Italian Salad

[TreeNinja]

Salad - what you will need:

1 head of lettuce
2 cucumbers
1 large tomato or 3 small tomoes
1 bag of baby carrots
1 bag of crutons
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
--Optional--
2 banana peppers
1 green bell pepper
1 purple bell pepper
1 bag of cheddar cheese*

Pull the lettuce heads apart by hand and only use the white leaves in the salad. Cut the stiff branches of the lettuce out with a butcher knife and then hand rip the leaves of the lettuce apart and place in the bottom of the bowl.

Begin to chop up the cucumbers into thick round pieces after you wash them off under cold tap water. Do not dry them off. Cut the tomatoes open and remove the insides leaving only the soft meat and skin in wedges. Open your bag of baby carrots and grab a hand full or two - do not cut these. Place these in your bowl on top of the lettuce.

--Begin optional--
Slice the banana peppers in half and remove the insides and place them inside the bowl, do a similar method for the bell peppers but cut them into wedges of 4 or 8, your choice.
--End optional--

Take your 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup of olive oil and combine them while gently mixing them together with a fork. Once the two liquids have combined set it aside in a cup and let set while you finish the salad.

Open your bag of crutons and place them on top of everything else in the salad.

--Begin Optional--
Take your cheddar cheese and spread it on top of the crutons in the salad.
--End optional--

Poor the dressing from the cup on top of the salad and toss.

Congratulations! You made an Italian salad that is not only healthy and filling but also great tasting.

*Cheddar cheese can be substituted for grated parmesean cheese

[scoobydiesel]

Sounds pretty good, most likly have had it since my family is Italian Plus salad is just tastey....Crutons **drools**

[TreeNinja]

I forgot to mention substituting olives for peppers.

[AriaStar]

By "head of lettuce," do you mean iceberg? I know of a few types of lettuce referred to as "head lettuce," and so would like to request clarification. Thank you.

[TreeNinja]

By "head of lettuce," do you mean iceberg? I know of a few types of lettuce referred to as "head lettuce," and so would like to request clarification. Thank you.

Standard lettuce although you can use iceberg... By standard I mean the round ones...

[Klitzy]

Thanks...I love this recipe thing, I like to just get a head of iceberg lettuce and drench some dressing over it and tear it up with my fork and eat it....ARG