The Little Green Salad
A simple green side salad with Parmesan, toasted nuts, and lemon dressing. Yields 6 to 8 side salads.
Ingredients
- arugula or leafy greens
- small nuts or seeds
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese or aged cheddar
- extra-virgin olive oil
- lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- honey or maple syrup
- clove garlic
- fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- sliced cherry tomatoes, avocado, and sunflower seeds
- thinly sliced cucumbers, radishes, and almonds
- thinly sliced fennel and pine nuts
- raspberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries and almonds
- thinly sliced apple or pear, dried cranberries, and toasted chopped pecans
Method
- To toast the nuts or seeds, cook them in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they’re fragrant and starting to turn golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set them aside to cool.
- To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until blended. Season generously with black pepper and adjust to taste by adding more honey if the dressing tastes too tart.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the greens, nuts and cheese. Add most of the dressing and toss until the salad is lightly coated throughout (you might have some leftover dressing). If desired, toss in the suggested add-ins. Serve promptly. Leftover salad dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.