Everyday Green Salad
Crisp lettuce and a shallot vinaigrette you'll memorize — the salad that goes with everything.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 1 head Romaine lettuce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1½ tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 Shallot (optional)
- ¼ tsp Black pepper (optional)
Method
- Mince the shallot as finely as you can.
- Stir the shallot into the vinegar with the salt and let it sit for 5 minutes — it sweetens and mellows.
- Wash the lettuce, dry it thoroughly, and tear it into bite-size pieces.
- Whisk the mustard into the shallot-vinegar mixture until combined.
- Whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream until the dressing emulsifies, then grind in the black pepper.
- Toss the lettuce in a big bowl with just enough dressing to gloss every leaf and serve right away.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Everyday Green Salad
The Everyday Green Salad is exactly what its name promises: crisp lettuce dressed in a French-style shallot vinaigrette, the kind of simple, foundational salad that anchors bistro meals and home tables across France. It is less a recipe than a technique worth memorizing, built on Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and good olive oil, with a minced shallot doing the heavy lifting on flavor. Vegan, ready in ten minutes, and endlessly adaptable, it is designed to go with everything rather than to be the star.
What makes it sing is the small ritual of steeping the minced shallot in vinegar and salt for a few minutes before building the dressing, which tames its raw bite and coaxes out a gentle sweetness. Whisking the oil in slowly emulsifies the vinaigrette into something creamy that clings to each leaf, while thoroughly drying the lettuce keeps the dressing from sliding off into a puddle. The result is bright, sharp, and clean, the perfect counterweight to a rich main like roast chicken, steak, or a plate of pasta, and it is best tossed and eaten the moment it is dressed.
Everyday Green Salad: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Everyday Green Salad?
One serving of Everyday Green Salad has about 170 calories, with 2g of protein, 7g of carbs, 16g of fat and 3g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Everyday Green Salad gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Everyday Green Salad has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Do I need every ingredient to make Everyday Green Salad?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out shallot, black pepper — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Everyday Green Salad make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.