Red Lettuce with Balsamic Onions Salad

The first time I tasted this wonderful salad was on Christmas Day when my mother-in-law, Sandy made this to go along with our dinner.  Being as I have an obsession with sauteed onions, it was love at first sight.  Top the salad with some creamy, buttery blue cheese and it is a little taste of Heaven.  I could easily eat this salad every single day and not even begin to tire of it.  It has easily turned into one of my top favorite recipes of all time- and to think, it is a salad.  Not that I don't love salads, I really do.  But I haven't yet met one that would rank up there with lobster, a good steak, pad thai, or a rare, juicy cheeseburger.  That is until this one.  Many thanks Sandy for turning me onto this little gem!  We all agreed that this salad would be wonderful topped with grilled flank steak.  I am totally trying it that way the next time I make it.

3 small red onions

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar

1 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons minced shallots (2 large)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup good red wine vinegar

2 heads, red leaf, washed and spun dry, and torn into pieces

container of good quality blue cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the onions in half and slice into 1/4 inch think, place on baking sheet and toss with:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until onions are tender.  Remove from oven and toss with 2 more tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and cool to room temperature.  

Whisk together the shallots, mustard, red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.  While whisking, add 3/4 cup olive oil until emulsified. 

Too assemble, spread lettuce out onto a large platter, top with onions and crumble blue cheese on top.  Serve the dressing on the side.  

**this recipe was altered slightly from Ina Garten's original recipe.