Favorite Everyday Salad
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When it comes to a quick side dish, my Favorite Everyday Salad is such a great go-to. It’s so easy to throw together and is perfect for any occasion.
You can serve this salad as a quick weeknight side dish to go with my Rotini Lasagna or my Pesto Gnocchi Chicken, throw your favorite protein on top for a full meal (my Roast Chicken or Mediterranean Salmon both go great with it!), or take it to your next get-together of you’re in charge of salad!
Plus, the best part about my favorite everyday salad is how customizable it is. You can easily swap things out or add in extra toppings depending on what’s in your fridge.
The real star of the show is this fresh and flavorful homemade champagne vinegar shallot dressing. It comes together in just minutes and is not only perfect for this salad but also delicious on vegetables, fish, and chicken.
If you’re looking for a go-to salad that’s anything but bland, you’ve got to try this one!
Table Talk with Tawnie
This salad is what my husband and I call our “Graham House Salad”. It’s our go-to salad that we always make for guests, dinner parties, or when we want a nice side salad at home. It’s become such a staple that our friends and family are always asking us to bring it as the salad option for get-togethers.
But it’s not just the salad we love. We make this champagne vinegar shallot dressing weekly and will also use it on veggies, fish, chicken, pretty much anything! It’s so incredibly fresh and easy to make, so we always have it stocked in our fridge!
- Lettuce: Use any combination of lettuce you like. You can use spring mix, red butter leaf/baby butter lettuce, arugula, etc. I love to use a blend of different lettuces for different taste and textures.
- Ciliegine cheese: These are the little balls of fresh mozzarella cheese. If you don’t want to do mozzarella, I just recommend sticking to some type of fresh cheese (the pre-shredded kind just doesn’t taste the same!)
- Nuts: We love to add pine nuts or sunflower seeds for a little added crunch. If I’m really feeling fancy, I’ll toss the pine nuts in a dry skillet and toast them for a few minutes to really bring out the nutty flavor.
- Oil and vinegar: Make sure to choose a good quality extra-virgin olive oil! A few I love are Cobram Estate, Brightland and Graza! I’m telling you, nothing can make or break a salad dressing like the quality of the olive oil and champagne vinegar.
- Freshly minced shallots: The fresh shallots bring a subtle onion-garlic flavor that perfectly complements the brightness of the champagne vinegar. The minced shallots melt seamlessly into the dressing, adding depth and a hint of sharpness without overpowering the other ingredients.
Step-by-Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Add ingredients to salad bowl
Start by adding the washed lettuce to a large salad bowl and toss with some salt and pepper. Then top with the rest of your salad ingredients.
Make the dressing
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined.
Dress & toss
Pour salad dressing on top of salad and toss.
Enjoy!
Serve and enjoy!! I love to add a little extra dressing to my salad once served because it’s just so fresh and delicious!😍
Expert Tips
- Dry lettuce: Make sure to dry your lettuce really well after washing. I like to wash my lettuce well, dry it with paper towels, then run it through my salad spinner to make sure I get all the excess water off. If your lettuce is still wet, the dressing will have a hard time sticking and it can make your salad soggy.
- Chop veggies evenly: I recommend dicing all your veggies small and evenly. I like to dice them small so you get tons of flavor and texture in each bite. If you have a vegetable chopper, this is a great recipe to use it for to make chopping super quick and easy. But if you don’t, a good ol’ cutting board and knife work just as well!
- Serving suggestions: Serve this salad alongside your favorite entrees like my Sheet Pan Maple-Dijon Chicken, Creamy Red Roasted Pasta, or Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
Variations / Substitutions
- More veggies: Feel free to add in any of your favorite salad veggies—cucumbers, carrots, red cabbage, beets, etc.
- Dried cranberries: For a little extra sweetness, toss some dried cranberries or any other dried fruit on top.
- Protein: To make this salad a complete entree, top with your favorite protein, such as chicken, steak, shrimp, or salmon.
- Grains: For a heartier salad, you can add your favorite grain like farro, quinoa, crispy rice, or a small pasta like orzo.
Storage
The dressing will stay fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks (if it lasts that long!).
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Favorite Everyday Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 10 oz. spring mix (red butter leaf/baby butter lettuce, arugula, etc (really any combination of lettuce you like))
- 8 oz. ciliegine cheese (little mini mozz balls!)
- 2 large avocado (diced)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)
- 1 red bell pepper (seeded and diced small)
- ½ red onion (diced small)
- ½ cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds (plus more as desired)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Dressing:
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil (choose a good quality!)
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. finley minced shallots
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)
- 1-2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 tsp. dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder (or ½ tsp. minced garlic)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Add lettuce to salad bowl: Place washed lettuce in a large salad bowl and toss with some salt and pepper.10 oz. spring mix
- Place all ingredients on top: Add all remaining salad ingredients to the lettuce.8 oz. ciliegine cheese, 2 large avocado, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, ½ red onion, ½ cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds, salt and pepper
- Make the dressing: Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk until combined. You can also add all the ingredients to a sealed jar and shake until combined. Taste and adjust – adding more salt and pepper, a little vinegar for more tang, a touch more honey for sweetness, etc.¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup champagne vinegar, 2 Tbsp. finley minced shallots, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1-2 Tbsp. honey, 2 tsp. dijon mustard, ¼ tsp. garlic powder, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Dress and toss: Dress the salad with the desired amount of dressing and toss until combined.
- Serve and enjoy!!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photos by Megan McKeehan of The Broke Girl Table
Made the salad for dinner. I made a double batch of dressing and marinated chicken and then grilled on my blackstone. Yummy combo. Adding it to the meal rotation – perfect for summer. I’ll probably make it again this weekend. I’ve made so so so so many of your recipes in the past few months EVERY ONE is delicious! 🙂
Thank you sooo much Kelly! This comment just made my morning 🙂 so happy you liked it!
Just made this for lunch and everyone loved it! You never disappoint.
Aw I am soo glad, thank you!! 🙂