M’s Garlic Parmesan Salad

First of all, I really wish I could take credit for this garlic parmesan salad dressing.  I can’t.  Second of all, the ‘M’ in M’s Salad is for Michelle, not Madalaine.  Honestly, I don’t even know if she came up with it or if we just called it that because we like her so much and she’s the one who made it for us the first time.  Regardless, Michelle (in Kirkwood, MO) thank you for bringing this to our family!

It’s one of our all time favorites and I make it at least once a week.  It has mellow garlic over tones and bright lemony accents with nutty toasted pine nuts.  It’s brilliant!

There are two ways to take the “bite” out of garlic.  Boiling it until it is soft really takes the edge off.  I am a huge raw garlic fan, but not everyone is (ahem… my darling husband, Jerry.) The other way is by cutting the garlic’s heart out.  If you do both, first cutting out the heart core and then boiling it, you are well insured against stinky garlic breath while keeping all the deep rich garlic flavor intact.

M’s salad is all about the dressing.  The salad is simply romaine lettuce, shredded parmesan cheese, and toasted slivered or sliced almonds.  Toasted pine nuts are wonderful in this salad too instead of almonds.  But be careful, pine nuts can go rancid pretty quickly and (as Jerry puts it) they start tasting like varnish.  If you’re not worried about carbs, throw in some croutons.  For a different twist try tossing this vinaigrette over a half head of grilled romaine and then sprinkle it with nuts, parmesan, and maybe a wedge of lemon.

For a little something different… grill your lettuce!  

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as we do!

5 from 5 votes

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Garlic Parmesan Sauce

Light crisp and remarkably fresh salad.  If you like a good caesar salad, you will love this! | www.lakesidetable.com

Course Salad

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 100 kcal

Author Madalaine

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan of boiling water, boil 3 garlic cloves for 10 minutes.

2. Put the boiled garlic, 1 fresh garlic clove, parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, mustard, and vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Slowly add the olive oil while blending until completely emulsified.

Recipe Notes

Ways to use this Parmesan Garlic Sauce:

• Salad dressing: toss into shredded lettuce with toasted pine nuts and extra parmesan sprinkled over it.  
• Garlic bread: Mix with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Spread over split French bread and toast under the broiler until golden brown.
• Chicken Marinade: marinade chicken wings, chicken breasts, and/or chicken thighs for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.  
• Sous Vide Chicken Wings: sous vide wings with marinade at 145F for 1-4 hours, then grill or broil until nicely charred.
• Dip: use to dip sliced veggies or focaccia bread

Nutrition Facts

Garlic Parmesan Sauce

Amount Per Serving (2 teaspoons)

Calories 100 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Trans Fat 0.03g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 4mg1%

Sodium 184mg8%

Potassium 15mg0%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugar 0.03g0%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 37IU1%

Vitamin C 0.3mg0%

Calcium 40mg4%

Iron 0.1mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.