House Green Salad Recipe

Prepare greens

Wash the mixed salad greens thoroughly in cold water, spin or pat dry until mostly free of moisture. Tear larger leaves into bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.

Prepare cucumber and pepper

Thinly slice the cucumber lengthwise, then crosswise into half-moons to yield about 1/2 cup. Remove seeds from the green bell pepper if desired, then thinly slice and chop to yield about 1/2 cup. Add to the bowl with greens.

Prepare aromatics and herbs

Trim and thinly slice the green onions on a bias and add the white and light-green parts to the bowl (reserve a little green for garnish). Chop the parsley finely and add to the bowl.

Add avocado (optional)

If using avocado, halve, pit and peel it, then slice or cube and gently toss into the salad just before dressing so it does not brown.

Season the assembled salad lightly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; toss gently to combine and set aside while you make the dressing.

Combine aromatics

In a small bowl or jar, combine the minced shallot, minced garlic, and chopped capers (if using). Let sit 2 minutes to soften the raw bite.

Emulsify

Add white wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and honey to the bowl with aromatics. Whisk or shake to combine. Slowly stream in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking continuously (or close jar and shake vigorously) to form a pale, slightly thickened emulsion.

Season the dressing with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust: add a pinch of salt or another 1/2 teaspoon of honey if you prefer sweeter, or another 1/2 tablespoon vinegar/lemon for brighter acidity.

Dress the salad

Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and gently toss with salad tongs until evenly coated. Taste and add more dressing if desired (you may not need all the dressing).

Transfer the dressed salad to a serving bowl or plates. Garnish with reserved green onion slices and an additional small drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve immediately.