This is our go-to simple side salad! Easy to prep, great flavor, and pairs with everything! Plus, it has the BEST Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette that will become your go-to dressing too!
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This is our go-to Side Salad and has been for years!
It’s super fresh-tasting, flavorful and pairs with everything!
We’ve literally served it with everything from grilled chicken or salmon to pizza to pasta to simple sandwiches to a holiday dinner…
And it works well on it’s own if you wanted to add some additional protein too it for lunch.
Plus it’s EASY to make!
I have a cooking video on this page with some serving tips.
As with all my recipes, there is a printable recipe with exact measurements and directions on the bottom of this page.
This salad is simply:
romaine lettuce or mixed greens
chopped cucumbers
tomatoes
red onion
olives (here I used kalamata, black olives would work well too)
crumbled feta
all tossed in my go to dressing…Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette.
As with all many of my savory recipes, I give ranges on the ingredients so you can add more or less of your favorite ingredients and adjust to taste.
But the key here is not only in the combination of the ingredients but in the Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette!
This balsamic vinaigrette was the first salad dressing we ever made (as in not store-bought) and it’s been our go-to ever since!
It’s just 3 main ingredients and it’s SO GOOD, every time!
All you’ll need is:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Dijon Mustard
Salt and garlic powder to taste (we use just a pinch of each)
And all you do it whisk it together!
Literally takes less than 5 minutes to make!
Because it’s so simple and so delicious, it’s a great transition to making your own salad dressing.
Once you have all your ingredients all you do it toss everything together in a big bowl!
Then when you’re ready to serve, dress it and enjoy!
Super quick, easy and crowd-pleasing!
Pro tips:
1. Picking your greens for this salad: we love to use a leafy or heartier green like romaine lettuce or even a Spring Mix with “structure” to it so that the lettuce doesn’t look limp compared to all the other ingredients
2. To keep the salad freshest, if making ahead, make the dressing but don’t dress it until right before serving.
3. Plating: To make the salad look magazine-worthy, serve the salad on a flat platter, rather than a deep bowl. This way, the heavier ingredients won’t sink to the bottom of the bowl and it will look super colorful and inviting.
Hope you love it as much as we do!
One more serving idea, this salad is so tasty and versatile, we’ve even served in on pizza!
A simple flavorful salad that pairs with just about everything! Start with the basics -- romaine, cucumbers, red onion and tomatoes-- then add olives, some feta (optional if dairy free) and toss with our go to salad dressing, Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: Salads, Veggies, Side Salad
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan
Keyword: balsamic vinaigrette, best side salad recipe, simple side salad recipe, easy side salad recipe, easy balsamic vinaigrette
Servings: 4-6 servings
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family
Ingredients
Salad (adjust quantities to taste)
1 5ozcontainer mixed leafy greens or Romaine lettuce
1/2cucumbercut in slices, then quartered (approximately 3/4 cup)
1/2 - 1cupcherry Tomatoeshalved
1/2Red onionsliced thin, then halved
1/4 - 1/2cupkalamata olivesBlack olives would work well too!
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
