Simple Green Salad
Simple Green Salad
The basic green salad remains a staple because it’s fresh, quick, easy, and even healthy; it doesn’t even really require whisking up vinaigrette, though of course using one instead of the oil, vinegar, and seasonings listed here won’t hurt.
The basic green salad remains a staple because it’s fresh, quick, easy, and even healthy; it doesn’t even really require whisking up vinaigrette, though of course using one instead of the oil, vinegar, and seasonings listed here won’t hurt.
Ingredients
- 6 cups torn assorted greens, like mesclun or any lettuce
- About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- About 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ideas for Simple Green Salad
- Omit the oil or minimize the vinegar (either way, it’ll still be good).
- Substitute any good but flavorful oil, like walnut, hazelnut, or dark sesame. (Use less at first, because these are stronger than olive oil.)
- Add tomatoes, in quarters or eighths; you might want to remove their seeds first but it isn’t essential. Best with balsamic vinegar.
- Add freshly grated or shaved Parmesan.
Easy upgrades you can make to many salads
Add chopped vegetables. Add chopped (pitted) olives.
Add chopped shallot, onion, scallion, or leek or minced garlic (just a little bit).
Add chopped or sliced Hard-Boiled Egg or top with one or more Poached Eggs or peeled Soft-Boiled Eggs
Add crumbled blue or any other cheese. Add any nuts or seeds, chopped if necessary.
Add sliced pears, apples, oranges, or other fruit.
Add diced Roasted Red (or yellow) Peppers or capers or anchovies.
Use more intensely flavored greens: arugula, watercress, endive, radicchio, frisée, escarole, etc.
Sprinkle with crumbled cooked bacon