This is my go to side salad that I make often, whether it’s for two people, four, six, or ten. A good side salad strikes a balance of ease and satisfaction, and this has become my old reliable for simple dinners at home and entertaining.
The Key Ingredient Is Kind of a Big Dill
The extra special little something that goes into this side salad is a handful of dill. All you have to do is roughly chop it or tear a few sprigs in. If you’re skeptical…did you know that dill is one of the main herbs in Ranch dressing?
Trust me on this one, it makes the salad taste a little special—special enough to make sure vegetables disappear on a weeknight or that dinner guests enjoy the greens as much as the main event.
I recently made this for friends alongside my Chicken Pot Pie, and it was the perfect lunch with tea! And I got follow-up texts asking for the recipe—not for the pot pie (too complicated), but the SALAD!
An Easygoing Salad
Once you assemble the vegetables—just enough for it to feel special, but not too many for it to feel cumbersome–an easy drizzle of white wine vinegar, olive oil, and a few pinches of flaky salt are all you need to add.
No need to make a dressing separately. Just dress and toss the salad right before you’re ready to serve it.
Tip: How I like to Cut Radishes (And Cucumbers!)
For quite some time, it’s been very popular to shave radishes and cucumbers paper thin for a salad, or cut them into attractive thin medallions that lay just so on the plate. But over time, I’ve realized I actually prefer to cut them into wedges.
They’re easier to grab with a fork, and I like getting a crunch in each bite. They also don’t get soggy quite so quickly, which can sometimes be a problem if you’re cooking for a larger party and you need a bit of extra time between making the salad and pulling together the last few bits and bobs of the meal.
My Favorite Boxed Salad Greens
Standing in front of a wall of boxed lettuce greens, there are so many choices! So here are the greens I reach for:
The easiest thing you can do to make this salad is just buy a classic box of spring mix, but I really like a crispy green leaf lettuce, like the baby ones they sell in the prewashed boxes.
Other options for more of a refreshing crunch are romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce. I also like a red leaf lettuce, radicchio, and frisée for color and crunch. Arugula adds a great pepperiness too. Watercress can be delicious as well.
What Vinegars Go Best
I have a personal preference for white wine vinegar. After all, this is a side salad, not the main event—so I like having a milder, lighter, not too acidic vinegar. Red wine vinegar works similarly.
You can use apple cider vinegar, though I find it has a slightly sharper, more acidic flavor. Balsamic vinegar is great too, but of course it does have a stronger flavor.
Let’s make this easy side salad!
Easy Side Salad Recipe Instructions
Pile your lettuce greens of choice into a large salad bowl, and pile the other vegetables (the carrots, radishes, shallow, tomatoes, cucumbers, and dill) on top in big blocks of color, or scatter them over the greens in layers.
Drizzle the white wine vinegar over the salad, and do the same with the extra-virgin olive oil. If you’re eyeballing, I do a few good swirls around the bowl for the extra-virgin olive oil and a few lighter swirls of the vinegar.
Sprinkle with a few pinches of flakey Maldon sea salt, crushing it between your fingers as you do. Toss and season to taste with more salt and/or vinegar.
Note!
If you’re looking to add some protein, well-drained chickpeas or cannellini beans work great. You can also just serve with a salmon filet, sliced chicken, or grilled shrimp over the top.
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Recipe
Our Go-To Side Salad
Ingredients
- 10 ounces salad greens
- 2 small/medium carrots (thinly sliced)
- 6-7 radishes (cut into wedges)
- 1 large shallot (thinly sliced)
- 10 cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 Persian cucumbers (or ½ English cucumber, sliced)
- ⅓ cup dill (lightly packed, roughly chopped or hand torn)
- 3-4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- A few pinches of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Pile your lettuce greens of choice into a large salad bowl, and pile the other vegetables (the carrots, radishes, shallow, tomatoes, cucumbers, and dill) on top in big blocks of color, or scatter them over the greens in layers.
- Drizzle the white wine vinegar over the salad, and do the same with the extra-virgin olive oil. If you’re eyeballing, I do a few good swirls around the bowl for the extra-virgin olive oil and a few lighter swirls of the vinegar. Sprinkle with a few pinches of flaky salt, crushing it between your fingers as you do. Toss and season to taste with more salt and/or vinegar.
