Leafy Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
ByPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Leafy Salad
10 cups romaine lettuce leaf loosely packed, or some other greens such as curly leaf lettuceRich and Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing
2 ½ ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)3 tablespoons buttermilk3 tablespoons sour cream2 tablespoons mayonnaise2 teaspoons white wine vinegar¼ teaspoon granulated sugar⅛ teaspoon garlic powderground black pepperBefore You Begin
We dressed a variety of different salad greens and found that delicate ones, such as mesclun and butter lettuce, became soggy under the weight of this dressing. Sturdy romaine and curly leaf lettuce were our two favorites.
Instructions
- Mash blue cheese and buttermilk in small bowl with fork until mixture resembles cottage cheese with small curds. Stir in remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Can be covered and refrigerated up to 14 days.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Cool and crunchy salad greens coated with creamy blue cheese dressing are simply irresistible. But getting the right proportion of dressing to greens can be tricky. Order this salad at a restaurant and it’s likely you’ll receive a plate of dressing-soaked greens. We wanted lettuce lightly napped with a creamy, tangy dressing. Starting with the dressing, we found that the secret to proper flavor and texture was in using the right creamy components. We determined that three creamy ingredients were essential: mayonnaise to give the dressing body, sour cream to supply tang, and buttermilk to thin out and further reinforce the dressing’s bold flavors. A bit of sugar brought some much-needed sweetness and white wine vinegar gave our dressing some zing. As for the main ingredient, we ruled out really pungent blue cheeses as too overpowering; a mild blue cheese works best. For the right chunky consistency, we mixed the crumbled blue cheese with the buttermilk before adding any other ingredients.
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