Caramelized Onion and Grapefruit Salad

The other day I was watching Giada on Food Network television and saw her making a caramelized onion and grapefruit salad that looked so interesting and fresh that I decided I just had to try it sometime soon.
Today was the day.
The salad seemed simple enough to make with 3 components to put together: the dressing, the caramelized onions and the salad. There were a couple of changes I made to the original recipe.
1. Giada's recipe called for cucumber, which I didn't have in my refrigerator, so I decided that celery would be the perfect bright, crunchy substitution.
2. I adore honey. My mom had brought me back some kiawe honey from Hawaii and instead of using a scant teaspoon like it instructed, I increased it to a Tbsp.
3. I changed a few of the proportions of the dressing and added lemon zest.

The salad was easy to prepare and put together. I tossed all the ingredients together in a large salad bowl, dished it into plates and took my first taste.
It was love at first bite. You have the bright citrusy flavor of the grapefruit, the crunchy bits of romaine and celery along with occasional bits of slightly sharp scallion and earthy thyme, all dressed in a simply delicious vinaigrette that's sweet from the honey and sour from the red wine vinegar at the same time. Add the mellow caramelized onions and it's elevated to salad nirvana. It is salad perfection. Here's my version of the salad

Caramelized Onion and Grapefruit Salad (2 servings)
caramelized onions
3 T. olive oil
2 onions, very thinly sliced
1 T. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, heat the oil over med. heat. Add the onions, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Lower heat to med-low and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are deep golden brown, about 20 minutes
dressing
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 T. honey
1/8 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest and honey. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until blended. Season with salt and pepper
Salad
1 1/2 pink grapefruits
6 oz. romaine hearts (a little more than half of a 10 oz prepared bag)
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
2 scallions, finely sliced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Peep and trim the ends from each grapefruit. Using a pairing knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and add them to a large salad bowl. Add the lettuce, fennel, celery, scallions and thyme. Add the cooled caramelized onions to the salad, and pour dressing over the top. Toss until all ingredients are coated. Serve and enjoy!