This green garden salad with vinaigrette is a classic side dish that can easily accompany any entree you may be serving for lunch or dinner! It is packed with fresh veggies that you can customize to suit your preferences. The salad and dressing are both ready to go in just a few minutes, so it can be a quick addition to any meal!
Easy Green Garden Salad With Vinaigrette
Is there anything more versatile than a simple side salad? It only takes a couple of minutes to make (along with the vinaigrette), but it tastes incredibly fresh and delicious!
Feel free to customize it with any of your favorite additions and then pair it with practically any main course! It's the perfect way to round out any meal.
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Take a look at my collection of easy and delicious salad recipes for more ideas!
🥘 Green Garden Salad Ingredients
You'll definitely want to have some fresh veggies on hand for this salad! Feel free to go through your fridge or pantry and add anything else that sounds tasty, too!
Green Garden Salad
- Lettuce - 1 small head of iceberg lettuce or other variety of lettuce, chopped.
- Cherry Tomatoes - 1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved.
- Cucumber - 1 medium cucumber, sliced.
- Carrot - 1 medium carrot that has been peeled and then grated. Of course, you could also use store-bought grated carrots.
- Chives (optional) - 1 teaspoon of sliced chives.
Vinaigrette
- Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (or use an apple cider vinegar substitute).
- Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Dijon Mustard - ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard (or try a Dijon mustard substitute).
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Green Garden Salad
There is pretty much nothing easier than whipping up this fresh salad! All you need is a cutting board, a knife, a large serving bowl, and a bowl for whisking together your vinaigrette.
This recipe will make enough salad for 4 servings.
- Prepare the salad. Place all of your salad ingredients into a large bowl: 1 chopped head (539 grams) of iceberg lettuce, 1 cup (149 grams) of halved cherry tomatoes, 1 medium (201 grams) sliced cucumber, 1 medium (61 grams) grated carrot, and 1 teaspoon (1 gram) of chives.
- Make the dressing. In a bowl or jar, combine 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons (44 milliliters) of olive oil, ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) of Dijon mustard, and ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) of both salt and pepper.
- Toss. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.
- Serve. Portion the salad into individual servings and serve immediately.
🍴 What To Serve With Garden Salad
This side salad pairs well with practically anything! Serve it as a side dish for some Monterey chicken, grilled pork rib tips, or peanut butter chicken! Enjoy!
📖 Add Ins & Variations
There are no rules when it comes to this simple green garden salad! You can easily add some texture by tossing in some chopped nuts or crunchy croutons. Up the protein by adding leftover cooked chicken, deli meat, or diced ham.
You could even make it heartier by adding some cooked and cooled grains, like quinoa or rice! The options are limitless!
| Proteins | Veggies | Nuts/Seeds | Cheese | Croutons/Grains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Chicken | Lettuce | Almonds | Feta | Croutons |
| Tofu | Spinach | Sunflower Seeds | Parmesan | Quinoa |
| Tuna | Tomatoes | Pumpkin Seeds | Cheddar | Couscous |
| Eggs | Cucumbers | Walnuts | Blue Cheese | Brown Rice |
| Shrimp | Carrots | Chia Seeds | Mozzarella | Whole grain bread |
| Steak | Bell Peppers | Flax Seeds | Goat Cheese | Pasta |
| Ham | Olives | Pecans | Gorgonzola | Bulgar Wheat |
| Bacon | Onions | Cashews | Ricotta | Barley |
| Salmon | Radishes | Sesame Seeds | Swiss | Wild Rice |
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- You can easily customize your salad with any of your favorite additions! Try adding some shredded cheese, sliced red onion, sliced bell pepper, diced avocado, croutons, or chopped deli meat.
- Add a small amount of sugar, honey, or maple syrup (choose only one) to your dressing if you want a touch of sweetness.
- If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you could use white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or any of your preferred varieties. Some types are stronger than others, so you may need to adjust your oil as well.
🥡 Storing
This salad is best when enjoyed immediately. However, you can store the salad and dressing separately in the fridge in a sealed container. The salad will last for a couple of days, and the dressing will be good for up to 4-5 days.
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❓ FAQ
A garden salad features lettuce and fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, or onions. It is usually served as a side dish and can also contain cheese or protein.
You can use the simple homemade vinaigrette that I've prepared here, or use your favorite kind! It's very versatile and will taste amazing with any type of dressing you like. Try it with some Italian dressing, ranch, blue cheese dressing, honey mustard, Catalina dressing, Southwest dressing, or anything you might already have on hand!
Sure! You can easily whip up your salad the day before you need it and store it in the fridge. However, I recommend holding off on adding the salad dressing until just before serving.
🥗 More Easy Salad Recipes
- Creamy Grape Salad - This mouthwatering salad uses both red and green grapes in a creamy dressing and then is topped with brown sugar and pecans.
- Ambrosia Salad - A creamy fruit-based dessert salad that is amazingly refreshing.
- Caesar Salad - Traditional Caesar salad features romaine lettuce, croutons, and Parmesan cheese with homemade Caesar dressing.
- Lobster Salad - Tender chunks of lobster are mixed together with celery, chives, and mayonnaise.
- Potato Salad - Classic potato salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics, and cookouts.
- Greek Pasta Salad - Chilled pasta is tossed with kalamata olives, red onion, artichokes, tomatoes, and Greek dressing.
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📋 Recipe
Green Garden Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 head iceberg lettuce (or other variety of lettuce, chopped)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved, or grape tomatoes)
- 1 medium cucumber (sliced)
- 1 medium carrot (peeled and grated)
- 1 teaspoon chives (sliced, optional)
Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper
Instructions
- Place all of your salad ingredients into a large bowl: 1 head iceberg lettuce, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 medium cucumber, 1 medium carrot, and 1 teaspoon chives.1 head iceberg lettuce, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 medium cucumber, 1 medium carrot, 1 teaspoon chives
- In a bowl or jar, combine 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, and ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper.1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.
- Portion the salad into individual servings and serve immediately.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- You can easily customize your salad with any of your favorite additions! Try adding some shredded cheese, sliced red onion, sliced bell pepper, diced avocado, croutons, or chopped deli meat.
- Add a small amount of sugar, honey, or maple syrup (choose only one) to your dressing if you want a touch of sweetness.
- If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you could use white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or any of your preferred varieties. Some types are stronger than others, so you may need to adjust your oil as well.
- To store: This salad is best when enjoyed immediately. However, you can store the salad and dressing separately in the fridge in a sealed container. The salad will last for a couple of days and the dressing will be good for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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