Presenting my old-school Garden Salad! Yep, the one I can make any day because I always have these vegetables on hand. Sometimes, I even get real fancy and add a sprinkle of parsley. 😳
There really are no rules when it comes to a Garden Salad. Any greens and any vegetables will do, all tied together with a classic and simple salad dressing. Make this your own!
My Garden Salad
Ordinarily I write an introduction about the recipe I’m sharing. But I find myself stuck to come up with something witty or some back story about Garden Salad.
I wish I could say this salad is made with crisp organic vegetables fresh from my garden. I want to be able to tell you that this was the only salad my hardworking mother knew how to make when I was growing up and thus has a special place carved in my heart.
I want to at least be able tell you that this version is the definitive, the classic, the original, the real-deal garden salad.
But I have nothing. No authority on this matter, and no sentimental backstory. This is just my basic everyday salad that I make “all the time”, for no other reason than it’s made with the most pedestrian of veggies that always seem to find their way into my shopping basket, week after week!
No doubt you make a similar salad, as does the majority of households in the country. Garden Salad: the great leveller! 😂
What goes in my Garden Salad
So, that said and done, here are the typical things that I put in my Garden Salad.
Well, I won’t lie. Iceberg lettuce doesn’t always make my shopping trolley these days because it just seems so, well, eighties! 😂 It is quite regular when in season though because it’s crunchy, sweet and frankly pretty damned delicious even if it’s about as fashionable as a giant, hair sprayed perm. If not iceberg lettuce, I’ll always have some form of leafy greens in my fridge.
Garden Salad Dressing
The dressing I use is my basic salad dressing: 1 part vinegar to 3 parts olive oil, thickened with Dijon Mustard so it emulsifies and clings to the salad better, simply seasoned with salt and pepper.
There’s all sorts of extra flavouring options available to you if you want to upgrade your Garden Salad, including garlic, lemon zest, dried or fresh herbs. And I’ve listed some suggestions in the recipe notes.
But at its core, this is the basic salad dressing that I use “all the time”.
And that, my friends, is all I have to say about my Garden Salad.
Gee, I wish all recipes I shared could be this short and to the point! 😂 – Nagi x
PS. No video for the 3 simple side salads I’m sharing today! (This Garden Salad, a Blood Orange Salad and Panzanella – Italian bread salad). But if you really want a Garden Salad recipe video, shout out below!
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Garden Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 small head iceberg lettuce or other lettuce or leafy greens , chopped into big bite size pieces (5 to 6 big handfuls)
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (~125g/4oz), or 2 tomatoes cut into wedges or chunks
- 1 cucumber , sliced (medium Lebanese / Persian cucumber, or 1/2 long Telegraph/English cucumber)
- 1 carrot , peeled and grated using a box grater
- 1 tsp parsley or chives , very finely chopped (if you’re feeling fancy!)
Dressing:
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar (or any vinegar or lemon juice) (Note 1)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard (or other non spicy smooth mustard)
- 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Dressing: Shake Dressing in a jar. Taste and adjust – more oil for creamier/less tang, vinegar for more tang, sugar if you want touch of sweet.
- Toss: Place all Salad ingredients in a big bowl. Pour over Dressing. Toss well.
- Serve: Transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
- Apple cider vinegar (my most used)
- White wine vinegar (2nd most used, use a touch more as it’s milder)
- Balsamic
- Red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, champagne vinegar
- Plain white vinegar (most sharp, so you may need touch more oil)
- Rice wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- Sugar or honey can take the sharp edge off dressings without using more oil. Don’t use BOTH, use one!
- Dried or fresh herbs
- Lemon zest
Life of Dozer
His big head always pops over with interest whenever he hears the rustle of a paper bag in the front seat…
I have made this salad many many times. But …. The dressing I have made so many more times. Love Nagi’s recipes. So beautiful. Not pretentious. Bug flavour. Love them. And Love Dozer too xxx
LOVE LOVE LOVE any and all garden salads but they have to have thinly sliced red onion. And lots of it.
Good luck with the Salad viewing Win! Looks yummy.
I really need a video! Please??? With red onion in it…..
Nagi, I’ll admit a Garden salad is def my go to easy, refreshing salad to accompany lots of meals BUT it has to include some red onion😎
I’m saving my grape tomatoes for a Greek Salad, but my vine-ripes cut in chunks work fine here. I like thin-sliced onions, also. Romaine is my leafy green-of-choice. And I love using my basil EVOO in the dressing, along with pressed garlic and za’atar (one of my obsessions). I wonder if I could get away with smoked paprika, too (another obsession).
One minor point: I remember my husband doing perms in his hair salon. Perms make hair very curly. I don’t recall hairspray ever being used. I think what you meant to say was “a giant hairsprayed beehive.” For more perm expertise I refer you to Elle Woods, in Legally Blonde, during her examination of Chutney. LOL
Nagi, this is the salad we grew up with! I have my own version of the dressing, which changes at whim, but the ingredients are the same…anything goes!! The other two are good, but Garden Salad can’t be beat!
xo to Dozer!!
No, don’t need a video… Simple, comforting and the one to make when you have nothing at all in the cupboards… Stuff to make this is always at hand and soooooo good!!!
Love this salad very similar to one I make. I add a little maple syrup to my dressing.
Do enjoy receiving all your emails. Thank you from Canada.
I eat a LOT of salad, turning to ‘clean eating’ several years ago. Garden salad…winner winner.
My version: mixed leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, beets, avo, chickpeas, mixed seeds. Dressings: oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
Garden Salad An Old Favourite but so quick to add to any meal.
Nagi your email recipe’s are always fondly awaited.
This is similar to mine, I usually use a bit of honey in place of sugar and a little dried tarragon
Love Garden Salad and the dressing is great
Perfect everyday salad. I do add radishes once in a while or red onion. I like the dressing too. Must have crackers with my salad.
why do my garden salads never looks as enticing as yours?
Garden salad👏👏. Love the flexibility with its ingredients or what it is supportive of in a meal!
Hope they make you a garden salad when you win Nagi!
You’re the best Nagi I will only view this garden salad ten times.
Garden salad is always my go to salad. Love the idea of grating the carrot as I usually finely chop it. Keep the salads coming 😀
Garden salad is a definite winner. Over the last year have reverted to buying iceberg lettuce, with just the two of us it lasts for ages. Love the idea about grating carrot as I usually try cutting it up finely.