg Sodium 185mg Potassium 227mg Carbs 10g Fiber 2g Protein 5g Vitamin A 25% Vitamin C 21% Calcium 17% Iron 6%
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If I can find arugula at my grocery I may give this a try. I will for sure be making the dressing though even if I don't make the whole salad.
ReplyDeleteI'll tell ya, that dressing makes anything taste good but it's particularly good on fish!
ReplyDeleteLooks beautiful, sounds yummy!!! Ooh, that dressing on fish does sounds delightful as well.
ReplyDeleteI just got back from vacation (to Chicago!) and with all the junk we ate, I am SO craving salad right now. This looks absolutely perfect (and I love your plate--so pretty!). I hope my arugula is ready to harvest soon!
ReplyDeleteI love salad, but I don't love mango. I suspect, though, that the dressing would still be mighty tasty with plain old orange juice. You can't go wrong with oranges, honey, and apples. :)
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head on this one. It was exactly like being back in Chicago on New Year's Eve and what a great night that was (even as cold as it got).
ReplyDeleteThis looks yummy! I like that you included the nutritional ingredients too!
ReplyDeleteLove how that looks and sounds! I love a good salad!
ReplyDeleteGlad people seem to be on board with this, I love it and it's perfect for spring!
ReplyDelete(Welcome Holly!)