Garden Salad Fresh Vegetables (Printable Version)
Fresh seasonal vegetables with light vinaigrette dressing
# What You Need:
→ Fresh Vegetables
01 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, arugula, spinach)
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cucumber, sliced
04 - 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
05 - 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
→ Dressing
07 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
09 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
10 - 1/2 tsp honey (optional)
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Optional Additions
12 - 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
13 - 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
# How-To:
01 - Wash and dry all vegetables thoroughly under cold water. Remove any damaged leaves from greens and pat dry with clean towels or use a salad spinner.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed salad greens, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, shredded carrot, thinly sliced red onion, and sliced red bell pepper.
03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey (if using), salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until fully emulsified and thickened.
04 - Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette over the vegetable mixture. Using clean hands or salad tongs, toss gently but thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated with dressing.
05 - Top with crumbled feta cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds if desired. Serve immediately while vegetables remain crisp and dressing is fresh.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The dressing comes together in seconds but tastes like you spent forever thinking about balance
- You can toss in whatever vegetables are looking at you from the crisper drawer
- The crunch of fresh vegetables next to something warm from the oven is exactly what dinner should be
02 -
- Dry greens are not negotiable, dressing slides right off wet leaves and you end up with a puddle at the bottom of the bowl
- The dressing needs to hit the vegetables before they sit too long, salt draws out moisture and wilts everything faster than you'd expect
03 -
- Toast extra pumpkin seeds and keep them in a jar, suddenly every salad feels like restaurant quality
- Taste a leaf of lettuce before you dress the whole bowl, if it's bitter or tired no amount of dressing will fix it