Garden Salad
The garden salad is a great summertime meal filled with lots of crunchy veggies and topped with a tasty vinaigrette dressing. This salad takes advantage of seasonal produce to make a colorful presentation in less than 10 minutes.
Here’s a simple garden salad recipe that’s quick and easy to prepare. All you need is iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and a cucumber. The garden salad dressing is also very versatile and can be made with ingredients you have on hand.
Why make this garden salad?
- First of all, DIY salads are much more cost-effective than their store-bought counterparts. You can buy a big bag of greens and a few toppings for the same price as a single pre-made salad.
- Another benefit of making your own salad is having complete control over the ingredients. You can choose exactly what you want to include and leave out any pesky ingredients you don’t like. This is especially important if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies.
- Finally, making your own salad is just plain fun! It’s a chance to get creative with your flavors and textures and experiment with new ingredients.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Lettuce – I am using iceberg lettuce, but you can use any lettuce you like. Try romaine, butter lettuce, Belgian endives, arugula, and little gem lettuce. You can even add some spinach.
- Cucumbers – I am using an English cucumber, but any variety you love to eat, such as Persian or pole cucumbers, works too. Make sure to use a nice, crisp cucumber that is not too soft and will not release too much liquid.
- Tomatoes – I am using cherry tomatoes, but you can also use one large tomato cut into cubes. I like to deseed large tomatoes to keep the salad from getting too soggy. When in season, I love to use multi-colored grape tomatoes.
- Avocado – Use ripe avocados, but make sure they are not mushy or firm. You want it soft enough to be able to eat with a fork but still hold its shape.
- Cheese – I love a few cubes of sharp cheddar in my garden salad, but you can also use crumbled feta, blue cheese, or shaved parmesan cheese.
- Lemon juice – You can also add fresh lime juice, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. If you like lemon flavor, go ahead and add the zest, too.
- Olive oil – When it comes to salads, I love to use good-quality cold-pressed olive oil or extra virgin olive oil. You can even add garlic or chili oil.
- Fresh herbs – I am using parsley today, but fresh cilantro, mint, dill, and basil are also great additions.
- Optional ingredients – A garden salad is the most versatile because you can add almost anything you want. Try Spanish red onions, black olives, steamed carrots, or roasted veggies. Often, I like to throw in some croutons to make it a whole meal, as well as some pickles like pepperoncini.
Step-by-step: Garden salad
- Vinaigrette – In a small mason jar, combine all the dressing ingredients. Close the jar and give it a good shake. Set aside
Pro tip – You don’t really need a blender or food processor for this dressing. You can also use a small bowl and whisk, but make sure to shake the jar or whisk until the lemon and oil emulsify.
- Veggies – In a large salad platter or large bowl, layer the veggies. Start with the iceberg lettuce at the bottom, followed by the chopped cucumber, tomatoes, and avocado.
Pro tip – Make sure to add the avocado when you are ready to serve, as it will start to oxidize - Optional – Then, add the optional ingredients – I am using sliced boiled egg, strawberries, and pomegranate seeds. I am also adding diced sharp cheddar.
Pro tip – You can also add other chopped seasonal fruits such as apricots, peaches, pears, etc. - Dressing – Gently pour the vinaigrette all over the salad. Then, garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Pro tip – You can toss the salad mix with the salad dressing. But I like to make sure to gradually pour the dressing all over so you don’t have to stir the salad and ruin the presentation.
Frequently asked questions
Salad is always best served as soon as it is made. Otherwise, the leafy veggies start to wilt, veggies like cucumbers will give out all the liquid, and veggies like avocado will start to oxidize. Make sure to add seasoning and dressing to the veggies just before serving.
Soggy salads are a common concern, but there are a few ways to prevent this from happening. First, make sure your greens are completely dry before adding any dressing. You can also add dressing to your salad just before serving, rather than letting it sit for too long. Another tip is to keep any watery vegetables, such as cucumbers or tomatoes, separate from your greens until just before serving.
Adding protein to your salad can make it more filling and satisfying. Try adding grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, quinoa, or beans to your salad. You can also experiment with different types of cheese, such as feta or goat cheese, for added flavor and protein.
While it’s best to dress your salad just before serving, you can prepare many of the ingredients in advance. Chopped vegetables, cooked protein, and even some dressings can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your salad.
Easy Garden Salad
The Garden Salad is a great summertime meal filled with lots of crunchy veggies and topped with a tasty vinaigrette dressing. This one takes advantage of seasonal produce to make a colorful presentation in less than 10 minutes.
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Lemon Juice
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- 1 tbsp Honey
- ½ tsp Dijon Mustard or mustard paste
- 1 head Iceberg lettuce roughly chopped
- 1 large Cucumber Persian or Lebannes
- 2 cups Cherry tomatoes I used combination yellow, red and orange
- 1 medium Avocado diced into 1 inch cubes
- ¼ cup Parsley rougly chopped
- 2 large Hard-boiled egg sliced
- 4 large Strawberries chopped
- ¼ cup (40 g) Pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup (60 g) Sharp cheddar cheese diced
Method
- Vinaigrette – In a small mason jar, combine all the dressing ingredients. Close the jar and give it a good shake. Set aside.
- Optional – Then, add the optional ingredients – I am using sliced boiled egg, strawberries, and pomegranate seeds. I am also adding diced sharp cheddar.
- Dressing – Gently pour the vinaigrette all over the salad. Then, garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This is an easy salad, so don’t think so much. Use veggies that you and your family love to enjoy.
- Make sure your veggies are fresh and crisp. For example, buy fresh lettuce that has crisp leaves so they stay fresh longer.
- You can layer the veggies for this salad a few hours ahead of time, but make sure to add veggies like avocado and the dressing just before serving.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!- Garden Salad
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This was so refreshing
Enjoyed this for lunch today and loved every bite! So crisp and refreshing; the perfect spring salad, indeed!
Give me all the optional ingredients! This salad is a flavor explosion and also beautiful to look at. We will definitely be making it again.
great idea to add strawberries, cheese cubes, and eggs to this salad! They’re a delicious and filling addition
I loved the strawberries suggestion and went wild on those as I had a large batch, and the salad was delicious!
this salad is so tasty! i love the addition of the pomegranate seeds and the dressing was really good!