House Salad Recipe

Wash and dry greens

Rinse the mixed salad greens thoroughly under cold water, then spin in a salad spinner or pat dry with clean kitchen towels or paper towels until most moisture is removed. Dry greens prevent watery salad and help dressing adhere.

Prepare tomatoes

If using cherry tomatoes, rinse and cut each tomato in half. If using larger tomatoes, rinse, core, and dice into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a small bowl and set aside.

Slice cucumber

Rinse the cucumber. If desired, peel. Cut lengthwise if large and slice into 1/4-inch thick half-moons. Transfer to the bowl with the tomatoes or keep separate.

Slice onion

Peel and cut the red onion in half; slice very thinly across the grain into rings or half-rings. If you prefer milder onion flavor, soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Prepare pepperoncini and cheese

Slice pepperoncini lengthwise into rings or halve them and remove seeds if you want less heat. Shred the cheddar-jack cheese if not pre-shredded.

In a large salad bowl, place the dried mixed greens and gently toss once to loosen.

Add the halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and thinly sliced red onion on top of the greens in an even layer.

Sprinkle the shredded cheddar-jack cheese evenly over the vegetables.

Scatter the dried cranberries across the salad for sweet pops of flavor.

Add the croutons last so they remain crunchy, distributing them evenly over the top.

Arrange the pepperoncini on top or tuck them around the edge of the bowl for presentation.

Just before serving, drizzle your preferred dressing (about 2–3 tablespoons per serving) over the salad, or serve dressing on the side. Toss gently to coat all ingredients without crushing the greens.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired.

Serve immediately so the croutons stay crisp. Leftovers: keep dressing separate and store salad components in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.