Fresh Italian salad with French dressing

"I swear I haven't switched to French dressing because I married a French woman from Dijon! I love mustard and I have to admit it adds an edge to the more classic olive oil, salt and balsamic vinegar dressing." 

 

Ingredients

• half mixed leaf salad box
• half fresh lollo rosso or bionda salad bunch
• Dijon mustard
• balsamic vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• a few cherry tomatoes (optional)
• 1 celery stick (optional)
• 1 carrot (optional)
• green or black olives (optional)
• 15g hard cheese in cubes (optional)
• walnuts (optional)

Tools

• salad bowl
• small bowl to mix the dressing
• colander
• salad spinner
• good kitchen knife and chopping board
• salad fork and spoon

Preparation

• Take a bunch of mixed leaf salad from the box and wash it in the colander
• Put the salad in the salad spinner and drain it
• Take a few leave off the lollo salad bunch and wash them
• Put the salad in the salad spinner and drain it
• Wash and chop in half the cherry tomatoes
• Wash and chop the celery
• Wash and grate the carrot
• Add olives, cheese and walnuts

Dressing

• Put in a small bowl: 
• 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 full teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 and a half table spoon of balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• Mix everything until the consistency is even

Serving

• Pour the dressing on top of all the ingredients in the salad bowl and mix thoroughly

Tips

No need to say that the balance in the dressing ingredients is totally personal. If you like it stronger add more mustard, if softer add olive oil. I do it a bit differently every time and see what happens. Also I like to keep the salad simple so avoid adding ALL the optional ingredients I listed above. Usually I always put cherry tomatoes and celery, like in the picture, sometimes cheese or olives. Cheery tomatoes, celery and carrot is a good healthy combination I often go for.

I usually eat salads during the weekend because that's when I buy it fresh in the market, so I try to eat it as soon as possible, when nice and fresh. The ready-washed salad you can buy in supermarkets is OK, but more expensive and not quite as fresh. Once you get into the habit of washing it yourself you will see the extra effort is worth it!