Looking for an easy and delicious romaine lettuce salad recipe? This tossed salad is a crowd pleaser and is made with creamy Havarti cheese and crisp bacon. Tossed in a rich vinaigrette dressing, this is the perfect blend of sweet, savory, and crunchy goodness. You’ll love every bite!
There are so many different types of salads out there that you can make. I have a lot of really popular salads, like my Greek Kale and Quinoa Salad and this Autumn Chopped Salad, but this is the one everyone always requests me to make the most.
This romaine salad recipe is crunchy, creamy, and so flavorful. I pair this one with a homemade dressing that provides the most amazing taste that pairs well with so many meals!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
The ingredients I use are simple and easy to find at your local grocery store. I use 2 heads of romaine lettuce so I can feed 6 to 8 servings. I use creamy havarti cheese because it's velvety and has a mild taste that pairs well with the rest of the ingredients.
When it comes to using bacon, you can use either turkey bacon or pork bacon. Both work well and taste delicious and by adding bacon, it really adds to the flavor.
As for the dressing, I use canola oil and white wine vinegar as the base. One of the best salad oils to use for vinaigrette based dressings is canola. It has a light, neutral taste and emulsifies well with the vinegar.
I only use 5 ingredients when making this vinaigrette, but that's all you need when you're working with ingredients with this much flavor.
📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
Making Homemade Salad Dressing
I'm a huge fan of making my own salad dressings. The best salad dressings are the ones made with simple ingredients. The flavor of this one, thanks to the white wine vinegar, compliments all of the others flavors in this recipe.
To make this tangy and bright vinaigrette, add the white wine vinegar, canola oil, sugar, fresh minced garlic, and salt to a medium size bowl and whisk. Store the dressing in a container with a lid, or a salad dressing shaker like this one, and store in the refrigerator to chill.
Preparing the Salad
There is a method to chopping romaine lettuce. First, cut the head of romaine lettuce in half. For both halves, cut out the bottom core in a triangle shape. Then, cut each halves longways 2 times and then chop it from top to bottom.
Need a visual? Watch this video on How to Cut Romaine Lettuce.
Thoroughly rinse the chopped romaine in cold water and drain. I like to use a salad spinner to dry the lettuce and ensure all the liquid has been removed. Set the chopped romaine lettuce in a large bowl and set aside.
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In a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet fry the bacon on medium heat on the stovetop. The goal is for the bacon to be crispy in texture. Expert Tip: For a faster turnaround time, make the bacon in the microwave. Once the bacon has finished cooking, chop the bacon with a sharp knife on a cutting board into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
Next, crumble the block of creamy Havarti cheese into bite-size pieces using your fingers.
Add in the crumbled Havarti cheese, crispy bacon, sweet dried cranberries, and crunchy sunflower seed kernels to the large bowl containing the chopped romaine lettuce. Slowly drizzle on the vinaigrette dressing.
Using salad tongs, mix to combine, ensure all ingredients are well mixed. Serve immediately.
🥗 Adding Protein to Salad
This is my "go to" that I pair with any meal as a house salad, but sometimes I just want to eat it as a meal. To add some protein, I'll add either shredded rotisserie or diced chicken. Or, I'll grill a chicken breast. Grilled chicken salad is delicious, especially when topped on this romaine lettuce recipe.
💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
- You can make this green salad ahead of time. Just don't add the dressing until you are ready to serve. The last thing you want is to bite into a soggy salad.
- Store any leftover salad dressing in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- You can use either turkey or pork bacon in this recipe. Both taste great. Have you ever cooked your bacon in the oven? If not, give it a try! It saves setting off the smoke detector and oil splatter burns. Check out this video on how to cook bacon in the oven: How to Bake Bacon in the Oven
- I love mixing different types of lettuce with this romaine salad. Spinach, arugula, and butter lettuce work well mixed in this lettuce salad. And if you like romaine hearts, add them in!
📖 More Salad Recipes You'll Love
It's no secret that I love a good salad and if you're looking for more healthy salads, check out my Roasted Broccoli Salad with Pine Nuts and Feta. This one is full of fiber and healthy fats.
This Apple and Berry Chopped Kale Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette is a kale based salad mixed with fresh citrus fruit. If you're looking for summer salads, this one needs to be on your list to try. Same with this Pear and Goat Cheese Bistro Salad...it's light and perfect for any hot summer day! And we can't forget about this Summer Salmon and Strawberry Salad with White Wine Dressing, either.
If you made this recipe, leave me a comment and give this recipe a star review! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #recipesworthrepeating and tagging me @recipesworthrepeating.
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Romaine Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce
- ½ wedge Havarti cheese, crumbled
- 1 package bacon, pork or turkey
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Homemade Salad Dressing Ingredients
- 1.5 cup Canola oil
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 10 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
Homemade Salad Dressing
- Combine the Canola oil, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and garlic t in a large container that has a tight lid. Shake the vinaigrette well and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Romaine Salad
- Chop the romaine lettuce and place in a large boil.
- Cook the bacon per package directions until crispy and cut into crumbles.
- Add the Havarti cheese, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries in the large bowl with the lettuce and mix to combine.
- When the salad dressing has chilled, toss the salad with about ¼ cup of the dressing immediately before serving.
Notes
- You can make this ahead of time. Just don't add the dressing until you are ready to serve. The last thing you want is to bite into a soggy salad.
- You can use either turkey or pork bacon in this recipe. Both taste great. Have you ever cooked your bacon in the oven? If not, give it a try! It saves setting off the smoke detector and oil splatter burns. Check out this video on how to cook bacon in the oven: How to Bake Bacon in the Oven
- I love mixing different types of lettuce with this romaine salad. Spinach, arugula, and butter lettuce work well mixed in this lettuce salad. And if you like romaine hearts, add them in!
- Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in April 2013, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in September 2020.
Russell
This salad is delicious and simple to make. Salads are usually meh, with me, but this one with the vinaigrette hit the spot. My whole family loved it. Highly recommend giving it a try.
Amanda Mason
So glad you loved it!! It's one of those hidden gem recipes, for sure!!
Mika
I love this recipe and dressing! I am curious about the vinaigrette dressing. How many tbsps for one person? How many calories?
Amanda Mason
Hi Mika! For 2 Tablespoons of salad dressing it's
174 calories
6 grams carbs
17 grams of fat