Italian Mixed Salad Recipe

Difficulty: Simple

Makes: 6 servings

Total Time Required: 33 minutes

Preparation: 15 minutes
Resting: 10 minutes
Cooking: 8 minutes

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
12 ounces turkey sausage (casings removed)
1/2 head romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces
1/2 head butter lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/4 head iceberg lettuce, cut into small chunks
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
6 ounces Provolone cheese, cut into cubes
3/4 cup canned red kidney beans, rinsed and dried
3/4 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and patted dry
Red Wine Vinaigrette (see recipe below)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Warm the olive oil in a medium, sturdy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey sausage and cook, breaking it into bite-sized pieces, until browned and cooked through (about 58 minutes). Transfer the sausage to a plate and allow it to cool to room temperature.
While the sausage cools, prepare the lettuces and tomatoes. In a large bowl combine the romaine, butter, and iceberg lettuces with the chopped tomatoes, Provolone cubes, cooled sausage, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans. Drizzle with enough red wine vinaigrette to coat and toss gently to combine.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk the vinegar, Dijon, and garlic together. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking vigorously until the dressing emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

This salad is satisfying on its own as a light meal or works well as a side for an Italian-inspired dinner.
Substitute turkey sausage with chicken or your preferred sausage if you like.
Swap Provolone for mozzarella, fontina, or another Italian cheese for a different flavor.
For extra flavor, add Kalamata olives or roasted red pepper slices.