St. Patrick's Day Pub Salad with Irish Soda Bread Croutons

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, 

so I'm gathering the girls for a Celtic Celebration.

A lasses' lunch celebrating some of the fun of Ireland, 

with lighter fare and Cambria chardonnay.

Irish Pub Salad is crisp, fresh and tangy 

with fresh vegetables, creamy eggs and sharp Irish cheddar.

Drizzled with a zesty dressing, 

it's the perfect combo that makes your "Irish eyes smile".

But my favorite part of this salad are the soda bread croutons.

Like many of the Irishmen I've met, 

the bread is a little course and rough on the outside but soft on the inside!

It makes the most perfect croutons.

Crunchy and golden brown, but the center is a light and delicate.

They melt in your mouth, especially when paired with...

 Cambria Chardonnay.

A little luck of the Irish for the lasses who lunch!

Irish Pub Salad with Irish Soda Bread Croutons
Serves 4
for salad:
2 heads of Butter or Bibb Lettuce, washed and chopped or torn into bite size pieces
3 cooked Red or Golden Beets, sliced
1/2 lb of green beans, blanched and cooled
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 hard boiled eggs sliced
2 large cucumber, sliced
8 oz. Irish Cheddar cubed
Lay lettuce on a platter or individually on plates.  Top with vegetables and cheese, drizzle with dressing and top with croutons.

for dressing whisk together:
1 Tablespoon stone ground mustard
3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
7 Tablespoons light extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot finely chopped


for the croutons:
4 Tablespoons butter
4 cups cubed Irish soda bread (I use a boxed mix that can be found at most speciality food stores, but many stores have soda bread available around St. Patrick's Day)
Kosher salt to taste

Melt butter in a large saute pan.  Add cubed bread and toss gently to coat the bread.  Cook over medium heat until browned adding more butter if necessary and gently turning cubes frequently. Sprinkle with salt and place in an air tight container until ready to use.


Thank you to Cambria Wines for sponsoring this post and for your support as I work with brands to be able to keep creating.