Description
This fresh garden salad recipe combines crisp vegetables and a homemade vinaigrette for the perfect summer dish. It’s light, nutritious, and bursting with seasonal flavors from your garden or local farmer’s market.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, julienned or shredded
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs (basil, parsley, or dill), chopped
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds (optional)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and thoroughly dry all produce. A salad spinner is invaluable for properly drying greens.
- Tear larger lettuce leaves into bite-sized pieces and place in a large serving bowl.
- Add prepared vegetables and herbs to the bowl with the greens.
- In a small bowl or mason jar, combine olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic (if using), salt, pepper, and sweetener (if using). Whisk or shake until emulsified.
- If using cheese and nuts/seeds, add these just before serving to maintain their texture.
- Drizzle the salad with vinaigrette (start with less than you think you need), and gently toss everything together until lightly coated.
- Season with additional salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
For meal prep, store undressed salad components separately in airtight containers with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Properly stored, prepped ingredients will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Keep dressing separate until ready to serve.
To make this a complete meal, add protein such as grilled chicken breast, seared salmon, hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas, or grilled tofu.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe (as side)
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 135mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 8mg
Keywords: fresh garden salad recipe, summer salad, vegetable salad, homemade vinaigrette, healthy side dish, farmer's market recipe