Author Notes
First off, I cannot lay claim to this viniagrette. It is the recipe from the Culinary District, a shop here in Hot Springs that is an offshoot of Surfas in Culver City, CA, and a favorite lunch spot since it's two blocks from my office. They use this viniagrette on all their salads, and give away the recipe freely, as you will then buy the $30 worth of ingredients it takes to make it. I cannot imagine anything on which it would NOT be good, but it's especially enticing on a salad of chunked apples and grapes and diced chicken. I make it in copious quantities and keep it on hand all the time; I think my next move will be to marinate pork in it! Meanwhile, you can snazz up this salad most any way you want; I used what I had in the fridge, and it worked well enough I'm not inclined to fool with it. —Kayb
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Ingredients
- Orange-Vanilla Viniagrette
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1/2 cup
white balsamic vinegar
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1 cup
orange juice (Note: this viniagrette is quite sweet; if you want it more tart, add some lemon juice)
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1 1/2 cups
canola oil
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2 tablespoons
honey
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1/4 cup
Dijon mustard
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1/2 teaspoon
tangerine oil
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1/2 teaspoon
vanilla bean paste
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1/4 teaspoon
each sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
- Salad
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1
tart green apple (I use Granny Smith), quartered, cored, cut in chunks
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1
red apple (I use Honey Crisp or Fuji), quartered, cored, cut in chunks
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1/2 cup
white grapes, halved
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1/2 cup
red or black grapes, halved
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2
boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked, or 1 1/2 cups diced or shredded chicken from a roasted chicken
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1/2 cup
toasted walnut pieces
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1/2 cup
craisins
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1/2 cup
diced sweet onion, optional
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leaf lettuce
Directions
- Orange-Vanilla Viniagrette
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Mix all ingredients except for canola.
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Whisk in canola a little at a time.
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Keep dressing refrigerated, and shake before using.
- Salad
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Toss apple chunks with dressing, making sure they are well coated to avoid them turning brown.
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Toss apple chunks and remaining salad ingredients, except for lettuce leaves, adding a bit more dressing.
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Arrange lettuce leaves on a plate, and top with a spoon or two of salad. Serve with additional dressing on the side.
I'm a business professional who learned to cook early on, and have expanded my tastes and my skills as I've traveled and been exposed to new cuisines and new dishes. I love fresh vegetables, any kind of protein on the grill, and breakfasts that involve fried eggs with runny yolks. My recipes tend toward the simple and the Southern, with bits of Asia or the Mediterranean or Mexico thrown in here and there. And a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a float in the lake, as pictured, is a pretty fine lunch!
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