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A vibrant and fresh Thanksgiving salad featuring crisp romaine lettuce, golden croutons, and creamy dressing, perfect for busy hosts.

Thanksgiving Salad with Cornbread Croutons

A vibrant and flavorful salad perfect for busy hosts, featuring crispy cornbread croutons and a zesty cilantro-lime dressing.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Croutons
  • 2 cups cornbread about 1-inch cubes
  • 1 Tbsp. salted butter melted
  • 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. chipotle chile powder
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
For the Dressing and Salad
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese plus shaved parmesan for topping
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lime juice
  • 1 tsp. dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper plus more to taste
  • 4 fillets anchovy
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 large jalapeño pepper stemmed, seeded and cut into chunks
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 2 hearts romaine lettuce

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking sheet
  • medium bowl
  • Blender
  • Platter

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 ̊F. In a medium bowl, combine the cornbread, melted butter, paprika, chile powder, and garlic powder. Toss gently until coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until lightly browned and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool.
  2. While the croutons bake, prepare the dressing. Combine the cilantro, mayonnaise, grated parmesan, olive oil, lime juice, mustard, sugar, pepper, anchovies, garlic, and jalapeño in a blender. Puree until smooth. Taste and add salt and more pepper if needed.
  3. Remove any wilted outer leaves from the romaine. Cut each lettuce heart in half lengthwise through the core. Rinse the lettuce, shake off excess water, and pat dry. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with the dressing. Top with the croutons, shaved parmesan, and a few grinds of pepper.

Notes

This salad is designed to be assembled just before serving to keep the lettuce crisp and the croutons crunchy.

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