This shaved parmesan salad can be as simple or as complicated as you would like to make it! My family loves Italian food, so that is the direction I went with this salad.
My kids aren’t big salad eaters, but when I add any combination of cheese, fruit and/or croutons, I’ve got their attention!
This is one of the only salads they will eat. (Another one that they like is my Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Fruit.)
This salad can be really easy to make by using simple low-maintenace ingredients like chopped romaine lettuce, store bought Italian seasoned croutons, black olives, pre-packaged chopped veggies like broccoli or red onions, and just using a veggie peeler to shave some pieces off of a block of parmesan.
My favorite way to make it takes a little more time and effort, but it produces a delicious result! Here’s what I like to use:
- Romaine lettuce
- Garlic roasted broccoli (see below for instructions)
- Cucumber
- Italian seasoned croutons
- Halved red grapes
- Shaved parmesan pieces
- Thin strips of raw or pickled red onions (although I leave those out for my kids)
To make the garlic roasted broccoli, simply saute the broccoli over medium-low heat in olive oil with minced or crushed garlic cloves and some garlic salt and pepper.
Be careful not to cook them too long! You are really just trying to remove the bitter raw taste and to soften them up slightly to make them more pleasant to eat.
This salad would be great with a creamy Italian dressing, Ceasar dressing, ranch, honey mustard, or whatever other flavor you want to try. It’s the perfect compliment to any pasta, meat or fish dish.
So there you have it! Delicious and nutritious! Now it’s your turn to get creative and try your hand at a tasty and satisfying new salad!
If you have questions or comments, please email me at anne@blessingsinsurprise.com. 🙂