A few years ago, I went to a wonderful local French restaurant called Chez Sophie with my French class. It is a lovely little bistro with all sorts of delicious items. I had a heck of a time deciding between a veggie quiche or a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. But what really caught my attention was a simple romaine salad with a chocolate balsamic viniagrette. Chocolate…in a salad!? I was incredibly intrigued and ended up ordering it to enjoy with a piece of quiche. My curiosity was rewarded, as the salad was wonderful. The dressing was bittersweet + slightly acidic. It paired up incredibly well with the salty parmesan curls used as a garnish. Yum!
For Valentine’s Day this year, I thought I would try and re-create the salad at home to share with my Valentine :) To make it extra special and romantic, I added some fresh raspberries and slivered almonds. I’m not sure if it is possible for a salad to be romantic, but there’s something romantic about fresh raspberries and luscious chocolate. In my opinion, this combination is pure decadence and perfect for a special occasion such as Valentine’s Day.
Cocoa Balsamic Dressing
- 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of canola oil
- 1 heaping teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 heaping teaspoon of honey (or sugar)
- salt and pepper to taste
- mix of baby romaine, baby spinach and arugula
- pint of fresh raspberries (or strawberries)
- 1/2 cup of slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
- bittersweet chocolate curls or cocoa nibs for garnish
Method
1. In a small jar, combine all of the dressing ingredients. Shake to mix and set aside. Allow the dressing to sit for 10 minutes for maximum flavour.
2. In a salad bowl, toss the greens, raspberries, slivered almonds and parmesan cheese. Drizzle the cocoa balsamic dressing over top and toss. Garnish with chocolate curls or cocoa nibs.
Note: enjoy this salad with a glass of red wine :)
Yield: 4-6 servings
Source: inspired by a salad at Chez Sophie in Winnipeg
oh lady, salads can be romantic for sure! :) i love the idea of chocolate salad dressing, especially when paired with almonds and raspberries. it’s basically a dessert- in salad form!
I think the chocolate makes this salad extra special for a romantic dinner for two. It’s something decadent and out-of-the-norm. I’m glad you agree that salads can be romantic! *hehe* :)
I am with Caitlin- total romance in a bowl/on a salad plate!
That dressing sounds to die for, Chocolate- yes please!
Valentiney-est salad ever! I may have to make this–if I can keep myself from just eating all the raspberries I buy out of hand. :)
I’m glad you agree! I just thought this salad would be perfect for a romantic dinner. I have to admit, I ate a huge portion of raspberries while making this salad. *hehe* So yummy!
I’ve never heard of chocolate salad dressing – I wish I’d thought of it myself! :) Such a perfect salad for Valentines Day!
Somehow chocolate dressing and parmesan makes for one tasty salad! :)
Interesting! I’ve been seeing a lot more “cocoa” recipes lately. This looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it.
Stephanie
http://sharelovealways.blogspot.ca/
The dressing is really nice! The bittersweet chocolate is perfect for the dressing :)
I recently had a chocolate balsamic vinaigrette at a restaurant and you just reminded me that I need to recreate that at home! So lovely! :-)
i am in love with this salad – i absolutely need to try this asap
Wow, that sounds like an amazing combination – one I never would have thought of myself for a salad! This makes me wish I was hosting a dinner party for Valentine’s Day so that I could serve this and impress everyone!
Oh man that dressing sounds to die for!