fresh herb salad

This herb salad brings fresh herbs front and center in a simple, delicate, and surprising dish! You might be nervous about making a salad that almost entirely herbs, but don’t be! It’s all about balance.

This salad is crispy, fresh, and layered with spicy, earthy, minty flavors. It’s a delicious twist on a salad that your friends and family will love.

We toss the herbs with a few handfuls of baby lettuce for extra texture and to tame the herbiness of it all. A lemony vinaigrette adds extra freshness and, with a little bit of Ottolenghi genius, we mix in a blend of seeds for a salty crunch.

This herb salad is the epitome of spring: a celebration of fresh flavors in a beautifully simple package.

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ingredients:

how to make an herb salad:

1. Mix up seeds; set aside.
2. Shake up lemon vinaigrette.
3. Combine lettuce and herbs in a large bowl.
4. Toss with dressing and sprinkle seeds over top.
5. Enjoy!

tips to make a great herb salad:

• Pick off the tender leaves:
  • For some herbs, like dill and mint, remove the tender leafy fronds (or leaves) and toss the thick, tough stems.
  • For cilantro and parsley, pick off most of the leaves but feel free to leave some of the smaller stems, which are tender and flavorful.
• Wash your herbs really well and spin them dry in a salad spinner. If you have a cute herb spinner, all the better!
• Prep the herbs and baby lettuce ahead of time. Store the herbs, wrapped in a damp paper towel in an airtight container, for a day or two until ready to serve.
• Dress the salad just before serving to prevent the herbs from wilting and browning (especially important for mint!).

what to serve with herb salad:

This salad is a great side salad for grilled meats, your favorite seafood dishes, or even as a way to balance out a cheese platter.

Here are some of our recipes that would go SO well with it:

• grilled turmeric chicken thighs
• spicy fried chicken sandwich with jalapeño slaw
• chicken pot pie with puff pastry
• dijon mustard chicken
• grilled chicken pita with jalapeño yogurt
• spaghetti with giant meatballs
• salmon wellington (salmon en croute)

make this herb salad your own:

• Toss in edible flower petals
• Pine nuts or other chopped roasted nuts
• Add thickly grated parmesan or crumbled feta
• Toss in sliced pear, apples, or lightly smashed raspberries
• Swap the baby butter lettuce for baby arugula, baby kale, watercress, or mizuna
• Add chopped citrus segments, like grapefruit or orange
• Top with tiny avocado cubes
• Try other tender herbs: tarragon, basil, chives, chervil, oregano, marjoram, lemon balm
• Mix in microgreens
• Toss in sliced radishes or cucumbers for more crunch

more leafy salads to try:

butter lettuce salad

arugula apple salad

watercress salad

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