Enjoy a light lunch, side salad, or appetizer with this Simple Romaine Salad with Cranberries and Feta. It’s easy, make-ahead, and absolutely delicious.
This summer I’m trying something new for me. I’m eating only when I’m hungry. I know. Newsflash, right?
Well, I realized that I often eat because it’s there, not because I truly need nourishment. It’s been an interesting experiment to eat when I’m hungry and not just because. Likewise, I’m trying to focus on lighter meals that don’t leave me far too full. Comfy/content/enough are my targets.
Since I believe that family meal times should be respected as a moment of connection with my people, I don’t think it’s okay to skip meals or ignore the dinner hour because it might not coincide with my hunger pains. My meal planning, therefore, has included lighter options so that I don’t reach “I’ve eaten too much” status.
This Simple Romaine Salad is one that perfectly fits the bill, a favorite salad of mine that couldn’t be simpler to prepare.
I love salads because how easy and versatile they are. They are a fantastic meal for summertime when it’s just too hot to heat the oven. And they rarely make you feel like you’ve eaten more than you should. This Simple Romaine Salad works as a light lunch, an appetizer, or a festive side salad.
Need help to build a better salad? Read the basics to making a great salad and customize your salads to your tastes and pantry.
- 1 head romaine lettuce washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup balsamic dressing try this one
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup almonds, sliced and toasted
- 1/4 red onion sliced
In a large salad bowl toss together the romaine and balsamic dressing. Divide this mixture among four salad plates.
Divide the cranberries, feta cheese, almonds, and red onion among the four plates. Serve immediately.
Divide the lettuce among four dishes with lids.
Divide the cranberries, feta, almonds, and onion among the four dishes.
Divide the dressing into four small containers with lids.
Refrigerate the salads and dressings until ready to serve.
Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1/4 the recipe.
Salad components can be prepared up to 4 days in advance and stored separately in the refrigerator.
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I love your salad!!! For some reason, I don’t make ‘fancy’ salads very often, it seems that none of my offspring appreciate the artistic flair of cooking! They just want the basics!
My mom made a similar salad this weekend, but used blueberries instead of cranberries. I thought it sounded kinda funny, but it was really, really good!
Yum! I love adding fruit to salads!
Sounds great! I like the idea of adding the cranberries!
Hope you are staying cool in Cali!
~Liz
Yum! Love salads in the summer as our main course.
OOPS – My first link takes you to a chicken feet post. Sorry, popsicles are where I wanted you to go.
Sorry – OOPS – My first link takes you to a chicken feet post. Sorry, popsicles are where I wanted you to go.
Looking forward to some yummy summer recipes!
Gina
We eat lots of salads in the summer. The trick to not getting bored is to add all of the fun stuff like you have in your salad.
Thanks for the carnival.
1/4 what? Cup? Feta… 🙂
sounds mighty tasty!!
Cucumber Salad
3 sliced cucumbers
1 c sour cream
2T lemon juice
1t salt
1t pepper
Mix together sour cream, lemon juice, salt, pepper. Pour over cucumbers & toss. Chill overnight.
Salads are SO good when made the right way. 🙂 I would eat your salad, that’s for sure!
A recipe swap- how fun! Your salad looks delish.
Just wanted to pop in and say thank you for offering such a great community for women to network in. I have just recently started following you, but by leaving comments on your site during the month of June, LifeAsMom has referred 28 new visitors to my site!
You can read more about it here:
http://www.crystalandcomp.com/2010/07/blogger-appreciation-day-june-2010.html
Have an awesome July!
My garden is going crazy with greens right now, so this is the perfect week for all of these great salad recipes. Your slad looks great and I have everything,b ut the feta cheese. I think I will try substituting whatever cheese I find in the fridge and make this for lunch today.
That sounds yummy! Gorgonzola would also be amazing in place of the feta — it is soooo good with balsalmic and cranberries.
Oh yum!!
sounds great I love summer salads and this one seems light and a bit fancy but easy
I love dried cranberries in salad! And balsamic dressing. And feta. In short, I really like your salad:) I also love strawberries in salad, esp with romaine lettuce… delish!
This looks so yummy! I can’t wait to try it.
I’m going to put that salad on my rotation- yum!
This salad recipe makes me want chicken salad (strangely enough). I think it’s the cranberries…because Subway’s new chicken salad has cranberries.
Yep, I think chicken salad will be on the menu for this weekend! Mmmmmm…
The salad looks yummy!
Jana
1/4 what of feta?
1/4 of a container?
It just says 1/4 crumbled feta. Huh?
Just a typo. 1/4 cup feta crumbles.