A mixed garden salad is a fresh starter or main for every day meals. Fresh greens, garden vegetables, and lemon dijon vinaigrette are all you need for a crisp side for all your meals.
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Fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion come together with a light dressing in minutes. Clean, crisp, and easy to serve as a side or add protein for a full meal.
My Favorite Salad
A green salad works with just about any meal. It can be a simple side, a light lunch, or something you put out for a crowd.
Most nights, I'll add hard boiled eggs, chicken, or sliced steak and call it dinner. Other times, I make a big bowl with lots of chopped vegetables and top it with boiled shrimp or tuna salad.
Lately, this has been the base of a lot of my meals. I make a full batch and divide it into a few containers for the week.
In the morning, I'll have it with a smoked salmon omelet. For lunch, I'll add sardines or tuna. At dinner, a piece of steak on top turns it into a full meal.
Before You Get Started
Salad is one of the easiest things to make at home. It's healthy, and a good salad always has a place on my table.
A lot of people save salads for restaurants. Either it feels like too much work, or it just doesn't taste the same at home.
Once you get a few basics down, you'll start making salads like this all the time.
- Prep the lettuce: Tear into bite-size pieces and dry well with paper towels or a salad spinner.
- Dry your greens: Wet lettuce waters everything down.
- Season with salt: This brings the vegetables to life.
- Use good olive oil: You'll taste the difference. You may have to kiss a few frogs before you find one you like.
- Cut vegetables evenly: Bite-size pieces give you a good mix in every forkful.
- Toss right before serving: Keeps everything crisp and fresh.
Best Lettuce for a Mixed Green Salad
The lettuce is the base, so choose one you like or mix a few together.
Pre-washed greens in those big containers at the grocery store make this easy and save time.
- Romaine: Adds crunch and holds up well with dressing. Use the lighter inner leaves and skip the tough outer ones.
- Butter lettuce: Soft and delicate with a mild flavor.
- Iceberg: Extra crisp with a clean, mild bite.
- Spring mix: Adds variety and a little more flavor.
Other good options include arugula, green or red leaf, radicchio, endive, and baby spinach.
If your greens are wet, dry them well before adding dressing. This keeps the salad crisp and prevents it from getting watered down.
Ingredients
Makes 4 side salads
- Mixed greens (romaine, butter lettuce, iceberg, or spring mix)
- Sliced cucumbers
- Grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- Thinly sliced red onion
Optional toppings: avocado slices, shredded carrots, radishes, black olives, shaved Parmesan, toasted walnuts, cheddar cheese, and green onions.
Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
Makes about ⅓ cup
This recipe can easily be doubled. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic clove
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Honey
- Fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, oregano, dill, etc.)
- Extra virgin olive oil
How To Make a Mixed Garden Salad
For The Dressing
- Add the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, honey, and thyme to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.
- You can also add everything to a jar, seal it, and shake well, or blend in a blender until smooth.
For The Salad
- Wash and dry your greens well. Tear into bite sized pieces.
- Add greens to a large bowl.
- Scatter in cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion.
- Drizzle with dressing. Start light. You can always add more.
- Toss gently until coated.
- Plate and finish with any extras like avocado or grated cheese.
Storage
Store the salad undressed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Keep the dressing separate so the greens stay crisp.
For extra freshness, place a lightly damp paper towel in the container to help keep the greens from drying out.
Dressing: Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Shake or whisk before using. If it firms up, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then shake again.
Serving Suggestions
This garden salad works with just about anything. It's also good on its own when you want something light.
FAQ
Yes, add a protein like chicken, steak, shrimp, or fish and it becomes a full meal. The salad works as a base, and you can build it out depending on what you have.
Yes. Iceberg lettuce adds a clean, crisp bite and works well in a mixed salad. It doesn't have as much flavor as other greens, so it's best combined with romaine, butter lettuce, or spring mix.
Yes. A garden salad is a great way to use fresh vegetables from the farmer's market. The flavor is usually better, and you can mix in whatever is in season.
You can prep the ingredients ahead, but wait to add the dressing until right before serving. This keeps the greens crisp.
A simple vinaigrette works best. Olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and a little mustard are all you need.
Mixed Garden Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- 6 cups mixed greens
- ½ cup sliced cucumbers
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Add lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, honey, and fresh herbs to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking until smooth or add everything to a jar and shake well.
Make the salad
- Wash and dry greens well. Tear into bite-sized pieces.
- Add to a large bowl with cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion.
- Drizzle with dressing and toss gently.
Notes
- Salad: Store the salad undressed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the dressing separate so the greens stay crisp.
- Dressing: Store the dressing in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Shake or whisk before using. If it firms up in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then shake again.
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