This isone of my favorite salads.  I love having carrots mixed in with the pears.  I’ve used apples instead of the pears and mozzarella slices instead of the parmesan.  I still use the grated parmesan.  This makes a huge salad and the dressing makes a ton.  I usually only make half the dressing and use it for multiple salads throughout the week.

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 10-12 cups mixed greens (I use the large rectuangular box from Sam’s Club)
• 1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 ripe, fresh pears, sliced thinly (you can also use fresh strawberries, raspberries, or apples)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced Parmesan cheese (I grab my big block of Parmesan cheese and use my vegetable peeler to slice of thin peels of Parmesan)
• 1 large carrot (or about 5-6 baby carrots), thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 5-7 slices of bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
• 3 cups of croutons(Costco’s are great but any will do)

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

• 2/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup red onions, finely grated (about 1/4 of a large red onion)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups canola oil

Directions:

For the salad, put mixed greens in a large salad bowl. Top with other ingredients and toss. Serve with red wine vinaigrette dressing below (or any other favorite salad dressing).
For the dressing, add all ingredients except oil in a blender. Blend well. While processing, slowly add the canola oil and blend well. Transfer dressing to a jar or cruet. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks (although I’ve found it gets a little thick if it is too cold so I’ll pop it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to help thin it out before I use it if it has been in the refrigerator for several days).

Recipe Source:Mels Kitchen Cafe