Sometimes you just need a minimal leafy green salad that comes together quickly and goes with any meal. This is that salad! Whether it's lasagna or grilled chicken—this side salad will go with it, and it'll be done in 10 minutes or less.
I don't know about you, but in summer I am allll about the no-cook side dishes. And while I love my roasted sweet potatoes, I also love the ease of no oven and minimal time required to make dinner feel like a complete meal. This basic leafy green salad is precisely that! All you need is a big bowl, ten minutes at the most, and a really good salad dressing to clingy to those fluffy, fresh leaves.
If you have more veg, feel free to add! I'll show the recipe here with radishes and spring onions since I had those from our Saturday farmers market. And if you want a bit of crunch, some sunflower seeds or croutons are always nice, as is a bit of freshly grated parmesan. But if minimalism and easy cooking is your vibe tonight or this week or this season of life... just the greens with my go-to lemon vinaigrette will be plenty. Let's make it!
Key Ingredients & Notes
What are the best greens to use for this recipe? This recipe is flexible enough to work with what you've got! When it's late spring or summer, CSA and farmers market greens abound, it's hard to beat garden or farm tender lettuces. Butterhead and red leaf are some of my favorites, and spinach or arugula are also excellent options. Better yet, mix a couple kinds together! Any fresh mixed greens you can find at the store are also great, especially in winter.
Please see recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Make sure your greens are cleaned well before using. I am obsessed with using my salad spinner for efficient leaf washing and drying! Combine leafy greens and any other chopped veggies into a bowl.
- Step 2: Shake lemon vinaigrette ingredients together vigorously in a jar until combined.
- Step 3: Drizzle half the vinaigrette over the greens to start. Gently toss and taste a leaf. Is it coated and flavorful? If not, add a bit more dressing until all leaves are coated and flavorful, without being soggy.
- Step 4: Serve it up alongside any lunch or dinner! We love it with grilled food like these turkey burgers with tzatziki or on the side of an egg salad sandwich for lunch.
Grilling out tonight? Let's bring on the summer vibes with more low-effort sides like watermelon berry fruit salad, corn on the cob, refreshing cucumber vinegar salad or creamy cucumber salad with yogurt, or even the leftover pasta salad that's already in your fridge.
Tera's Sustainability Tips
- Lettuce storage for longevity - Did you get your lettuce from a CSA or farmers market? I highly recommend washing right away! I use a salad spinner and then place the dry leaves in a reusable bag or container lined with reusable paper towel.
- Radish greens - If you purchase your radishes with tops, you don't need to discard them! After being cleaned thoroughly, they can be sautéed in olive oil with salt, or chopped up and added directly to the greens salad. They do have more of a peppery flavor, so I like them best when dressed with a good salad dressing or sautéed, which makes them taste milder.
- Save juiced lemons - Have you tried using your juiced lemons for cleaning? They work amazingly on stainless steel kitchen sinks! Simply sprinkle baking soda on the fruit side of the used rind, then scrub your sink. It gets fizzy and smells fresh—so satisfying!
Did you make this leafy green salad? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest - I love seeing what you made!
Print📖 Recipe
Basic + Awesome Leafy Green Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: ~5 servings
Description
For those times when you need one more side dish to round out the meal! This simple leafy green salad will go with any meal and comes together quickly.
Ingredients
- 8-10 cups fresh greens (mixed greens or summer lettuces are my fave)
- 4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1-2 spring onions (or green onions), thinly sliced
- juice from 2 lemons (or ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon agave
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- A pinch of black pepper
- Optional additions: thinly sliced radishes, cucumbers, onion, shredded carrots, fresh chopped herbs, sunflower seeds, parmesan
Instructions
- Prep veggies. Make sure greens a washed and dried (I love using my salad spinner for this!), and chopped into smaller pieces if needed (mostly relevant for larger leaf lettuces). Combine greens, radish slices, and onions in a large serving bowl.
- Lemon vinaigrette. Add lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon, salt, pepper, and agave to a jar. Seal tightly with a lid, and shake vigorously until well-combined and frothy. The dressing could also be blended, but a jar does the trick here.
- Toss. Drizzle half of the lemon vinaigrette over the leaves and gently start to toss with clean hands or a tongs. Taste test a leaf or two. If you notice any dry leaves, add a splash more dressing, and toss. Repeat until every leaf is coated and flavored, but not sopping with dressing. I trust your senses here! If you do have dressing left, serve at the table for anyone who wants to add more.
Notes
- Vinaigrette + dressing the salad. You can sweeten the vinaigrette with honey, maple syrup, or cane sugar if you'd like as well. I recommend dressing the salad just before eating so it's as fresh as possible.
- Storage. This salad is best eaten fresh, but I was able to keep it in my fridge for 2 days without it getting soggy. So if you do have leftovers, you could eat them up with lunch the next day!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad; side dish
- Method: Combine
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 2 cups
- Calories: 117
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 66.1 mg
- Fat: 11.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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