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    Home > Salads & Dressings > Tree House Salad, With Sweet and Sour Dressing

    Tree House Salad, With Sweet and Sour Dressing

    Published: Jun 11, 2011 · Modified: Apr 11, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Tree House Salad. A hearts of palm salad with simple fresh ingredients topped with one of the best sweet and sour dressings you’ll ever taste. Hearts of Palm, blue cheese and a mixture of crunchy seeds and nuts, the texture alone will hook you. This is a tossed salad recipe you’ll find yourself making over and over again.

    Tree House Salad. Tossed green salad with hearts of palm, craisins, blue cheese and sweet and sour dressing

    Like black shoes, I truly don’t think one can have enough tossed salad recipes.

    Think about those black shoes, you need a pair for boot cut pants, your skinny jeans, wide cut capris, skinny capris, your pencil skirt, your black suit, your perfect little black dress …. your white jeans. You get the picture.

    Same with tossed salads. You need one for burgers, for steaks, for braised chicken, for fried chicken, for lamb, for seafood …

    Tossed salad with hearts of palm, dried cranberries, blue cheese dressing served in a World Market rustic black bowl.

    For some reason this recipe for hearts of palm salad, which carries the name of Tree House Salad, has always been my go to salad to serve with hamburgers.

    It seems a perfect flavor combo for a side dish for a juicy grilled burger.

    Inspiration for Tree House Salad

    My friend Linda gave me this tossed salad recipe a couple of years ago. We were invited to their house for a Summer evening dinner, where they served little lamb pops, this Tree House Salad and Lemon Snowballs.

    A perfect little light Summer meal.

    With simple ingredients topped with a sweet and sour dressing, in my books you’ve got a winner.

    I wasn’t sure where the name came from so before starting this post, I Googled the title.

    I was directed to  Treehouse Restaurant in Atlanta, but their Treehouse Salad didn’t resemble Linda’s at all. With all that said, here’s the recipe she gave me and it’s been a favorite ever since.

    Tossed green salad with artichoke hearts, craisins, blue cheese, almonds and sweet and sour dressing.

    Recipe for Hearts of Palm Salad (Tree House Salad)

    I mean really, does it get any easier than this? Greens, sugared almonds, sunflower seeds, dried and dried cranberries. Top with a sprinkling of crumbled blue cheese, some hearts of palm and dig in.

    I hope you give this hearts of palm salad a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.

    And if you have a recipe using hearts of palm salad, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    More Popular Tossed Salad Recipes

    • Southwestern Salad with Black Beans
    • Hearts of Palm Salad with Avocado
    • Pickled Beet Salad with Arugula

    And if you love tossed salads as much as we do, and you want to become a salad expert, don’t miss my post for the 9-Secrets to A Remarkable Tossed Salad.

    And if you’re looking for even more salad recipes, don’t miss my Salad Category. You’ll find the most popular salad recipe on my site for Louisiana Sunburst Salad.

    Tree House Salad. Tossed green salad with hearts of palm, craisins, blue cheese and sweet and sour dressing

    Tree House Salad

    A simple salad, big with flavor with the most delicious sweet and tangy dressing you'll ever taste.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salads, Salad Dressings and Vinaigrettes
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 3 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 567kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 2 teaspoons butter
    • 3/4 cup sliced almonds
    • 1 Tablespoon sugar
    • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
    • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
    • 1/2 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
    • 3 Tbsp sugar
    • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • 4 cups red leaf lettuce
    • 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbled
    • 1 can hearts of palm drained and sliced
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a small heavy skillet, melt butter. Add almonds and cook over medium heat until toasted, about 4 minutes. Add sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. Sprinkle with sugar. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until sugar is melted. Spread on foil to cool.
    • Mix first 6 ingredients for dressing (that’s through salt and pepper).
    • Assemble salad with remaining ingredients. Drizzle with dressing.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 2225IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Wine Pairing for A Tossed Salad and Burger

    We enjoyed and paired this Tree House Salad and grilled burger with a truly lovely Colorado wine. Perfect summer food if you ask me.

    Holly cross Abbey Sauv Blanc. This wine is exactly what I look for in a crisp white wine. I totally agree with the description from their site and we loved it. ” A blend of 50% barrel fermented sur-lie (aged on the lees) and 50% stainless steel fermented and aged.  Full hints of oak, grass and melon in the nose, followed by a creamy smoothness that glides across the palate.” 

    The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey (from their website)

    Several years ago, some simple Benedictine Fathers had a dream…a dream of a fine winery located on the grounds of the historic Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City, Colorado.

    Today, that dream is a reality and the staff at the winery invites you to share in the vision of those dynamic and innovative monks.  Since 2002, The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey has been attracting visitors from all over the world.

    Located on the pastoral and serene grounds of the Holy Cross Abbey, nestled against the spectacular backdrop of the Wet Mountains, the winery and tasting room are shining examples of what draws visitors to Canon City and Fremont County.

    Canon City is about a two-hour drive Southwest of Denver. We must make time for a day trip to the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey and a picnic at the famous Royal Gorge.  Sounds like a perfect day.

    Hearts of Palm Salad and a burger .. It’s What’s for a Summer Dinner

    More Salad and Dressing Recipes

    • Easy Hearts of Palm Salad With Avocado
    • Winter Fresh Citrus Salad with Grapefruit
    • Avocado Mango Salad with Blue Cheese
    • Lamb Kebab Salad with Arugula and Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Allan James says

      August 24, 2017 at 2:57 am

      I have wanted to try house salad for a long time now. I have even purchased them from the store and never made them because I didn’t know how! How silly! Thank you so much for such a nice post. Your pictures are really attractive.

      Reply
    2. Denise says

      August 29, 2013 at 4:04 am

      I couldn’t find you on FB?!?!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        August 29, 2013 at 6:34 am

        I sent you an email. Again, thanks for the visit.

        Reply
    3. Denise says

      August 29, 2013 at 4:02 am

      Found you on the Grow Your Blog Link Party. I love lamb so I cannot wait to try this recipe. Check me out on my blog, pinterest and fb as well under denisedesigned.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        August 29, 2013 at 6:33 am

        Thanks so much for stopping by! What a nice thing to wake up to, featured and lots of comments. Heading over to find you on Pinterest.

        Reply
    4. High Plains Drifters says

      June 13, 2011 at 8:23 am

      Great summer salad … but then again, you could put toasted walnuts and blue cheese on road kill and I’d love it! Cheers!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 16, 2011 at 5:50 am

        LOL

        Reply
    5. Barbara says

      June 13, 2011 at 7:04 am

      That Tree House salad just went on my must-make list! David and Linda certainly are great people for finding the best recipes! Love the simple way with lamb chops too.
      Interesting knife….l’ll go to Sur La Table and investigate.

      Reply
    6. Vickie says

      June 12, 2011 at 4:26 pm

      Wow, this is a recipe-filled post with a lot to enjoy! My mouth started watering when you described the chops. What an easy way to prepare them. And that salad sounds like a must try. I’m loving the idea of peanut oil and rice vinager. I’m with you on those simple back patio noshes . . . perfect way to enjoy the evening! That little tool has “buy me” written all over it. I am always looking for a new fun gadget.

      Lastly (I promise) I LOVE that wine photo. The colors, the angle, everything; just beautiful!

      Reply
    7. Susan says

      June 12, 2011 at 1:54 pm

      What a great collection of wonderful dishes in one post! I love the salads and the lamb chops sound wonderful. We haven’t done any on the grill yet this season and I’d love to try this preparation.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 2:38 pm

        Thanks Susan, I don’t usually pack so many different food items into one post, they just all tied to my friends David and Linda who contributed all the recipes. Thanks for stopping by and the comment.

        Reply
    8. Larry says

      June 12, 2011 at 12:48 pm

      I read the first line, put my computer down and went and got a glass of wine. First your friends salad and lamb chops both sound really good. That Chris guy sure is a source of good recipes and there’s still time for you to buy your ticket and show up next Sunday to meet him in the flesh. Frontier has just started direct flights to Denver so I checked their fares and as you might expect for a holiday, they’re sticking it to you. Many years ago, we made a trip to Denver and went to the Royal Gorge – it’s an impressive ditch. Your dishes all look very good and you gotta like the way those Catholic Clergy think.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 1:15 pm

        LOL .. I would most certainly agree that the Royal Gorge is an impressive ditch. I see no reason to prepare lamb chops any other way, and promptly deleted two sub-par recipes I had in my database. I’m sure that dressing is close to what Bev makes, but wanted to try the honey version of Chris’s. It was ohmygawdgood. I most certainly would love to come next weekend. We’ve ended up with reservations in Keystone for Sat. night. Good friends Son is getting married. So I’ll be sitting on top of a ski slope drinking wine and getting altitude dizzy, and you’ll have to enjoy all that wonderful food and frivolity without me … darnit.

        Reply
        • Larry says

          June 13, 2011 at 5:56 am

          I’ve spent many a happy hour atop the Keystone slopes – It was my favorite place to ski.

    9. Karen says

      June 12, 2011 at 12:20 pm

      Everything looks good. The winery trip should be great! (I’m going to have to look up that chopper!)

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 12:28 pm

        I tried to find it on the Sur la Table web site so I could link and had no luck… not sure what to call it maybe?

        Reply
    10. Chris says

      June 12, 2011 at 11:45 am

      It all looks great. I’ll have to try the tree house salad too.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 12:29 pm

        It’s one of my favorite, but then again, I love sweet dressings.

        Reply
    11. tasteofbeirut says

      June 12, 2011 at 11:36 am

      That salad is right up my alley! Love the heart of palm addition too.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 12:29 pm

        Thanks Joumana

        Reply
    12. My Carolina Kitchen says

      June 12, 2011 at 8:03 am

      Blue cheese, walnuts, hearts of palm – now you’re talking my language. I agree with Karen. Your wine photo is spectacular Lea Ann.
      Sam

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 12:32 pm

        Thanks Sam. I wish I would have thought to take that photo while the glass was still frosty.

        Reply
    13. Karen Harris says

      June 12, 2011 at 7:10 am

      Lovely recipes. Your wine photo is just beautiful!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 12:32 pm

        Thanks so much Karen!

        Reply
    14. sweetlife says

      June 11, 2011 at 9:58 pm

      I love the salad, been on a sald kick lately for lunch. very cool chooper

      sweetlife

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 5:21 am

        I make a lot of light meal salads several times a week. Love how fresh they taste and how healthy I feel. 🙂

        Reply
    15. Russ says

      June 11, 2011 at 9:29 pm

      Very simple and Summery. Nice.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 5:23 am

        Thanks Russ.

        Reply
    16. Barbara | Creative Culinary says

      June 11, 2011 at 8:40 pm

      It was a mistake to peek before I run out to get a bite to eat. I am so hungry I must keep from devouring the screen. But I’ve now got a plan…trip to the store for hearts of palm and I’ll just come home and make a salad; even better! Love that knife too. I use my chef’s knife as a scooper sometimes but it’s just OK…the width of that blade is perfect and besides…yes, it is cute!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 5:26 am

        Thanks Barb! 🙂

        Reply
    17. pam says

      June 11, 2011 at 8:00 pm

      I love that chopper knife!

      Reply
    18. JelliDonut says

      June 11, 2011 at 5:51 pm

      Lovely post! A day trip to Canyon City sounds like just the thing. Love that chopping knife too, so I guess there’s also a trip to Sure La Table in my future.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann says

        June 12, 2011 at 12:47 pm

        I love Sur la Table.

        Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, Welcome to my Colorado kitchen. I'm a Culinary School Grad with a passion to inspire you to cook as often as you can. Here you'll find Wild West Colorado inspired recipes along some Southwestern and Mexican food favorites. I also share some special recipes from school along pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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