Bibb Lettuce Salad with Brioche Croutons and Champagne Vinaigrette
This lovely salad reminds me of spring because of the delicate ingredients - bibb lettuce and brioche!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Crème fraîche
- 1/4 cup canola oil + a little more if needed
- 2 TB honey
- 2 TB champagne vinegar
- tiny pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 large or 2 small head bibb lettuce
- 1 bunch red radishes, sliced very thin
- 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 Brioche (hamburger size) roll
- 2 TB butter
Instructions
- For champagne vinaigrette: Place crème fraîche in blender. Turn blender on low and slowly drizzle canola oil into the crème fraîche to make a smooth emulsion. Add a little more canola oil if needed to make salad dressing consistency. (Cover blender with blender top half way while drizzling the canola oil so mixture will not splash.)
- Blend in honey, champagne vinegar, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt.
- Pour champagne vinaigrette into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For salad: Chop bibb lettuce and place in salad bowl. Add radishes and cucumber. Toss.
- For brioche croutons: Melt butter in sauté pan. Separate the top and bottom of brioche roll. Cut each brioche roll half into crouton size pieces. Place the brioche pieces in the melted butter and sauté on both sides until croutons are lightly browned and crunchy.
- To serve: place salad in individual serving bowls. Top with brioche croutons. Drizzle champagne vinaigrette over salad and croutons.