Need a go-to recipe for a simple dinner salad? Look no further! My house salad recipe is packed with fresh and flavorful ingredients and is sure to become a new favorite. Not only is it delicious, but it's also super easy to make in 15 minutes.
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We love unique salad recipes like our shaved brussels sprout salad and roasted beet and grapefruit salad. But during the week I tend to opt for this classic salad recipe based on one from my favorite restaurant. It is a simple recipe with fresh vegetables and leafy greens, and my house dressing recipe which is tangy and easy to make.
You can also try other dressings like homemade ranch, ginger miso, or a basil vinaigrette.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Greens- Use a mix of romaine and butter lettuce or try Boston leaf lettuce.
- Carrots - You can use orange or any rainbow-colored carrot you like. Not sure which cut to use? This how to cut carrots tutorial will break it down.
- Tomatoes - I prefer to use small Campari tomatoes but you can also use larger tomatoes, be sure to dice them, or cherry tomatoes, also called grape tomatoes.Not sure which cut to use? This how to cut tomatoes tutorial will break it down.
- Cucumber - I prefer to use seedless cucumbers, but if you use a regular garden cucumber, you should deseed it.
- Red Onion - Be sure to thinly slice to prevent them from overpowering the salad. You can also substitute pickled red onions or sliced green onions in this recipe. I do not recommend raw white or yellow onions.
- Olive Oil - Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- White Wine Vinegar - You can use any light vinegar like rice wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.
- Granulated Sugar- Just a pinch makes a huge difference so I don't recommend omitting this.
💭 Additional Add-Ons
The best part of this classic house salad is that you can customize it based on what you have in your fridge and pantry.
- For extra crunch try adding sunflower seeds, nuts, or croutons.
- Us you can add additional vegetables like bell peppers, pickled vegetables like watermelon radishes, olives, blanched green beans, or chopped broccoli.
- Add cheeses, feta, parmesan cheese, and blue cheese are my top 3 recommendations. But I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at some shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Add fresh herbs to your dressing, I like dill here.
⏲️Tips for Making a Green Salad at Home
- I prefer to shred my carrots and cut my tomatoes into small wedges, but there are other options.
- Tear or chop your butter lettuce, discarding the very end of the bulb.
- To make quick work of prepping vegetables for this salad recipe, try using a food processor with slicing attachments or a mandolin.
- You can make the dressing in a blender.
- If serving the salad all at once, you can pour on the dressing and toss the salad with tongs. Or you can serve it on the side.
- If you are making the salad ahead of time for meal prep, store the vegetables, dressing, and greens separately.
- This recipe serves 4 to 6 as a main course and 2 to 3 as a main course.
🥗What to Serve with a House Salad
I pair all my favorite pasta dishes with a salad, from our sausage broccolini pasta to our gluten-free meatballs with San Marzano sauce.
In the summer I pair it with grilled lemongrass pork, BBQ grilled chicken thighs, and my favorite Hawaiian chicken kabobs.
For lunch pair it with a bowl of gluten-free potato soup or a bowl of Cajun shrimp and corn chowder.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Traditional House Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 4 cups butter or gem lettuce chopped
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 4 small tomatoes cut into wedges or diced
- ½ seedless cucumber sliced
- ½ cup red onion thinly sliced rings
House Dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl mix together the lettuces and carrots. Top the salad with the remaining ingredients.6 cups romaine lettuce, 4 cups butter or gem lettuce, 1 cup carrots, 4 small tomatoes, ½ seedless cucumber, ½ cup red onion
House Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking until emulsified.¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Notes
- You can use all romaine lettuce or a 50/50 blend.
- Make it into a main dish salad by adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or other proteins.
- You can also shake the dressing in a Mason jar for easy mixing and storage or use a blender.
- Meal Prep Notes- Store the vegetables, dressing, and greens separately. You can store the vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. When you're ready to serve the salad, combine all of the ingredients and toss with just enough dressing to coat.
Erica parker says
I tried it and I loved it.