Garden Green Salad
This Classic Garden Green Salad Recipe is the easiest salad to make and pairs perfectly with pretty much anything! Crispy, fresh with a sticky vinaigrette
This salad is something everyone should know how to make at a pinch. The great thing is, you can use anything at hand to make your salad. Your favorite crunchy, crispy salad ingredients come together to make the ultimate fresh side that compliments meat and vegetable dishes.
My recipe comes complete with an easy to make sticky vinaigrette, pecans, crispy cos lettuce, cucumber, and more yummy salad ingredients. But you can totally make it your own!
If you love this Easy Green Salad, try my healthy Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe, Vietnamese Chicken Salad or my Greek Salad recipe! All great as sides or main meals!
Why you should know how to make a good Garden Green Salad
- Easy and quick – not to mention tasty!
- Versatile – you can use your favorite salad ingredients. It’s up to you!
- That sticky dressing! – you can use your favorite dressing with this salad. But I’ve paired this recipe with my favorite sticky salad dressing which makes this a classic tasting salad and so easy to dress!
Ingredients You Need To Make a Garden Green Salad
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
- Olive oil – I used extra virgin olive oil
- Date syrup – I love the flavor this brings. I found mine in the specialty food section of my supermarket. You can also find it at middle eastern supermarket. A good alternative is honey.
- Balsamic vinegar – for a brighter looking salad use red wine vinegar instead.
- Garlic clove – minced. Always use fresh!
- Salt and pepper – to taste!
- Cos lettuce – is a crispy salad leaf. You can use your favorite salad leaf. Make sure you wash each leaf well under running water as they can sometimes have hidden bugs or soil (nobody wants to bite into a wriggly bug!). I’d also recommend using a salad spinner to dry your salad leaves.
- Rocket – otherwise known as arugula in some countries adds a nice pepper taste to your salad. Plus combined with the cos lettuce it ads different shapes and shades of green. I love to use these two together.
- Radishes – optional, but my mum gave me radish from her garden when I made this recipe and I love the crunch and color it gives the salad.
- Cucumbers – I used Lebanese cucumbers but you can use continental cucumbers too.
- Pecans – I love the caramel flavor these give the salad, but a great alternative is walnuts. They’re so creamy!
- Mint – optional, but I love the almost Asian flavor these give and mint is an ingredient in my fave Asian salad Vietnamese Chicken Salad!
How to make a great Garden Green Salad
- Add all dressing ingredients into a jar with a lid
- Shake to combine. Set aside.
- Add all prepared salad ingredients into a bowl
- Mix together
- Dress, mix to coat
- Transfer to a serving plate and garnish
- Add more dressing before serving.
Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!
- Use any ingredients you like! – It’s totally up to you. Either way you’ll have a tasty salad.
- For a brighter salad – use red wine vinegar instead of balsamic vinegar in the dressing.
- Dress right before serving for a crispy salad that doesn’t go soggy.
- Core the cucumbers for a crispier cucumber in your salad!
- Sprinkle your favorite salad ingredients on top for a gourmet looking salad.
- Store the undressed salad ingredients in an airtight container, in the fridge for 2 days. Dress right before serving.
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My favorite salad recipes!
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Garden Green Salad
Serves 8 slices
Ingredients
Sticky Salad Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp date syrup or honey
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Pinch of salt
Salad
- 1 cos lettuce, washed, dried and chopped
- 4 cups / 100 g rocket (arugula), chopped
- 3 small radishes, sliced
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, de-seeded and sliced
- 1/2 cup / 50 g pecans, chopped
- handful mint, sliced
Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients. Wash and dry veggies.
Sticky Salad Dressing
- Add all the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar or bowl. Shake if in a jar to mix, or whisk to combine if in a bowl. Set aside.
Salad
- Add all the ingredients into a large bowl. Reserve some pecans and radishes. Add dressing right before you serve and use tongs to mix. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with more radishes and pecans before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
1 comment
Basic one, but so easy to make and can be served with pretty much anything! N x