After spending hours preparing a challenging main course, few of us have the stamina to tackle a complicated salad. And why bother when our best green salad recipes rely on a simple formula to deliver satisfying flavor and texture? All you really need are three basic kinds of ingredients: greens + something crunchy, cheesy, or chewy + dressing.
Of course, there are as many types of green salads as there are salad greens. Bitter endive and chicory shine when balanced with sweet or fatty garnishes (think nuts, fruit, cheese, or egg). And though sturdy lettuces like iceberg, romaine, and kale can stand up to heavy, creamy dressings, delicate microgreens, mesclun, and herbs call for thinner vinaigrettes.
We may call these “green salad recipes,” but you should think of them more as “green salad ideas.” Feel free to swap out our suggested leafy greens for whatever’s in your crisper drawer. Add and subtract toppings at will. The point is to suit your palate, the easiest way possible.
Cilantro and Peanut Salad (Huāshēngmĭ bàn xiāngcài)
Due to its long, cold winters and hot, dry summers, Xinjiang is not renowned for its vegetable dishes, but fast-growing produce like spinach and cilantro often make it to the table during the brief respites between seasons. This refreshing salad is a perfect to accompaniment to fatty grilled meats. Use the most delicate cilantro you can find, so the stems can be eaten along with the leaves. Get the recipe for Cilantro and Peanut Salad (Huāshēngmĭ bàn xiāngcài) » Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross
Shredded Collard Green Salad With Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Mesclun Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Mesclun—a combination of slightly bitter baby greens and other greens like mizuna, arugula, and oak leaf—became all the rage in restaurants during the 1990s, eventually making its way onto supermarket produce shelves across the United States. This recipe incorporates other popular ingredients—goat cheese, pecans, dried cranberries—all dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. Get the recipe for Mesclun Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette » Farideh Sadeghin
Arugula Cashew Pesto Salad
Puntarelle & Dandelion Green Salad with Honey-Olive Vinaigrette
Turnip Salad with Green Grape Vinaigrette
Apple and Kale Salad with Black Sesame and Cashews
Blue Cheese, Grape, and Gem Lettuce Salad
Roasted Parsnip Salad with Hazelnuts, Blue Cheese, and Wheat Beer Vinaigrette
Endive and Walnut Salad
Tricolore Salad with Grapefruit Saba Vinaigrette
Purslane and Herb Salad
Kohlrabi and Watercress Salad
Kale and Citrus Salad
Baby Kale Salad with Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Lemon Vinaigrette
Spinach Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette
Crunchy Spring Salad
Chicory and Herb Salad with Apple, Pomegranate, and Creamy MIso Dressing
Iceberg Wedge Salad with Lemon-Parsley Dressing
Homemade Crème Fraîche and Preserved Lemon Salad Dressing
Crème fraîche: It’s one of those expensive grocery-store items that’s so easy and cheap to make at home yourself, you really have no excuse not to have it in your fridge at all times. Alana Chernila, author of The Homemade Pantry and The Homemade Kitchen, picks up a pint of cream on every grocery run, mixes it with a little cultured buttermilk (or buttermilk culture, a powder you can order online), and the next day, voilà, a bowl of slightly sour, thick, lush crème fraîche. “It’s perfect for adding tang and richness, and it doesn’t have that weird pucker of sour cream,” says Chernila, who finds herself adding it to salad dressings, drizzling it on tacos, and folding it into pumpkin pie. It will keep for up to three weeks in the fridge—more than enough time for you to pick up some cream and make yourself another batch. Get the recipe for Homemade Crème Fraîche and Preserved Lemon Salad Dressing » Justin Walker
Blue Cheese Wedge Salad
Red Leaf Salad with Ranch Dressing
Caesar Salad
