Side Salad Recipe
spring mix, carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, radish, choice of dressing
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Salad
Dressing (choice)
Method
Salad
- 1
Prepare vegetables
If your spring mix is not pre-washed, rinse it in cold water and spin dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with clean kitchen towels. Trim and peel the carrot if desired; using a box grater, julienne peeler, or knife, shred or matchstick the carrot to yield about 1/2 cup. Wash the cucumber; if using a large cucumber, peel if the skin is thick, halve lengthwise and thinly slice into half-moons until you have 1/2 cup. Halve the cherry tomatoes (or quarter if very large) to equal roughly 3 oz. Trim radish ends and thinly slice to make about 3 radishes worth of rounds. Finely chop the parsley if using.
- 2
Assemble salad
In a medium bowl, place 5 cups of spring mix. Evenly distribute the prepared carrots, cucumber slices, cherry tomato halves, and radish slices over the greens. Sprinkle the 1/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper over the assembled salad and gently toss or leave arranged, depending on whether you plan to dress immediately or serve undressed.
Dressing (choice)
- 3
Make a basic vinaigrette
In a small bowl or jar, combine 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp honey (optional), 1/4 tsp minced garlic (optional), 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/16 tsp black pepper. Whisk vigorously (or shake the jar with the lid on) until the dressing emulsifies and appears slightly thickened, about 20–30 seconds. Taste and adjust acid, salt, or sweetness to preference.
- 4
Dress and serve
If serving immediately, drizzle about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the assembled salad and gently toss to coat the greens and vegetables evenly. For a lighter coating, start with 1 tablespoon and add more as needed. Transfer to a side-dish plate or bowl and serve promptly. Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; bring to room temperature and re-emulsify before using.