Savor a leafy salad that’s simple to make, yet delightful to taste, with classic fixings like cucumber, tomato, and onion.
With a bright base of mixed greens, this luscious green salad takes classic fixings and harmonizes them just right with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Made in three simple steps and just ten minutes, green salad can be your go-to dish when you’re in a pinch for time.
Dinner, lunch, and even brunch would be blessed by this salad. It’s easy to toss together, and highly customizable for picky eaters or particular diets. Green salad is one of my favorite lunches to make after I get home from my morning job, and it never fails to satisfy, especially when I add some nuts or pumpkin seeds for protein. That’s the beauty of a green salad: you can add almost any ingredient and it still stands strong.
Is Green Salad Healthy?
Green salad is super healthy, with a rich balance of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Feta cheese even packs a small dose of protein, which you could amplify by adding toasted walnuts or crunchy Air-Fryer Chickpeas. The balsamic vinaigrette is also a much lighter dressing than some creamier options like ranch, which is higher in fat. This recipe is also gluten-free, low-carb and can be made dairy-free by using a plant-based feta.
What Exactly Are “Mixed Greens”?
As the name implies, there are many different kinds of leafy greens mixed into one salad blend, and the mixes are not always consistent across the board. Depending on what’s available at the time your salad mix is harvested, there could be any ratio of the following: baby lettuces, spinach, arugula, chicory, chard, and/or radicchio.
Personally, this is one of my favorite salad mixes because it offers a wide range of textures and subtle flavors to play with. Some leaves, for example, are more bitter than others, like spinach or arugula. Baby lettuces, on the other hand, can sometimes be sweet. With such a diverse blend as its base, this green salad can be sweetly savored on its own or alongside your favorite main.
How to make ahead and store
To prepare this salad ahead of time, prep and store each ingredient in its own separate container in the fridge. Make sure the dressing especially stays in its own container, so the fixings don’t get soggy. Store for 1-2 days before assembling the salad and serving it. Salad that’s already been dressed can be stored in a bag or airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days as well, but the fresher you eat it, the better.
Serving Suggestions
Other than the options we already explored, there are so many ways to serve this salad, it’s radicchio-lous! Enjoy it as a main for lunch with a side of Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Fries or Falafel.
Alternatively, serve green salad as a side to any of your favorite mains. Here are some of my ideal meals: Thai Veggie Burgers with Curry, Mint Grilled Sweet Potato Wraps, or Butternut Squash Risotto. For a heartier, meaty selection, try Alton Brown Shepherd’s Pie, Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes, or Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli.
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1 cucumber thinly-sliced
- 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly-sliced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
- Wash and dry the mixed greens.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed greens, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.
- Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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