Copycat of Rumbi’s House Salad
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Today is my copycat of Rumbi’s house salad. I love their salad – nice crisp greens, sweet mandarin oranges, sugary and crunchy caramelized walnuts, salty feta cheese, and sweet yet tangy creamy balsamic vinaigrette. It’s heavenly!
The salad itself is easy to figure out, but the dressing is a little trickier. My version of the dressing is close, but I know the flavor can vary based on the brand of balsamic vinegar you use. Some are more sweet and some are more tangy. Mine was more tangy, it is a cheap brand. Flavor is better with higher priced brands. The walnuts are also close to the flavor of Rumbi’s but not exact. You can also just buy candied walnuts at the store if you prefer. So there you have it, my copycat of Rumbi’s house salad.
Copycat of Rumbi’s House Salad
Real Mom Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 5 oz pkg of mixed greens (I used sweet baby lettuces)
- 1 6 oz container of feta cheese
- 1 carrot peeled and shredded
- 2 cans mandarin oranges drained
- 1 recipe of candied walnuts recipe below
- 1 recipe of creamy balsamic vinaigrette recipe below
Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 heaping Tbsp honey Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp light mayonnaise
- 2 dashes of salt
- a little black pepper
- 2 tsp sugar if needed
Candied Walnuts
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cup raw walnuts
- ⅛ tsp coarse salt
Instructions
- For the salad – Assemble salad. serves 4-6
- For the dressing – Combine above ingredients except sugar in a shaker jar and shake to combine or place in a bowl and whisk until smooth and mayo is completely blended. Taste dressing and if too tangy then add sugar and blend in.
- For the candied walnuts – Place sugar in a thick bottomed sauce pan. Cook over medioum heat stirring until sugar turns to a liquid. Keep cooking until it turns a light amber color. Quickly mix in the walnuts and stir to coat.
- Spread walnuts on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Use 2 forks and separate the walnuts. Sprinkle with salt and let cook completely.
