If you’re a regular follower of The Taste Place, you know that bourbon is our drink of choice, and that we frequently cook with it as well. While Makers Mark is our sipping label of choice, we don’t usually waste the good stuff for cooking — we go with less expensive, or even store brand (gasp!) bourbon for culinary use.
When perusing the Jim Beam website, I discovered this tasty sounding dressing. At 8 PointsPlus (if you’re a Weight Watcher like me) per serving, the dressing and toppings are too high in fat and calories for me to make it on a regular basis — particularly since it doesn’t meet Hubby’s criteria for a main dish salad (there’s no meat). So, I bookmarked it for a special occasion. And an elegant Easter-themed dinner party that we hosted for friends provided the perfect excuse to finally try this dish. It was a hit.
If you’re a bourbon fan like us, try out our bourbon mashed sweet potatoes or grilled pork tenderloin in a spicy bourbon glaze.
- ¼ cup chopped shallots or green onions
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup & 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped, fresh basil leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried basil)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves)
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1 pear, cored and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 6 cups mixed salad greens (endive, bibb, romaine, or any combo, cleaned, orn into pieces
- ½ red bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into julienne strips
- ½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut into julienne strips
- For dressing, cook shallots or onions over medium-high heat in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add ½ cup Jim Beam® Bourbon. Cook about 5 minutes, uncovered, until mixture is reduced to a glaze. Add parsley, basil, and thyme. Cook 1 minute. Cool to room temperature. Add remaining oil, vinegar, bourbon, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Chill at least 2 hours. Toast walnuts in preheated 350-degree oven 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to cool. Combine walnuts and remaining salad ingredients in large bowl. Toss with dressing. Makes 4-6 servings.
- Note: Jim Beam® prohibits the sharing of this work with individuals under the legal purchase age for alcohol. So, if you’re not of drinking age, ignore this recipe.
