• 8 cups green leaf and romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn
  • 2 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup grapes, halved
  • 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
  • 1/2 cup strawberry slices
  • 1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • Pomegranate seeds, optional
  • Citrus Vinaigrette
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup orange, pineapple and banana juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

With winter here, you may be wondering why I chose to highlight or create a tropical tossed salad recipe.

Our dear friend’s the Forster’s came over for dinner on Thursday. We decided to eat something light after stuffing ourselves throughout Christmas. I made my Jerk Chicken and this refreshing tropical salad with citrus vinaigrette. Everyone loved it and I was happy. It was also fun to create a Caribbean-style menu on a cold winter night by the fire!

Another reason I like to make this salad during the winter months is because I can utilize canned mandarin oranges and pineapple when fresh fruit can be most expensive.

This vinaigrette is such a wonderful addition to this salad and could not be simpler to prepare.

I combined all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisked away!

That’s it! No secrets — just great ingredients.