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These little Sesame Handheld Salads are absolutely adorable, so delicious and the easiest things to make! They’re so fun when you’re hosting too because the romaine salads are essentially a finger food and everyone gets a kick out of them! This dijon mustard dressing is one you’re going to want in your recipe books too!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Sesame Handheld Salads
You are going to love these cutie mini romaine handheld salads because they are light, refreshing and so satisfying to bite into! I love to make them when company comes over because of how easy they are to make. They can very easily be an appetizer or a starter salad. Plus, they look like they are straight out of a restaurant and I always get so many compliments on them! ♥️
How To Prepare
Romaine Prep 🥬
For these Sesame Handheld Salads, we’re going to start by prepping your romaine. First, you will trim off the ends of the lettuce. Make sure you leave the stem in tack so it doesn’t fall apart. Cut each mini heads in half lengthwise – remove any of the outer leaves that look wilted or damaged. Then you are going to submerge each piece in cold water and gently swish it back and forth to loosen any dirt. If you have a salad spinner, gently spin it. If not dry with paper towels or clean dish towels.
Make your Dijon Vinaigrette 🥣
Now you’re ready to make the most amazing dijon mustard vinaigrette dressing. Whisk together rice vinegar, dijon, maple syrup, tamari, and sesame oil until smooth, then slowly stream in the olive oil to emulsify.
Serve 🍽️
When you are ready to serve these adorable Sesame Handheld Salads, dip the cut side of your romaine into the dressing, top with toasted sesame seeds and spoon over even more of the delicious dressing. So simple, but absolutely delicious and such a unique salad!
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🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
Make sure you dry your lettuce heads thoroughly before adding the dressing. You can let the heads sit face side down for a bit to make sure the water comes out. This will help the dressing stick better and make sure it doesn’t water down the taste.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitutions
- Romaine Head → If you can’t find the romaine heads, you can use little butter lettuce wedges or even iceberg cut in fourths and be super careful instead. If you go this route you won’t be able to pick up and hold them like the Sesame Handheld Salads, but they will still be adorable wedge salads and delicious.
- Maple Syrup → The maple syrup can be subbed with honey, agave, or brown sugar.
- Olive Oil → If you would like to switch the olive oil, just make sure you use another neutral oil like avocado oil, grape-seed oil, or sunflower
- Variations
- Grilled Variation → Pop the head of lettuce on the grill or under the broiler for a minute before adding the dressing to add a delicious smokey char.
- Wedge Salad Variation → You can always use these adorable mini romaine heads and just add the typical wedge salad toppings or whatever your favorite dressing is and have fun with it!
The Perfect Pairings
🍸 Drink: Prickly Pear Cocktail – The sweet and botanical notes will be a refreshing compliment to these Sesame Handheld Salads.
🍽️ Main: Easy Chicken Piccata – This dish has a lemony, buttery profile that compliments the sesame maple tones.
🥔 Sides: Potato Galette and Stuffed Tomatoes – These both add a rich and savory element that goes really well with the fresh and tang of the dijon mustard dressing.
Cocktail Hour
Prickly Pear Cocktail
Mains
Easy Chicken Piccata
Mains
Potato Galette
Appetizers
Stuffed Tomato Recipe
Sesame Handheld Salads: Questions Answered
Sure! You can prep everything a day ahead. Store it in the fridge in airtight containers. Make sure you wait to add the dressing and sesame seeds till right before serving.
Yes, use tamari instead of soy sauce and everything else should be gluten-free! Always check your ingredients though to be sure.
Grilled chicken, tofu, salmon or seared steak would all go great with the flavors in this recipe and turn it into a full meal!
You pick them up and take a bite! If you aren’t comfortable doing that or if you are at a dinner that is more formal, you can always use a knife and fork, but eating them like finger food is more fun 😉.
Sesame Handheld Salads
Equipment
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 3-4 mini romaine heads
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup, adjust to taste
- 1½ tsp dijon mustard
- 1½ tsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1½ tsp sesame oil
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil, adjust it to taste
- Toasted sesame seeds, to taste
Instructions
- Trim off the ends of the lettuce but make sure you leave the stem in tack so it doesn't fall apart. Cut each mini heads in half lengthwise – remove some of the outer leaves.
- Submerge each piece in cold water and gently swish it back and forth to loosen any dirt. If you have a salad spinner, gently spin it. If not dry with paper towels or clean dish towels.
- Mix the rice vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, tamari and sesame oil well. Whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Adjust salt to taste.
- When you are ready to serve, dip the cut side of your romaine into the dressing, top with toasted sesame seeds and spoon over even more of the delicious dressing. And that is it. Enjoy!
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
