Simple Green Salad
This simple green salad recipe is the one I turn to again and again, whenever I need a quick side salad for dinner or a salad to share at a holiday get-together. It’s crisp, fresh and full of flavor in every bite!
I’ve been making this green salad recipe every day and I just can’t get enough! It’s everything you want in a salad: loads of healthy veggies, a tangy dressing, and flavor in every bite to keep you coming back for more.
Most nights, I serve a salad with dinner because it’s an easy way to add lots of fresh veggies into our meals. But the thing about green salads is that they can get boring. How can we combat the salad monotony? With a zippy dressing, tangy goat cheese, creamy avocado and juicy tomatoes! Plus crisp, crunchy cucumber and tender carrot ribbons. This salad has a fantastic combination of flavors and textures, and it takes just minutes to whip up on a busy weeknight.
I generally serve this as a side salad, but it can also be a meal on its own if you add some protein. Try Grilled Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Salmon or Hard Boiled Eggs.
What You’ll Need
Here’s my basic ingredient list for this green salad. Below you’ll find lots more ideas to keep your salads fresh and exciting!
- Greens: You can use any type of greens you prefer. I love to make this with crisp chopped romaine hearts. Sometimes I toss in a handful of baby arugula because I love its peppery bite. Mixed greens, baby spinach, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce and butter lettuce also work well. I typically shy away from iceberg lettuce in favor of more flavorful greens, but use what you love.
- Cucumber: I like to use English cucumbers because they have fewer seeds and a less bitter flavor than American cucumbers, plus their thin skin doesn’t require peeling.
- Tomatoes: Use halved cherry tomatoes or chopped whole tomatoes.
- Carrot: Shred it with a vegetable peeler to make thin, delicate ribbons, or chop it up for chunkier, crunchy pieces.
- Avocado: Any salad is better with avocado!
- Goat Cheese: A bit of creamy, tangy cheese is the special something that takes this salad to the next level. My favorite cheeses for salads are goat cheese and feta. Parmesan or a sharp cheddar would also be delicious.
- Salad Dressing: This everyday Vinaigrette Recipe is perfect with this salad, or dress the salad simply with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good quality balsamic vinegar – a trick I learned when I traveled to Italy.
How to Make a Salad: My Best Tips!
- If you’re making a homemade salad dressing, make the dressing first. You can even make most dressings up to a week ahead and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
- Wash your salad greens and dry them well. There’s nothing worse than a soggy salad! If you are using whole leaf lettuce, tear or chop it into bite-size pieces. Place the salad greens in a large bowl.
- Toss the greens and veggies with the dressing right before serving, using salad tongs or two large serving spoons to gently combine. Start with less dressing and drizzle on more as needed, to taste.
- Mix in the avocado and cheese last. It’s best to mix these in gently after you toss the salad with the dressing so that they hold their shape.
What Else Can I Add to a Green Salad?
Looking for more salad ideas? Try adding one or more of these salad ingredients to this salad recipe.
- More Veggies: So many possibilities here! Try radishes, chopped bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, sugar snap peas, corn, thinly sliced red onion or chopped green onions.
- Apple or Pear: Their sweetness is a nice contrast to the rest of the salad. Slice apple or pear thinly or chop into bite-size chunks.
- Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are tasty salad additions that also add pops of color.
- Beans: Chickpeas are my go-to for salads, or use white beans.
- Protein: Air Fryer Chicken Breast, Air Fryer Shrimp or Bacon can make a salad more satisfying.
- Eggs: If you cook a batch of hard boiled eggs ahead of time and keep them in the fridge, they’ll be ready to add to salads throughout the week. Soft Boiled Eggs are also wonderful on salads.
- Nuts or Seeds: Try sliced almonds, toasted walnuts, Candied Pecans, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- Fresh Herbs: If you have some in your fridge leftover from other recipes, toss them on your salads instead of letting them go to waste. Fresh parsley, dill, cilantro, basil and chives can all boost the flavor of your salad.
- Olives: Especially kalamata olives, known for their rich, fruity flavor.
- Pepperoncini Peppers: I add these to my favorite Italian Salad.
- Croutons: These Homemade Croutons are especially yummy.
- Quinoa: Quinoa in a green salad? Trust me on this one. I add it to my favorite Spinach Salad and it’s a delicious way to add plant-based protein to a salad.
More Salad Dressings
Another way to keep salads fun and interesting is to try out different dressings! Here are a few of my favorite salad dressing recipes:
To Make Ahead
If you plan to make this salad for a holiday meal or other gathering, it’s convenient to make it ahead. You can partially assemble the salad up to one day ahead, just be sure to dry the produce well so that it stays fresh. Wait to add the avocado, cheese and dressing right before serving.
More Salad Recipes
I think you’ll also love these salad recipes!
Simple Green Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups (loosely packed) mixed greens, or lettuce of choice, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 small or ½ large English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small carrot, grated with a vegetable peeler (or sliced)
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, or crumbled feta or shaved Parmesan
- 6 tablespoons homemade vinaigrette, or dressing of choice
Instructions
- Put the greens in a large bowl. Add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes and carrot.
- Drizzle on vinaigrette or dressing of choice, a little at a time, tossing to mix, until salad is dressed to your liking.
- Add the avocado and goat cheese and toss gently to mix in. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Greens: You can use any type of greens you prefer. I love to make this with crisp chopped romaine hearts. Sometimes I toss in a handful of baby arugula because I love its peppery bite. Mixed greens, baby spinach, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce and butter lettuce also work well.
- To Make Ahead: You can partially assemble the salad up to one day ahead, just be sure to dry the produce well so that it stays fresh. Wait to add the avocado, cheese and dressing right before serving.
- Nutrition information is for salad without dressing.
I made this without the feta and it was fantastic! (I have some dairy allergies in my family. ) Thank you for including the nutrition info!
this helped me so much, tysm!!!
I am loving this simple salad and wonderful dressing!! It is so delicious. I’m a salad eater and this was right up my alley. I’m going to try all of your salad dressing recipes. They all sound so good I can’t decide which one to make first. Thank you so much.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! My favorite salad dressings are the vinaigrettes – the basic one, the lemon one, and the balsamic. They’re so quick and easy. But I love all of the others, too, so I can understand how it’s hard to decide!
OMG it’s so amazing it’s like I can keep eating again and again ❤️❤️❤️