Jennifer's Recipe: Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad

Are you familiar with the phrase - Shop Your Closet?  Instead of going out and buying new clothes, you shop/search your closet and find items to wear that you already own. What a brilliant idea!  Sometimes you forget what is in your closet and think you need something new. The challenge is to wear what you already have.  You can look for new ways to combine items in your closet and see them in a whole new light. Or you might rediscover a hidden gem that got lost in the back of the closet. You will probably be surprised and delighted to try this shopping method. 

Recently, I decided I needed to shop my recipe boxes. It was time to go through my old tried-and-true recipes and use some of them again.  Sometimes I get so caught up in finding and trying new recipes that I forget I have so many hidden gems in my recipe boxes. Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad is one that I rediscovered.  I first got this back in 2006 and somehow have completely neglected it for years.  It is such a wonderful, flavorful, refreshing salad.  The combination of tastes and textures is a crowd pleaser. It is a pretty and colorful salad as well.  

It's definitely summer now, and this would be the ideal summer salad.  Strawberries are in season, and they are so good this time of year.  The perfect excuse to try Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad!  I hope this motivates you to look at your recipes and find some forgotten favorites. I imagine you have plenty of those, like I do.  Your closet is probably full of forgotten favorites, too.  So I also challenge you to shop your closet this summer.  Who knows what hidden gems you might find?

Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad

Ingredients:

Crunchy Topping:

• 1 package (3 ounces) ramen noodles - any flavor
• 1 Cup chopped walnuts - fairly small pieces
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Dressing:

• 1/4 Cup canola oil
• 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

Salad:

• 8 Cups chopped/torn romaine lettuce
• 2 Cups fresh strawberries - sliced or chopped
• 1/4 -1/2 Cup chopped green onions - optional

Directions: 

Remove the seasoning packet from the ramen noodles.  Save for another use or discard. Break the noodles into small pieces. Heat the butter over low-medium heat in a skillet.  Saute the broken noodles and walnuts in the butter for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Stir often and watch carefully so they don't burn. Remove from heat and completely cool. 

Mix the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well or use a small whisk to fully emulsify. 

Place the romaine, strawberries, noodle/nut mixture, and green onions in a salad bowl.  Just before serving, whisk the dressing one more time and drizzle over the salad.  Serve immediately. 

Yield - about 12 servings

Notes:

• Nuts could be eliminated if you have allergies. Or try another kind if you prefer.  Pecans or almonds, perhaps?
• The original recipe called for 4 Tablespoons of butter, but I don't think you need that much.  Try it if you want to. 
• You can substitute a different oil for the canola oil. 
• I use low-sodium soy sauce, or you could use coconut aminos. I have not tried that, but it should be fine.
• I tend to dress just the romaine and let everyone add their strawberries and topping at the table.
• The 8 Cups of romaine is just a ballpark figure.  You add more if you want. 
• This topping can be kept in the refrigerator if you don't use it all.  I have made this and served half one day and half the next.  Only dress half of the romaine at a time. 

Source: Adapted from Simple and Delicious magazine, published by the editors of Taste of Home