Simple steps to a perfect autumnal chopped salad

Students taking online culinary courses will love this delightful recipe for a perfectly autumnal salad!

Too frequently we tend to associate the light, delectable pleasure of a well constructed salad with spring or summer. Perhaps it’s the warmer weather or the fact that such a multitude of produce is in season that inspires this seasonal bias. What many people don’t realize, though, is that autumn is actually the perfect season for crafting delicious, inventive salads. Try this simple recipe for a perfect autumnal salad featuring a broad range of savory and bold complementary flavors that celebrate the time of year:

What you’ll need:
6 cups romaine lettuce
¼ cup poppy seed salad dressing
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup dried peanuts
¼ cup feta cheese (crumbled)
3 slices bacon
1 apple (preferably honey crisp, though any variety will do)
1 pear (any variety)
¼ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1) As the only ingredient in this dish that will require true preparation, the bacon comes first. Prepare the bacon by either pan frying or microwaving it to your desired level.

2) Once the bacon is prepared, separate the ingredients that will require chopping. In this case, that means the bacon, the romaine lettuce, the apple and the pear. Placing the lettuce in its own prep dish, chop it into relatively uniformly sized pieces using a paring knife. Next, use a small cutting board to dice the apple and the pear, keeping each ingredient apart from the others. Finally, lay out the three strips of bacon and cut them into small, topping sized pieces. Keep all ingredients separated and nearby, as you’ll need them soon.

3) Placing the lettuce in a large serving dish, add the apple and the pear to it and stir the mixture evenly so that the fruit becomes well mixed into the base of the salad.

4) Now that you have a fruit and lettuce base, add the peanuts, cranberries and feta cheese into the large serving dish. Use a wooden spoon to stir these ingredients evenly into the salad, as well.

5) Next comes the bacon, follow the same process and stir the pieces into the serving dish.

6) Add the feta cheese on top of the salad.

7) Create your dressing by mixing together the poppy seed dressing and the balsamic vinaigrette, then pouring this over the top of your salad.

8) Mix the entire thing together, serve and enjoy the flavors of a bountiful autumn harvest.

(Recipe from http://iowagirleats.com)