Everyday Dinner Salad
Say goodbye to flavorless, soggy salads! This perfect little side salad is fresh and flavorful with crisp lettuce, fresh herbs, and a zesty vinaigrette! Serve the everyday dinner salad alongside your favorite main course dishes!
This bright a fresh herby salad is the perfect accompaniment to any meal. Sometimes that’s all you need right? A supportive sidekick to the star of the show. Serve it alongside roasted salmon, baked lasagna, or grilled chicken.
Check out my how-to post on making The Perfect Vinaigrette!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Salad Ingredients:
To make this salad you’ll need the best quality lettuce you can find, I like butter lettuce, bibb or baby romaine, sliced radish, fresh herbs like chives, dill, parsley or tarragon, and caper-cornichon vinaigrette (see ingredients below).
Dressing Ingredients:
You make this zesty vinaigrette you’ll need: capers, cornichons, shallot, garlic, dijon mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Recipe Step by Step:
Step One: Wash the Lettuce
Wash the lettuce in ice-cold water then use a salad spinner to dry it thoroughly.
Step 2. Make the Vinaigrette
Blend all of the dressing ingredients together in a blender! This dressing will last a few weeks in the fridge. I often make a double batch so that I always have some ready to go.
Step 3. Toss and Serve!
Toss the lettuce leaves with the dressing, sliced radish, and herbs, be sure to taste and season the dressing with salt and pepper as needed.
Tips and Tricks for delicious, flavorful salads:
The lettuce must be dry, if it’s not the dressing will slide right off and you will be left with a wet, flavorless salad. I highly suggest investing in a salad spinner. I love mine and use it almost daily.
Yes, that’s right, salads need seasoning too! Season your salad with salt and pepper while you’re tossing it with the dressing.
Fresh, tender, leafy herbs add so much flavor to a salad. Some of my favorites are mint, chives, tarragon, dill, and parsley.
Does it need more salt or pepper? Maybe a touch more acid or sweetness? Adjust the flavors as needed before you serve it.
Check out more great salads:
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Everyday Dinner Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 2-3 heads assorted lettuces or four heaping cups of mixed greens
- 3 tbsp finely chopped chives
- 1/2 c loosely packed fresh dill or parsley
- 2 radishes thinly sliced on a mandolin
- flakey sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
Caper-Cornichon Vinaigrette
- 1 heaping tbsp capers
- 4 each cornichon
- 1 small shallot
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 c lemon juice
- 1/2 c olive oil
Instructions
- Wash the lettuce leaves and herbs in ice-cold water then dry in a salad spinner.
- Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl along with the shaved radish and half the herbs. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette, just enough to coat the leaves, season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- To serve: pile the salad onto plates or a platter, top with the rest of the chopped herbs, serve immediately!
Caper-Cornichon Vinaigrette
- Blend all of the ingredients in a blender on high until smooth and creamy.
Notes
Tips and tricks for delicious, flavorful salads: Wash your lettuce in ice-cold water and dry it really well. The lettuce must be dry, if it’s not the dressing will slide right off and you will be left with a wet, flavorless salad. I highly suggest investing in a salad spinner. I love mine and use it almost daily.
