The Everyday Salad

I call this the “Everyday Salad” because I quite literally have it almost every day. It never ceases to satisfy us with its wonderful flavor, texture, and versatility. It is the perfect base for pretty much anything you want to put on top — seasonal fruit, fresh veggies, salmon, chicken, chickpeas, or lentils are my go-tos.

There’s a few key things to keep in mind when making a salad to ensure that it will taste delicious:

1. Fresh lettuce: If you get your lettuce at the farmer’s market, you won’t regret it. The next best thing is to buy whole heads of lettuce at the local grocery store. Right when you get home from your shopping trip, wash each leaf of lettuce, and lay them out on a kitchen towel. Roll up the towel with the lettuce inside, and place in the vegetable drawer in your fridge. You will have fresh, clean, and crisp lettuce for at least a week!

2. Fresh herbs: If there’s one thing that changed my salad game, it’s the addition of fresh herbs. Flavor beyond belief. Trust me.

3. Texture: I love adding texture to my salads through the use of seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax) or chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, pistachios).

4. A good dressing: A good vinaigrette can make any salad taste better! I go between red wine vinegar, balsamic, and apple cider vinegar, but I always use a high quality olive oil, dijon, and minced shallot in my dressings.

The Everyday Salad

Ali Beck | April 16, 2020

• prep time: 5 min.
• total time: 5 min.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 head fresh lettuce (red leaf and butter lettuce are my favorites)
• 1/2 apple, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. finely chopped fresh herbs (mint and basil are my favorites)
• 1/4 c. pickled red onions
• 1/4 c. seeds or chopped nuts (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios)
• 1 oz. goat cheese
• Optional: chickpeas, lentils, salmon, or roasted chicken for protein

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1-2 tsp. maple syrup
• 1 small shallot, minced

Instructions:

1. Tear clean lettuce into a large salad bowl. Thinly slice the apple and carrot, and finely chop the fresh herbs. Add the apple, carrot, herbs, seeds, goat cheese, pickled red onions, and other optional toppings to the salad bowl.
2. Mince the shallot, and whisk together the shallot and the rest of the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar or small bowl.
3. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and serve!