Description
This simple green salad is light, refreshing, and delicious, making it a perfect side dish that pairs well with almost any meal. Featuring soft butter lettuce, crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, shaved Parmesan, crunchy pepitas, and flavorful roasted tamari almonds, all dressed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette and topped with fresh microgreens for a vibrant finish.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 small heads of soft lettuce, butter lettuce or similar
- 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons pepitas
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup microgreens
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Roasted Tamari Almonds
- ½ cup raw almonds
- ½ tablespoon tamari
Lemon Vinaigrette
- Use half recipe of lemon vinaigrette (ingredients and preparation assumed as standard lemon vinaigrette with lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper)
Instructions
- Roast the almonds: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the raw almonds on the sheet and toss them with tamari to evenly coat. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes or until the almonds are browned and toasted. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes to crisp up.
- Assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss the lettuce with a few spoonfuls of the lemon vinaigrette to lightly dress the greens. Add the thinly sliced cucumber, shaved Parmesan cheese, pepitas, sliced avocado, and the cooled roasted tamari almonds. Drizzle with additional lemon vinaigrette to taste. Finally, top the salad with microgreens and season with flaky sea salt if desired.
Notes
- For the lemon vinaigrette, a simple mix of lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper works best for a bright and balanced dressing.
- Allow the roasted almonds to fully cool before adding to the salad to maintain their crunch.
- Flaky sea salt enhances the texture and flavor but can be omitted for a lower sodium option.
- This salad is best served fresh to preserve the crispness of the greens and avocado.
- Substitute pepitas with toasted sunflower seeds if preferred.
