Simple Green Salad (Printable)

Crisp mixed greens with cucumber, cherry tomatoes and a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette—ready in 10 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Greens

01 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, arugula, spinach, or butter lettuce)

→ Fresh Vegetables

02 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Vinaigrette

04 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
06 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
07 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

09 - 2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives or parsley

# Steps:

01 - Rinse and dry the salad greens thoroughly. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
02 - Incorporate thinly sliced cucumber and halved cherry tomatoes into the bowl.
03 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
04 - Drizzle vinaigrette over the greens and vegetables. Gently toss to ensure even coating.
05 - Sprinkle chopped chives or parsley on top. Serve immediately to maintain crispness.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The bite of Dijon in the vinaigrette is a bright little secret that makes every forkful sing.
  • No other salad has rescued my empty-fridge nights as refreshingly or as fast as this green bowl.
02 -
  • If the greens aren’t thoroughly dried, the dressing slips right off and leaves the salad bland—I learned this after a watery flop my first try.
  • Letting the vinaigrette sit a minute before tossing melds the flavors; it was a happy accident the day I got distracted mid-cooking.
03 -
  • Layering greens with the heaviest toppings last keeps everything fluffy—no more squashed lettuce at the bottom.
  • Letting kids or guests help with the tossing is a sneaky way to get everyone excited about eating salad.

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