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The garden salad is a crave-able and nostalgic side salad that’s a classic for a reason. Resemblant of a steakhouse side salad, this garden salad is crisp (all hail iceberg lettuce), refreshing and loaded with texture. Toss with a simple red-wine mustard vinaigrette, dip a chunk of crusty bread in olive oil, and dinner is done.
This is a garden salad, meaning it uses up a lot of garden ingredients like lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, and cucumber. But more than that, it also hits upon something that’s a target for most great recipes—nostalgia. One bite of this salad and you’ll be transported to that birthday dinner at the local steakhouse as a kid. Or you’ll be right back at the neighborhood cookout in the height of summer.
It’s a salad, but in the most delectable way possible, and in large part to the all-too-often overlooked crisp-king—iceberg lettuce.
Ingredients in Garden Salad
- Lettuce: For this salad we like to do a combination of iceberg lettuce, for crunch, and spring greens for color and tender texture. Use any leafy greens you like, we usually grab a mix of something, but spinach or arugula would be delicious too.
- Herbs: The combination of parsley and basil subtly elevate the salad without requiring much added work. Feel free to use a mix of whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. We also like dill, tarragon, thyme, and cilantro.
- Vegetables: To say this salad is versatile is an understatement. Use whatever fresh veggies are growing in the garden or that you have on hand. Here we’re using diced fresh tomatoes and cucumber, but shredded carrot, radish, thinly sliced snap peas, and celery would all be great options too. You can always swap the large diced tomatoes for cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
- Dried Cranberries: Every great salad needs just a bit of sweetness and we thought dried cranberries were classic for this salad. You can also use golden raisins, currants, or dried cherries.
- Cheese: Some wide shreds of an aged salty cheese like Parmesan cheese or pecorino cheese does wonders in this salad. A bit of the salty cheese loaded with umami flavors counteracts the tang of the dressing beautifully.
Garden Salad Dressing
For this recipe we prefer a hearty vinaigrette instead of something creamy or overly light. Our Mustard Vinaigrette is bold and flavorful thanks to the combination of red wine vinegar, garlic, shallot and whole grain mustard.
Test Kitchen Tips
- The vinaigrette can be made up to 5 days ahead of time.
- Leftovers of this salad do not store well, so we recommend pairing down the ingredients if serving less than 4 people.
- Be sure to taste the salad before serving! This is how you will know if you’ve added enough vinaigrette or if you need to finish with some salt and black pepper. Remember to season a salad like you do any cooked dish!
- If you want a little added crunch, consider adding toasted sliced almonds or croutons.
- For salads, we recommend removing the seeds and membranes of the tomatoes while dicing them to ensure the dressing doesn’t get watered down.
Variations and Add-Ins
For some added crunch, top this salad off with some homemade croutons or toasted nuts.
Instead of dried cranberries, add fresh diced apple. You could also swap in any other dried fruit like diced dried apricots, golden raisins, or tart dried cherries.
Leave the cheese off and use maple syrup in the vinaigrette to make this salad vegan.
Swap out the parsley and basil for any fresh herbs you have on hand. Chives, tarragon, cilantro, and mint are all great options.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
We don’t recommend prepping this entire salad ahead of time. Instead, prep some of the components and then assemble it right before serving.
You can wash and dry the salad greens up to 3 days ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container with a layer or two of paper towels in the refrigerator. You can learn more about storing greens here.
The cucumbers can be sliced up to 2 days ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
The vinaigrette can be made up to 4 days in advance and should be stored in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature and give it a good shake before drizzling over the salad.
Wait to dice the tomatoes and assemble the salad until right before serving.
Serve Garden Salad With
Garden Salad Recipe
Description
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Ingredients
Mustard Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1½ teaspoons honey
- 1 small clove garlic grated
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Salad
- 4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
- 4 cups spring greens
- 1 cup parsley leaves
- 8 basil leaves, chiffonade
- 2 large tomatoes, diced (about 2 ⅓ cups)
- 1¼ cups English cucumber, diced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup shaved of Parmesan or pecorino cheese*
Instructions
- For the mustard vinaigrette, add all vinaigrette ingredients to a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Secure lid and shake vigorously until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
- In a large serving bowl, toss iceberg, spring greens, parsley and basil together. Add tomatoes, cucumber, cranberries and half of the Parmesan. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette and toss gently to combine.
- Taste and adjust vinaigrette, salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
More Salad Recipes to Try
Dinner Salads
Easy Caesar Salad with Broiled Salmon
Side Salad
Asian Cabbage Salad
Dinner Salads
