Easy Garden Salad Recipe with a Simple Vinaigrette
This is a super easy recipe for a classic Garden Salad with homemade, 4-ingredient vinaigrette. It’s a simple side dish recipe that can be made in less than 10 minutes and is a great low-calorie addition to any healthy meal!
Jump to Recipe
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
When you’re following a low calorie diet, it’s always great to a have a variety of low calorie side dish recipes to bulk up your meals.
One of my go-to’s a a simple green salad because it’s easy to make, completely customizable, uses ingredients you probably already have on hand, and pairs with just about any main dish.
There are very few calories in garden salad as long when it’s made with just vegetables so it’s naturally a great way to make your meals more filling. It’s so satisfying to sink your teeth into nice crisp, fresh veggies.
If it happens to be summer, treat yourself to using some fresh garden veggies or fresh vegetables from a Farmer’s Market. There’s truly nothing better than garden-ripened produce!
But if that’s not available to you, no worries. I’ll steal a line from Queen Ina and let you know that “store-bought is fine”! There’s no shame in the grocery store game.
Enjoy!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Garden Salad Ingredients
- Romain Lettuce
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Baby Carrots or Shredded Carrots
- Fresh Chives
- Fresh Parsley
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Dijon Mustard
- Fresh Lemon Juice
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
Make it Your Own – Simple Salad Customization
Vegetables – Feel free to add additional fresh herbs or vegetables to this salad to make it your own. Some great additions are red onion, bell peppers, radishes, iceberg lettuce, snow peas, green onions, or black olives. Or choose your favorite veggies!
Dressing – To mix up the flavor of the vinaigrette, use a different type of vinegar such as white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.
Cheese – Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Blue Cheese, Feta Cheese, goat cheese, or Colby Jack Cheese are all delicious options.
Crunch – Add some crunch with additions like sunflower seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, or croutons.
Note: Any ingredient substitutions you make will affect the total calorie count.
What You’ll Need
- Salad Spinner – optional but great for drying freshly washed lettuce.
- Sharp Knife
- Vegetable Peeler
- Sturdy Cutting Board
- Salad Bowl
- Salad Tongs
Step-By-Step Instructions
Serving Suggestions
This garden salad is great alongside low calorie dinners such as homemade Healthy Meatloaf, pork chops, baked chicken, pasta dishes, sheet pan meals, Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls, and more!
You could even turn this salad into a complete meal and top it with some Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs and Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
Tips for Making the Best Garden Salad
- Use the freshest vegetables you can get. The freshest ingredients are always best!
- Skip the vinaigrette and serve this salad with your favorite dressing if that’s your jam.
- Use a sturdy lettuce leaf like Romain or Iceberg. I find butter lettuce to be too delicate to stand up to dressing but a little bit mixed in with the rest of the salad works ok.
- Only add dressing to portions you’ll be eating immediately. Dressing makes salad too wilted for leftovers.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
Storage and Meal Prep
Undressed salad can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I prep washed lettuce in a ziplock bag with some paper towels so it’s good to go when I need it. The paper towels absorb the moisture and help keep the lettuce fresh and crisp.
You can also prep the vegetables ahead of time. Just store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
To meal prep the salads, make the salad and divide equally between 4 meal prep containers. Make the dressing and divide into 4 small salad dressing containers. Refrigerate until ready to eat!
If you tried and loved this recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below!
Easy Garden Salad Recipe with a Simple Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 head Romaine Lettuce, chopped
- ½ cup Red Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup Cucumbers, sliced
- 1 cup Baby Carrots, diced
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Chives, minced
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley, chopped
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- Juice from ½ a Lemon
Instructions
Make the Salad
- Add the chopped lettuce, vegetables, and fresh herbs to a large bowl. Gently toss to mix them.
Make the Dressing
- Prepare the dressing: combine the cider vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and lemon in a jar. Shake well to emulsify the oil and vinegar.
Serve
- Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat.
Notes
- Nutrition information is based on 4 servings and is approximate. More accurate nutritional data will be determined by the exact ingredients and measurements you use.
Nutrition
BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AND HASHTAG #LOWCALICIOUS OR TAG @EATLOWCALICOIUS – I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU MAKE!
IF YOU LOVE THIS EASY Garden Salad RECIPE,
BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA SO YOU NEVER MISS A POST:
| FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | NEWSLETTER | TIKTOK |
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
