Fresh Garden Salad {Vinaigrette Dressing}

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Whether you call it a garden salad or a house salad, one thing’s for sure – it’s easy, oh-so-delicious, and makes a great side dish or salad base! This fresh garden salad is a delicious combination of crisp fresh vegetables and romaine lettuce in a light, zesty citrus vinaigrette dressing — yum! You can customize it to add any veggies or swap out the dressing to your liking.

Table of contents

1. Why You’ll Love This Classic Garden Salad Recipe
2. Simple ingredients for the garden salad
3. How to make a garden salad
4. Tips for making the best vegetable garden salad
5. Popular substitutions and additions
6. What goes well with a fresh garden salad?
7. Here’s how to store your garden salad and dressing
8. frequently asked Questions
9. More salad recipes:
10. Fresh garden salad recipe

A simple salad recipe using all your favorite ingredients is an easy way to add more nutritious veggies to your meals and add some texture to your plate. Enjoy this fresh house salad recipe anytime, for any reason!

Why You’ll Love This Classic Garden Salad Recipe

• Quick and easy dish. Garden salads are the ultimate meal for busy days. All you have to do is chop up your veggies, make a simple dressing, and toss it all together. You can add a protein like grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp to make it a complete meal.
• So fresh and full of good ingredients. Raw vegetables in a light, refreshing dressing offer different textures and flavors in every bite while providing many nutritional benefits. Leafy greens and leafy greens are rich in vitamins, beta-carotene, fiber and folic acid and are naturally low in calories.
• An everyday salad. The name says it all! This side salad is a treat with any meal, whether as a quick lunch, an appetizer for dinner, or as a side dish.

Simple ingredients for the garden salad

• Romaine: Romaine lettuce adds crispness and a slightly bitter taste to garden salads. Look for heads that are tight and densely packed with crisp green leaves.
• Vegetables: For my garden salad, I used cherry tomatoes, red onions, Persian cucumbers, and shredded carrots, but feel free to mix and match your veggies based on your preference or what you have on hand.
• Dressing: For an easy garden salad dressing, I chose light and flavorful ingredients consisting of olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper. I like to make my own salad dressings, but you can use store-bought if you prefer.

How to make a garden salad

1. After chopping and slicing the veggies, layer in a bowl or divide into 4 individual serving bowls.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad.
4. Swirl to combine and serve immediately. If not serving immediately, wait until you’ve added the dressing.

Tips for making the best vegetable garden salad

1. Cut vegetables into similar sizes. For the perfect bite, your fork should have a little bit of each vegetable. If you need help slicing the veggies, check out my instructions for slicing carrots, onions, and tomatoes. They are quick and easy to follow!
2. Add dressing just before serving. Wait until the last step to mix the dressing into the salad to keep your veggies crispy. If you add it too early, your salad and some of the veggies may become mushy or wilted.
3. Use a salad spinner. After washing your veggies, it’s a good idea to spin them quickly or pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess water. Make sure the dressing sticks to the veggies and doesn’t get watered down.

Popular substitutions and additions

• Choose fresh and colorful vegetables. To prepare your salad, pick different colorful vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and carrots.
• Change your lettuce. While I love using romaine lettuce, there are so many options to choose from, and each one has its own unique flavor and texture. Try any of these common vegetables for your fresh garden salad: arugula, bibb, butter, spinach, iceberg, or green leaf lettuce. Better yet, you can grab a spring mix that includes a handful of different types of lettuce in one container.
• Add toppings. This house salad is perfect for a quick and easy recipe, but you can add whatever you like! Try some of these salad topping ideas:
  • Nuts and Seeds: roasted nuts, candied nuts, roasted sunflower seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds
  • Fruit: diced apples, sliced ​​strawberries, sliced ​​oranges, diced dragon fruit and more fruit ideas.
  • Cheese: shredded cheddar or other shredded cheese, crumbled feta, goat cheese, or blue cheese.
  • Crunchy topping: Croutons or crispy chickpeas
• Add a protein. For a more filling and satisfying meal, top your garden salad with chicken, tofu, chickpeas, boiled eggs, or steak.

What goes well with a fresh garden salad?

Here’s how to store your garden salad and dressing

It is best to keep the vegetables and dressing separate until ready to serve. Make sure your veggies are dry and stored in an airtight container. A zippered pouch that squeezes out excess air keeps your veggies extra crispy. Store the dressing in a separate container or jar in the refrigerator.

How long do salad ingredients keep in the fridge?

You can store your salad with vegetables in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. After that, they will likely become mushy and watery and should be discarded.

frequently asked Questions

Both easy and delicious, this garden salad recipe is perfect for any day of the week. The light vinaigrette dressing complements any combination of fresh vegetables or protein you choose to add. With endless possibilities, I hope this recipe inspires you to create your own unique take on an everyday garden salad!

More salad recipes:

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