I make this Parmesan Dressing at least once a week and drizzle over a simple salad. This is a clean crisp salad that goes with anything and it’s so easy to make. Plus… my family loves it!
This dressing has mellow garlic over tones, bright lemony accents and the fresh grated parmesan gives it a zippy bite!
How to Make Parmesan Salad Dressing
- Peal and boil 3 cloves of garlic for 10 minutes.
- Put the boiled garlic, 1 fresh garlic clove, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar in a blender or mini food processor.*
- With the motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup olive oil until the dressing is completely emulsified.
- Wash and tear a head of romaine lettuce.
- Toss the lettuce with the Parmesan Dressing and top with 1/4 toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds and more grated parmesan to your taste.
*If you don’t have a mini food process or blender, mash the ingredients together and whisk in the olive oil very slowly.
How to take the Bite out of Garlic
This dressing is not shy when it come to garlic. If you’re not a raving garlic fan like yours truly here, that’s ok. Don’t Panic!
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 (cough cough)… my darling husband, Jerry, is not a huge fan of my garlic breath if I over do it!) The other way is by cutting the garlic’s heart out.
If you first cut out the heart core and then boil it, you are well insured against stinky garlic breath and indigestion while keeping all the deep rich garlic flavor intact. On a side note, if you are a Mac and Cheese fan and like it with a bit of heat and a touch of garlic, check out Anu’s recipe for The Best Creamy InstaPot Mac & Cheese! YUM!
A simple romaine salad is perfect for this snazzy Parmesan Salad Dressing. Simply shred a head of romaine, grate a little parmesan cheese, and toss in some toasted slivered almonds. Toasted pine nuts are wonderful in this salad too if you want to switch out the almonds.
Parmesan Salad Variations
- If you’re not worried about carbs, throw in some croutons.
- Switch out the romaine for baby greens.
- Grill it! Cut a head of romaine lengthwise, drizzle olive oil over the halves and grill them until you see charred marks. Check out the video below! ??
Thinking about Soup & Salad?
Complete the Meal by Adding Some of These:
- Pecan Crusted Salmon
- Sliced Steak
- Roasted Chicken
- Sous Vide Chicken with Mushroom Sauce
- Turmeric Honey Glazed Carrots
- Cauliflower Gratin
Simple Salad with Parmesan Dressing
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
- 1 large head of Romain lettuce chopped
- fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Equipment
- hand emulsion blender blender, or mini food processor
- saucepan
- salad bowl
Instructions
- In a small saucepan of boiling water, boil 3 garlic cloves for 10 minutes.
Put the boiled garlic, 1 fresh garlic clove, parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, mustard, and vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Slowly add the olive oil while blending until completely emulsified.
- Put the chopped lettuce in the salad bowl and add garlic dressing. Mix well.
- Top with toasted pine nuts* and cheese.
Recipe Notes
*To toast pine nuts - in a dry pan, cover the bottom in a small skillet and heat over medium heat. Do not leave this unattended. It will burn fast!!! Shake the pan often and remove from heat as soon as they start to turn golden brown.
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