Sweet and Simple Parmesan Salad

A sweet homemade salad dressing of parmesan cheese, oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and garlic tossed with crispy romaine hearts, sliced red onion, and croutons is this Sweet and Simple Parmesan Salad recipe. It’s an easy side salad for any special occasion, pizza, or holiday party!

This sweet and simple parmesan salad was a hit with our family. It has a mild, zesty but sweet flavor and is not heavy. And our kids love it! They didn’t complain at all and even took seconds. If your kids don’t like red onions, it’s easy to separate them when serving, too. As a mom, I like this easy salad recipe because it comes together quickly for busy weeknight meals. If you need a ‘trick’ to get your family to eat more salads, this sweet parmesan salad might do the trick! Even non-salad lovers can get behind this delicious salad recipe’s sweet and refreshing taste. Plus, it has croutons! Those croutons soaked in this yummy dressing are practically a dessert!

Need a salad recipe that can feed a crowd? Or a salad that works for a summer backyard BBQ? This Sweet and Simple Parmesan Salad is a great salad recipe for large crowds and almost any occasion! It has easy-to-find ingredients that pair well with pasta, BBQ, holiday mains, and simple homemade family dinners. This parmesan salad would be ideal for a graduation party, retirement, or tailgate. Once you try it, you will realize the options are endless, too!

How to Make a Sweet and Simple Parmesan Salad with a Homemade Dressing

This Simple and Sweet Parmesan salad recipe comes together quickly with pantry staples for a salad everyone can love! It goes well with various foods, can be tossed together, and is perfect for your family’s meal rotation!

Ingredients for the Simple Romaine Salad

• 3 or 4 romaine hearts; chopped, rinsed, and spun dry
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 5 ounces croutons, 1 bag
  • We like the Seasoned Croutons and the Ceasar Croutons. You could also make your own croutons found here. Use any bread you like! They look amazing!

Ingredients for the Sweet Parmesan Garlic Dressing

• 1 cup of avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
  • Our family has grown to prefer avocado oil. For us, avocado oil has a more mild, neutral flavor than olive oil, and there’s less variation between brands and bottles, too. Plus, cooking and baking with avocado is excellent since it has a high smoke point.
  • Why is the smoke point important? “Avocado oil has a significantly higher smoke point than olive oil, making it ideal for high-heat cooking like frying, sautéing, or baking. This means it’s less likely to break down and produce harmful compounds at high temperatures.”
• 1 cup of grated or shredded parmesan cheese
  • Either works. Freshly grated or shredded is better. Make sure the shred is fine.
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of white vinegar
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions for Sweet and Simple Parmesan Salad

First, prepare your romaine hearts and slice the red onions. Then, in a large salad bowl, add the romaine, sliced onion, and croutons.

Next, add the dressing ingredients to a medium mixing bowl or a quart mason jar. Whisk or shake the dressing to combine.

Finally, pour the parmesan dressing over the salad, toss it, serve it, and enjoy!

Make Ahead Sweet and Simple Parmen Salad

This is a great make-ahead salad! The day before, prepare the romaine lettuce, top it with the sliced red onions, and make the dressing in a jar. Store the salad and dressing covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Then, right before serving, add the croutons to the salad. Shake or whisk the dressing once more and pour the dressing over the salad. Toss to combine all ingredients, serve, and enjoy!

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