Green Salad V Recipe

Prepare greens

Wash the mixed baby greens thoroughly in cold water, spin or pat dry until mostly dry. Place in a large salad bowl and set aside.

Cucumber and pepper

Peel the cucumber if desired, halve lengthwise and use a spoon to remove seeds if watery. Slice thinly into half-moons to equal about 1/2 cup and add to the bowl.

Slice scallions

Trim root ends from the green onions, then thinly slice both white and green parts on the bias. Add to the bowl.

Chop herbs

Roughly chop the parsley and thinly slice the mint. Add to the greens.

Prepare avocado

Halve the avocado, remove the pit, dice the flesh into 1/2-inch pieces while still in the skin, then scoop into the salad bowl to avoid browning.

If pumpkin seeds are not toasted, heat a small dry skillet over medium heat and toast the pepitas, stirring, until they begin to pop and are fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Let cool. If using feta, crumble and set aside; if using olive tapenade, keep in a small bowl for plating.

Whisk vinaigrette

In a small bowl or jar combine the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, chopped dill, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake until the honey is dissolved. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking (or add to the jar and shake vigorously) until the dressing emulsifies and thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon if needed.

Dress salad

Just before serving, pour about 2–3 tablespoons of vinaigrette over the salad greens and vegetables (reserve additional dressing to offer on the side). Gently toss the salad with salad tongs to coat evenly, being careful not to bruise the greens or mash the avocado.

Finish and serve

Transfer tossed salad to a serving bowl or plate. Scatter the toasted pumpkin seeds over the top and add crumbled feta or spoon small dollops of olive tapenade if using. Serve immediately with remaining dressing passed on the side.