Little Gem Recipe

Prep the little gem

Trim the stem ends of the little gem lettuce heads and remove any wilted outer leaves. Slice each head lengthwise into quarters or halves depending on preferred serving size (quarters for wedges, halves for small salads). Pat leaves dry with paper towel or spin in a salad spinner to remove excess moisture.

Prep vegetables and herbs

Halve the cherry tomatoes. Peel (if desired) and thinly slice the cucumber into half-moons. Very thinly slice the red onion and separate into rings. Halve, pit, and slice the avocado. Roughly chop the parsley.

Toast almonds

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sliced almonds, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool on a plate to stop cooking.

Assemble

Arrange the little gem leaves on a large platter or individual plates. Scatter cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, red onion rings, avocado slices, chopped parsley, toasted almonds, and crumbled feta over the leaves. Sprinkle flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper evenly over the salad.

Whisk the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, combine the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Whisk or shake to combine, then slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, lemon, or honey as desired.

Dress the salad: Just before serving, drizzle about half the dressing over the assembled little gem salad and toss gently to coat the leaves and other ingredients. Add more dressing to taste (reserve any leftover dressing for another use).

Finish and serve: Scatter a final pinch of flaky sea salt and a little extra cracked black pepper over the top. Serve immediately so the little gem leaves remain crisp.