Our House Salad Recipe (Family Favorite) - Little Broken (2024)

What is a House Salad?

Every home has a house salad. You know a salad that you make almost every night to go with your dinner. Our recipe for a house salad is so crisp and fresh. It’s one of those salads that you can eat every single day and never get tired of it. Plus it goes with just about any entrée imaginable!

The best part of this house salad recipe is the zesty and tangy homemade vinaigrette. Whisk it up in just a couple of minutes and be ready to serve the salad with dinner quickly.

It’s a great healthy side salad to pair with a main dish. Or add some grilled chicken tenders or roasted red pepper salmon to turn this into a complete meal. Feel free to make this into your very own ‘house salad’ by mixing and matching your favorite salad ingredients and dressings!

Ingredients

These simple ingredients are fresh and make this salad really stand out.

• Romaine lettuce – Chopped romaine is a great option for this basic salad recipe. Sometimes I like to use bagged romaine salad mix with shredded carrots and red cabbage. It goes really well here too.
• Mini cucumbers – These smaller cucumbers are crunchy and delicious. You can usually find them in a bag in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle.
• Grape tomatoes – Grape or cherry tomatoes are sweet and delicious in this salad. Plus a favorite with kids!
• Shallot – Mince the shallots so you get a little with each bite and don’t overwhelm your palette with onion flavor. You can also choose to very thinly slice them.
• Avocado – Choose a ripe avocado if you plan to eat the salad right away. If you need to let the avocado ripen, leave it on the counter until it’s just right.
• Olive oil – Good quality oil is the secret to a great dressing. You can tell if it’s high-quality by the taste and texture when you take a taste.
• Fresh lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is tangy and bright and the perfect accompaniment to this salad.
• Red wine vinegar – Be sure your bottle of red wine vinegar is still fresh and hasn’t expired. Shake well before pouring it as well.
• Salt and black pepper – Kosher is the best option for cooking and baking. Try to avoid table salt if possible.

How to Make a House Salad

The steps to make this salad are incredibly simple. For the full description, see the recipe card below.

• Slice the cucumbers into rounds, halve the grape tomatoes, thinly slice the shallot, and pit and slice the avocado.
• Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl along with romaine lettuce.
• Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Serve immediately.

Other Ways to Make the Vinaigrette

The basic components of a vinaigrette are high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, an acid, and flavorings.

Feel free to switch up the ingredients in place of the ones in this recipe to suit your taste or to simply use what you already have in your pantry.

Some options include avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, minced garlic, diced green onions, or dried spices such as oregano or basil.

Recipe Tips

Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the best house salad.

• Change up the dressing: Change up the taste of the salad with a different dressing! Try Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Green Goddess Dressing, or Greek Vinaigrette.
• Use ripe tomatoes: Use the ripest and best-tasting tomatoes available and store them at room temperature for the best flavor.
• Add something crunchy: Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts or top the salad with crunchy croutons either homemade sourdough croutons or store-bought.

Variations

This house salad recipe is easily adaptable to fit your tastes and preferences. Here are some options to get you started.

• You can use regular cucumbers if you can’t find mini cucumbers.
• Substitute thinly sliced red onion for the shallot.
• Use other types of lettuce like butter lettuce, spinach, arugula, or a spring mix.
• Add other fruits and veggies like bell pepper, diced carrots, blueberries, strawberries, or dried cranberries.
• Top with shredded cheddar cheese or crumbled feta cheese.

How to Serve

This simple house salad is the perfect weekday side for any main course. It can be served with a variety of different dishes.

• Soups: Serve as a side salad with Creamy Chicken Stew, Italian Sausage Kale Soup, or Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup.
• Pasta: Pair with Pesto Pasta, Penne Vodka Sauce, Shrimp Alfredo with Broccoli, or Chicken Mushroom Spinach Lasagna.
• Main Dish: Serve alongside Mushroom Marsala, Roasted Half Chicken, or Meatball Stroganoff.
• Sandwich or Flatbread: Pair with Mediterranean Flatbread, Turkey Cuban Sandwich, or Artichoke Tomato and Spinach Flatbread.
• Bread: Keep it simple with a bread and salad combo and serve the salad with Sourdough Garlic Bread, Cheese Popovers, or Gluten Free Cheese Bread.

Storing Tips

If you know you’ll have leftovers, store the lettuce, avocado, and vinaigrette separately, and toss them together right before serving. It’s a great way to have a meal prep salad on hand as it will keep fresh this way for up to 5 days.

Why is it called a ‘house salad’?

Restaurants use this term for their own specialty salad that is always on the menu no matter the season. It’s generally a simple salad with a few ingredients and a homemade dressing. Many people adopt their own ‘house salad’ that they love making any day of the week or time of year.

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Can I use store-bought dressing on this salad?

This classic house salad includes a recipe for a homemade vinaigrette that’s tangy and easy to make. You can use your favorite dressing or buy one from the store if you’d prefer.

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