Content

• Ingredients
• Ingredients for the salad
• Ingredients for the salad dressing
• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Make the salad
• Method 2 of 3: Make the salad dressing
• Method 3 of 3: Make variations
• Tips

A garden salad is not only healthy, but also colorful. You can make a garden salad with vegetables from your own garden, such as carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes. Once you know how to make a simple garden salad, you can adapt the recipe and come up with your own variations. This article will not only show you how to make a simple garden salad with a tasty dressing, but also give you ideas for adapting the recipe to your liking.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the salad

• 1 head of cos lettuce
• 1 tomato
• ¼ red onion
• ½ cucumber
• 1 carrot

For 4 servings

Ingredients for the salad dressing

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper

To step

Method 1 of 3: Make the salad

1. Cut the leaves off the lettuce. Unless you bought chopped lettuce that can be eaten like that, you will have to cut the leaves off the head of lettuce. Just put the lettuce on its side and cut off the bottom that all the leaves are attached to.
2. Cut the leaves into smaller pieces. Place a few leaves on top of each other and start chopping the lettuce horizontally. You can also tear the lettuce leaves into smaller pieces with your fingers. If the head of lettuce you are using has a thick stem in the center, remember to cut it and throw it away.
3. Wash and dry the lettuce. Fill a clean sink or bowl with cold water and place the lettuce leaves in it. Gently move the leaves through the water to loosen any debris. When the lettuce leaves are clean, dry them with a salad spinner or place them on a clean towel and pat dry with another towel. The leaves must be dry, otherwise the dressing will not stick to them.
4. Cut the tomato into wedges. Place the tomato on a cutting board with the stem facing you and cut it in half with a serrated knife. Take one of the halves and place it cut side down on the cutting board. Cut in half, cutting from the top of the tomato (where the stem is) to the bottom. Cut both halves into wedges. Start at the round part of the tomato and cut towards the center where the stem was. Do the same with the other half.
   • You can also use whole cherry or grape tomatoes. You can leave them whole or cut them in half.
5. Cut an onion into pieces. Take ¼ red onion and cut into rings. Gently separate the rings with your fingers. You can also chop the onion.
6. Cut a cucumber into pieces. You can peel the cucumber first or leave the skin on. Make sure to thinly slice the cucumber. You can also cut the cucumber into cubes.
7. Cut a carrot into pieces. You can thinly slice the carrot or grate it. You can also use whole baby carrots.
8. Put all the vegetables in a bowl and toss them together. Use two salad spoons to grab a little bit of salad and drop the salad back into the bowl. Grab more salad and drop the vegetables back into the bowl. Continue to toss the salad together in this manner until all the vegetables are well and evenly mixed.
9. Add a dressing of your choice. You can use a store-bought dressing or make your own. If you want to make your own salad dressing, read the section below on how to make a simple dressing. Pour some dressing on the salad and mix everything. You can use as much or as little dressing as you like. The lettuce leaves should generally have a light coating of dressing, but not so soaked that there is a puddle of dressing on the bottom of the bowl.

Method 2 of 3: Make the salad dressing

1. Find a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. You are going to mix your salad dressing in this jar. If you don't have a jar, you can also use a glass bottle. Do not use a plastic jar or bottle as this can affect the taste.
2. Put all the ingredients in the jar. You will need 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. For a heavier dressing, use extra virgin olive oil. If you want a lighter dressing, use light olive oil.
   • You can also use canola, grape seed, or vegetable oil in place of olive oil. These types of oil give your dressing a more refined taste.
   • Instead of white wine vinegar, you can also use apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar or rice vinegar.
3. Consider adding some flavor to your dressing. You can customize your salad dressing by adding fresh herbs, honey, sugar, or garlic. Here are some options to choose from:
   • For a fresh herbal flavor, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of finely chopped herbs, such as basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, or thyme.
   • For a sharper taste, add 1 finely chopped garlic clove. You can also use a garlic press.
   • To create a cheese flavor, add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped or grated cheese, such as Parmesan cheese.
   • Spice up your dressing with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
   • Give your dressing a sweet taste with ½ to 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey.
4. Shake the jar. Tighten the lid on the jar and shake it until all the ingredients are mixed. If some of the dressing flows down from under the lid, wipe the drops away with a damp cloth. You can use this dressing in your salad and keep the remaining dressing in the fridge.
5. Store the dressing properly. If you have some salad dressing left over, tighten the lid on the jar and keep the dressing in the refrigerator. Use the dressing within two to three days.

Method 3 of 3: Make variations

1. Consider adjusting your salad. A garden salad can easily be adapted to your own taste. You can add more vegetables, use completely different vegetables, or even change the dressing. This section will give you some ideas.
2. Use other vegetables. You can replace the vegetables in the salad with other vegetables. You can also add more vegetables to your salad than the ones you already use to make your salad more colorful and flavorful. Other vegetables often used in a garden salad are black olives, mushrooms, onions, radishes, red peppers and green peppers.
3. Use a different salad dressing. If you don't like a simple salad dressing, you can use a different dressing, such as a French dressing, an Italian dressing, red wine vinaigrette, or ranch dressing. You can also choose not to use a dressing and lightly season your salad with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice or vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Add some toppings. You can add flavor and crunch to your salad by sprinkling some grated Parmesan cheese or your favorite croutons over it.
5. Give your salad a Greek touch. Keep the cucumber, onions and tomatoes in the salad, but swap the carrot with some chopped red and green peppers and sliced ​​black olives. Add some grated feta cheese and crumbled marjoram. Put everything in a bowl and mix it together. Finish your salad with a little Italian salad dressing.
   • You can use lettuce for your salad or omit the lettuce.
6. Make an East Asian salad. You will need 125 grams of corn kernels, 1 diced tomato, 75 grams of diced cucumber, 3 tablespoons of chopped pineapple and a few sprigs of dried cilantro. You also need 50 grams of sprouted mung beans (drained) and 3 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds. Put everything in a bowl and mix it together. You can now add some salad dressing, salt and pepper, or keep it simple and add just 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Tips

• Make sure the lettuce leaves are dry as the dressing will not stick well to wet leaves.
• Cut the lettuce leaves before washing them.
• To give your salad more flavor, try using fresh vegetables instead of frozen vegetables.