Hearty Winter Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

This salad was delicious - although I would probably name it something with "Mediterranean" in the title since it includes olives and feta. I also think it would be very tasty with a nice arugula blend. The dressing was nice and garlicky and highlighted the salad nicely. If you don't have sherry vinegar, you can use balsamic vinegar - the dressing will just be a little more acidic.

This was a Giada-heavy meal and the only thing I really adjusted was the serving size that she indicated. If you are serving this as a first course or along with a substantial dinner, you will get many more servings out of the amounts below.

Hearty Winter Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette
from Everyday Pasta
Makes about 6-8 servings

Dressing
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 large garlic clove
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

Salad
1 (10-ounce) bag baby mixed greens, rinsed and spun dry
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled

Blend the vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a blender until garlic is finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly blend in the oil. (Alternatively, you can mince the garlic and whisk together all the ingredients except the oil. Then slowly add the oil while whisking until emulsified.)

Toss the baby greens, bell pepper, olives and cheese in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat.