House Salad Recipe

Assembly & Dressing

1. 1

   Prepare tomatoes

   Wash tomatoes, core if necessary, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges (for Roma) or into 6–8 wedges for larger tomatoes. If using cherry tomatoes, halve them. Transfer cut tomatoes to a medium bowl and set aside.

2. 2

   Prepare cucumber

   Wash cucumber and, if desired, peel partially in alternating strips. Slice crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds or half-moons if cucumber is large. Add cucumber to the bowl with tomatoes.

3. 3

   Pickled red onion (if not store-bought)

   If you don't have pickled onion on hand and want to make a quick version: thinly slice 1 small red onion and place in a jar. Heat 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup white vinegar (or red wine vinegar) and 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt until sugar dissolves. Pour hot brine over the onion, cool to room temperature, then chill 30 minutes to 1 hour. Use 1 cup of these pickled onions for the salad.

4. 4

   Make the dressing

   In a small bowl or jar combine the extra-virgin olive oil (3 tbs), red wine vinegar (1 tbs), Dijon mustard (1 tsp), honey (1 tsp), lemon juice (1 tsp, optional), salt (3 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper (1 tsp). Whisk or shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning: add more salt or vinegar if needed. Note: the salt quantity provided is meant for the whole recipe; reduce to 1/2–1 tsp if you prefer a lighter salt level.

5. 5

   Assemble the salad

   Place the mixed salad greens in a large shallow bowl or platter. Spoon the tomato and cucumber mixture over the greens. Scatter the pickled red onion evenly across the top.

6. 6

   Dress and finish

   Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad (about 2/3 of the dressing if you prefer to serve extra on the side). Toss gently with salad tongs to coat leaves, tomatoes and cucumbers without bruising. Taste and adjust with additional salt, pepper or a squeeze of lemon if desired. Sprinkle the optional crumbled feta or shaved Parmesan over the top before serving.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve immediately so greens remain crisp. Leftover dressing can be stored refrigerated for up to 5 days; refrigerated assembled salad is best eaten within a few hours.