When planning your culinary journey through Aspen, Colorado, a stop at the White House Tavern for lunch is more than a suggestion—it’s an absolute imperative. Among their renowned offerings, the Macho Salad with Cornbread Croutons stands out as an exceptional, truly unforgettable dish that captivates locals and visitors alike. This article presents a carefully crafted copycat version, allowing you to recreate that quintessential Aspen dining experience right in your own kitchen.
This vibrant Summer Salad is a celebration of fresh, seasonal produce, featuring an exquisite blend of crisp corn, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocados, sweet dates, and more, all brought together with a light, yet luxurious Champagne Vinaigrette. While crafting a dish that tastes exactly like the original can be a challenge, this rendition captures the spirit and delightful complexity of the restaurant’s signature creation, promising a refreshingly tasty and satisfying meal.
Why This Aspen-Inspired Macho Salad is a Must-Try Culinary Experience
The White House Tavern’s Macho Salad isn’t just a meal; it’s a sensory journey that embodies the fresh, vibrant spirit of Aspen. Here’s why you absolutely need to add this recipe to your repertoire, bringing a taste of the Rocky Mountains right to your home:
- A Taste of Aspen, Anywhere: This is THE iconic salad I crave and savor every single time I visit the breathtaking landscapes of Aspen, Colorado! Recreating it at home brings a piece of that mountain town magic directly to your dining table, perfect for reminiscing about past trips or dreaming of future adventures. It’s an instant classic that transports you with every bite.
- Harmonious Flavor & Texture Medley: The masterful combination of diverse ingredients—from the sweet and savory dates and corn to the creamy avocado, tangy goat cheese, and crunchy almonds—is elevated by the unique addition of crisp cornbread croutons and a delicate Champagne Vinaigrette. Every forkful delivers a delightful symphony of textures and a perfectly balanced profile of sweet, salty, tangy, and fresh notes. It’s a complex, yet incredibly satisfying, culinary experience.
- Effortlessly Entree-Worthy: While fantastic as a vibrant side dish, this salad is robust enough to stand alone as a main course. The restaurant often includes succulent shredded chicken pieces to make it a hearty entree, and you can easily follow suit to create a filling and nutritious meal. Whether you’re seeking a light lunch or a satisfying dinner, this Macho Salad adapts beautifully to your needs, making it incredibly versatile.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Its vibrant colors and fresh ingredients make it an ideal choice for summer gatherings, backyard barbecues, elegant potlucks, or simply a healthy and flavorful weeknight meal. It’s impressive enough to serve to guests yet simple enough for everyday enjoyment, proving that a truly great salad can be both sophisticated and approachable.
The Star Components: Essential Ingredient Notes for Your Macho Salad
Crafting the perfect Macho Salad begins with selecting high-quality, fresh ingredients. Each component plays a vital role in creating the signature flavor profile and textural experience of this Aspen favorite:
- Cornbread Croutons: The Unexpected Hero – This element is truly what sets the Macho Salad apart from conventional salads. For the best results, prepare a simple box of Jiffy Cornbread or use your cherished homemade recipe. Once the cornbread has cooled completely, cut it into uniform, bite-sized cubes. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt a generous pat of butter or a drizzle of olive oil, then sauté the cornbread cubes until they are beautifully golden brown and wonderfully crispy on all sides. This process creates an irresistible crunch and a unique sweet-savory flavor that adds incredible depth. If time is short, you can buy pre-made cornbread, cube it, and then brown it in the same manner.
- Leaf Lettuce: The Fresh Foundation – I typically opt for green leaf lettuce due to its tender texture and mild flavor, which provides a perfect canvas, allowing the other robust ingredients to truly shine without overpowering them. However, feel free to use your preferred variety; crisp Romaine lettuce offers a satisfying crunch, while delicate butter lettuce provides an even softer bite. The key is to ensure your greens are fresh, vibrant, and thoroughly dried to prevent a watery salad.
- Grape (or Cherry) Tomatoes: Bursts of Sweetness – These small, sweet tomatoes are essential for adding delightful, juicy bursts of flavor and a beautiful pop of color to the salad. Halving them ensures they integrate perfectly into each forkful. When in season, seeking out local, sun-ripened tomatoes will undoubtedly elevate the taste experience even further, bringing a taste of summer’s best.
- Fresh Corn: Summer’s Sweet Kernel – Fresh corn, ideally steamed and carefully removed from the cob, provides a sweet, crisp texture that truly sings of summer. Its natural sugars and slight crunch are indispensable. If fresh corn isn’t available or in season, thawed frozen corn is an excellent and convenient substitute, offering nearly the same vibrant flavor and appealing texture, making this salad enjoyable year-round.
- Dates: The Sweet Surprise – Sliced or chopped into bite-sized pieces, dates introduce a unique, rich sweetness and a wonderfully chewy texture that beautifully balances the savory and tangy elements of the salad. Medjool dates are particularly recommended for their soft, succulent flesh and distinctive caramel-like flavor, adding a touch of sophisticated sweetness.
- Avocado: Creamy Indulgence – Cubed avocado adds a luxurious creaminess, a smooth texture, and healthy monounsaturated fats to the salad, contributing to its satisfying nature. To minimize browning and maintain its vibrant green color, it’s crucial to add the avocado right before serving. Once added, gently toss it with the dressing; the lemon juice in the vinaigrette will provide natural acidity that helps to slow down the oxidation process, keeping your avocado looking fresh and appealing.
- Slivered Almonds: The Crunchy Element – These provide a delicate yet noticeable crunch and a subtle nutty flavor that perfectly complements the other soft and chewy ingredients. For an even deeper, more fragrant note and enhanced crispness, you can quickly toast the slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until lightly golden before adding them to the salad.
- Goat Cheese: Tangy Perfection – Crumbled goat cheese is a non-negotiable component for its distinct, tangy flavor and soft, creamy texture. It provides a delightful counterpoint, cutting through the richness and sweetness of the other components and adding a sophisticated edge. If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, crumbled feta cheese offers a similar salty tang, or small cubes of fresh mozzarella make excellent, milder alternatives.
- Chicken (Optional): For a Hearty Meal – To transform this exquisite side salad into a robust and satisfying main course, consider adding protein. Poached and shredded chicken breast, grilled chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, or even the convenience of a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded, integrates seamlessly. While I often enjoy the Macho Salad without chicken for a lighter option, it’s a fantastic and popular addition for a more substantial and filling meal. Cooked salmon or grilled shrimp are also excellent choices.
- Salad Dressing: The Champagne Vinaigrette – This light, tangy, and perfectly balanced dressing is the unifying force that binds all the diverse elements of the Macho Salad together. It combines high-quality extra virgin olive oil for richness, bright champagne vinegar for a subtle tang, a touch of maple syrup (or honey) for subtle sweetness, fresh lemon juice for zest and acidity, finely minced garlic for aromatic depth, and dried oregano and basil for herbaceous notes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste to ensure all flavors pop and the dressing is perfectly balanced.
Crafting Your Macho Salad: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating this gourmet salad is simpler than you might think. Follow these straightforward steps for a delicious and impressive result that will delight your palate:
- Prepare the Champagne Vinaigrette: Begin by making the star dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients except the olive oil. This includes the champagne vinegar, maple syrup (or honey), Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Once these are well combined, slowly and steadily drizzle in the olive oil while continuously whisking. This gradual incorporation is crucial for emulsifying the dressing, resulting in a creamy, cohesive vinaigrette that coats the salad beautifully and won’t separate easily. Set the dressing aside.
- Make the Cornbread Croutons: If you are baking fresh cornbread for your croutons, allow it to cool completely before proceeding. Cut the cooled cornbread into uniform, roughly 1-inch cubes. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil). Add the cornbread cubes and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown, wonderfully crispy on all sides, and slightly toasted. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Once crisped, remove them from the heat and spread them on a plate or paper towel-lined surface to cool slightly.
- Prep All Salad Ingredients: Thoroughly wash and dry the leaf lettuce, then tear or chop it into bite-sized pieces suitable for a salad. Halve the grape or cherry tomatoes. If using fresh corn on the cob, steam it until tender-crisp, then carefully cut the kernels from the cob. Pit the dates and slice or chop them into small, manageable pieces. Measure out your slivered almonds and crumble the goat cheese. Hold off on cutting the avocado until the very last step to ensure maximum freshness.
- Assemble the Salad Base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the prepared leaf lettuce, halved tomatoes, fresh corn kernels, sliced dates, slivered almonds, and crumbled goat cheese. Ensure these ingredients are well distributed within the bowl.
- Add Avocado Just Before Serving: Timing is key for the avocado! When you are ready to serve the salad, carefully cube the fresh avocado. This prevents it from bruising or browning prematurely, ensuring a vibrant green color and creamy texture in your finished salad.
- Dress and Serve: Add the freshly cubed avocados and the cooled cornbread croutons to the large bowl containing the other salad ingredients. Drizzle a generous amount of the prepared Champagne Vinaigrette over the salad. Using salad tongs, gently toss everything together until all ingredients are lightly and evenly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately to enjoy the best textures, flavors, and visual appeal of this exquisite Macho Salad.
Pro Tips for Salad Perfection: Mastering Your Macho Salad
Elevate your Macho Salad to professional standards and ensure a delightful dining experience with these expert tips and tricks:
- Avocado Preservation is Key: Always add cubed avocados last to prevent bruising and unsightly discoloration. The natural acidity of the Champagne Vinaigrette will help to slow oxidation (browning). If you absolutely must cut them ahead of time, gently toss the cubed avocados with a small amount of the dressing or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice immediately after cutting. This creates a protective barrier.
- PRO-Tip: The Art of Emulsification: When preparing any vinaigrette, the secret to a beautifully cohesive and creamy dressing lies in the emulsification process. Slowly drizzle the oil into the other liquid ingredients (vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) while continuously whisking vigorously. This creates a stable emulsion, preventing the dressing from separating into unsightly oil and vinegar layers and ensuring a luscious, homogeneous coating for your salad that clings to every ingredient.
- Corn Selection Matters for Flavor: If you have access to fresh corn on the cob during peak season (typically summer), it offers unparalleled sweetness and a satisfying snap that truly enhances the salad. Cutting larger, irregular pieces directly off the cob after steaming provides an even more delightful texture. However, high-quality frozen corn, thawed and drained, works incredibly well and is a convenient, delicious option year-round.
- Lettuce Your Way: While green leaf lettuce is a personal favorite for its tender texture, don’t hesitate to use any lettuce type you enjoy. Iceberg will provide maximum crispness, Romaine offers a robust texture that holds up well to dressing, and a delicate spring mix can add extra variety and visual appeal. Mix and match for your ideal salad base!
- Sweetener Flexibility in Dressing: I find maple syrup adds a lovely, nuanced sweetness to the salad dressing, complementing the other flavors without being overpowering and offering a natural sweetness. However, honey is an excellent alternative, or for a deeper, richer note, a touch of brown sugar (dissolved in the lemon juice) can also work beautifully to achieve the desired balance.
- Crafting Perfect Cornbread Croutons: For homemade croutons, cut your cornbread into consistent, evenly sized cubes to ensure uniform browning and crispness. Toss them lightly in a small amount of olive oil or melted butter, sprinkle with a pinch of fine sea salt, and then sauté in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until they achieve a gorgeous golden brown and become perfectly crisp. Keep a close eye on them, as cornbread can brown quickly due to its sugar content!
- Make it an Entree: To transform this vibrant side into a satisfying and complete entree salad, incorporate your favorite protein. Shredded grilled chicken, roasted or poached chicken breast, flakes of cooked salmon, or even grilled shrimp would be fantastic additions, making it a fulfilling meal. For a vegetarian protein boost, consider adding chickpeas, black beans, or even a hard-boiled egg.
- Optimal Freshness and Storage: For the freshest taste and best texture, always dress the salad just before serving. If you anticipate having leftovers, it’s highly recommended to store the dressing separately from the salad ingredients. Only combine the dressing with the portion you intend to eat, allowing the remaining undressed components to stay crisp and fresh for longer. Store undressed salad components in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Macho Salad
While many of the ingredients in this salad are available throughout the year, what truly makes it a “summer salad” is the inclusion of fresh, locally sourced summer corn and ripe, juicy tomatoes. These seasonal ingredients are at their peak sweetness, succulence, and flavor during the warmer months, making the salad exceptionally vibrant, refreshing, and delicious. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate the natural bounty of summer produce and enjoy its peak freshness.
If the distinct, tangy flavor of goat cheese isn’t to your liking, or if you simply want to try something different, there are several delicious and effective substitutes. Crumbled feta cheese offers a similar tangy and salty profile that works wonderfully in this salad. Cubes of fresh mozzarella will provide a milder, creamier alternative, while a milder blue cheese (if you’re feeling adventurous) can lend a bolder, more pungent flavor. Each substitute will impart its own unique character to the overall taste.
For optimal freshness and to prevent sogginess, it’s best practice to mix only the portion of salad you plan to eat with the dressing at the time of serving. Store any remaining undressed salad ingredients (excluding avocado and croutons) in a tightly sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator, where they will typically keep well for 2-3 days. The cornbread croutons are best stored separately in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their crispness. Avocados tend not to fare well once cut and dressed; if you do have leftovers with avocado, you can try tossing them in extra dressing or a squeeze of lemon to minimize browning, or simply add new, freshly cubed avocado when enjoying the rest of the salad.
The exact origin of the name “Macho Salad” is somewhat anecdotal and often debated, but it’s widely believed to refer to the salad’s hearty, robust, and substantial nature. Unlike a delicate, light side salad, the Macho Salad is packed with powerful flavors, diverse textures, and a generous array of ingredients, making it a fulfilling and satisfying meal in itself, especially when protein is added. It’s a salad that truly holds its own and makes a statement!
Absolutely! This salad is inherently vegetarian, even without the optional chicken. To adapt it for a vegan diet, simply omit the goat cheese or substitute it with a high-quality plant-based feta alternative. Additionally, ensure your chosen cornbread recipe is dairy-free, or opt for a vegan cornbread mix and cook the croutons in olive oil instead of butter. The Champagne Vinaigrette, as written, is already vegan-friendly.
Given its vibrant and complex flavor profile—with notes of sweetness, tang, and savory elements—the Macho Salad pairs wonderfully with a variety of complementary dishes. If serving it as a side, it would beautifully complement grilled chicken, pan-seared fish, or even a simple vegetarian pasta. For beverages, a crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc, a light and fruity rosé, or even sparkling water infused with a hint of lemon or cucumber would enhance its refreshing qualities beautifully without overwhelming its intricate flavors.
Explore More Delicious Salad Creations
If you’ve fallen in love with the vibrant flavors and fresh ingredients of the Macho Salad, you’ll surely enjoy exploring these other fantastic and diverse salad recipes that promise to bring excitement to your plate:
- Greek Chicken Orzo Power Bowls from Cravings of a Lunatic – A hearty and flavorful meal in a bowl, perfect for a fulfilling lunch or dinner.
- Best Ever Strawberry Spinach Salad – A classic sweet and savory combination that’s always a crowd-pleaser, especially in spring.
- Ahi Tuna Nicoise – An elegant and protein-packed French-inspired salad that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
- Caribbean Salmon Quinoa Bowl – A superfood-rich bowl boasting vibrant tropical flavors and nourishing ingredients.
- Vietnamese Beef Noodle Bowl – A refreshing and savory Asian-inspired dish, packed with fresh herbs and tender beef.
- Classic Cobb Salad Recipe – A timeless American favorite loaded with delicious ingredients like bacon, avocado, and blue cheese.
- Discover all my Best Salad Recipes for an endless array of fresh, healthy, and exciting meal ideas for every season and occasion!
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White House Tavern Macho Salad Recipe
15 minutes
10 minutes
25 minutes
4 servings
A copycat salad recipe inspired by Aspen’s famous White House Tavern, featuring unique cornbread croutons and a champagne vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- Cornbread Croutons* (sauté cubed cornbread in butter until golden brown)
- 6 cups fresh leaf lettuce, torn or chopped
- ½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¾ cup fresh corn, steamed and removed from the cob (or thawed frozen corn)
- 6 dates, pitted and sliced
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
For the Champagne Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup good quality olive oil
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Juice of one fresh lemon
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Make your cornbread croutons: cut cooled cornbread into cubes, then sauté in butter or oil until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare the Champagne Vinaigrette: Whisk together vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, lemon juice, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuously whisking until the dressing is emulsified and creamy. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, halved tomatoes, corn kernels, sliced dates, slivered almonds, and crumbled goat cheese.
- Just before serving, add the cubed avocado and the cooled cornbread croutons to the salad. Drizzle with the prepared Champagne Vinaigrette to taste, toss gently to combine, and serve immediately.
Notes
*For the cornbread croutons, I often use a simple box mix like Jiffy for convenience. Once baked and cooled, cut it into cubes and sauté in a little oil or butter until beautifully browned and crispy. This step is crucial for the salad’s signature texture and flavor!
To create a truly substantial entree salad, enhance it with 1 cup of shredded grilled, roasted, or rotisserie chicken. Cooked salmon or shrimp are also excellent protein additions for a more filling meal.
This recipe is adapted with inspiration from popular food blogs like There’s Always Pizza and Kalejunkie, bringing together the best elements for a truly authentic homemade version of the Macho Salad.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
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- Santoku Knife
- OXO Cutting Board
- Pillivuyt 3 quart Ceramic Bowl
- OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Better Balloon Whisk
- Salad Tongs
- OXO Salad Dressing Shaker
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving (estimated):
Calories: 549
Total Fat: 42g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 31g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 458mg
Carbohydrates: 36g
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 16g
Protein: 12g
Please note: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only. It is calculated using online tools and may vary based on specific ingredients, brands, and preparation methods. This information is offered as a courtesy and should not be considered a substitute for professional nutritional advice. For the most accurate nutritional values, please calculate them using the exact ingredients you use in your recipe.
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