0 from 117 votes
Easy Garden Salad
This Easy Garden Salad is colorful, delicious, and completely customizable depending on the season, where you live, and what you have. It's the perfect side dish to almost any meal!
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 6 servings (2 cups each)
Calories: 204 kcal
Course:
Salad
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
For the ranch dressing (see note 1):
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 6 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon red onion minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Pinch of sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 8 cups lettuce such as romaine, green leaf, or iceberg, torn into bite-sized pieces (see note 2)
- 1 blub endive cored and chopped (see note 3)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved lengthwise (see note 4)
- 4 radishes ends trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 2 carrots peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced
- 2 Persian cucumbers or 1 hot house cucumber halved lengthwise and chopped
Instructions
- To make the ranch dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, red onion, dill, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Refrigerate at least 10 minutes to blend flavors. Whisk to recombine before serving.
- To assemble the salad, in a large bowl, combine lettuce, endive, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, and cucumbers. Drizzle with salad dressing and toss until evenly coated.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Ranch dressing: If you don't want to make your own, substitute a bottle of store-bought (or choose whatever salad dressing you prefer).
- Lettuce: Choose one or more of romaine, iceberg, mixed greens, spinach, arugula, Bibb lettuce, or butter lettuce.
- Endive: Belgian endive is a chicory lettuce with white, tightly curled leaves with yellow tips. Omit it if you can't find it.
- Grape tomatoes: 1 ½ cup diced tomatoes may be substituted for the grape tomatoes. Seed your tomatoes if desired.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 12 cups of salad, enough for 6 generous (2-cup) servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers (undressed is best) covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Wrap washed, dried lettuces rolled in a clean kitchen towel in the refrigerator. Peel and chop any vegetables the day before. The ranch dressing can be prepared up to 3 days in advance (whisk to recombine before serving).
- More mix-ins: Customize with your favorites such as bell peppers, onions, avocados, blanched broccoli, fresh herbs, croutons, bacon bits, black olives, sesame seeds, or blue cheese crumbles.
- Toss last-minute: To serve a large tossed salad for a crowd, wait until the last minute to add the dressing. The acidity in the dressing can wilt the greens.
Nutrition Information
Serving
2cups
Calories
204kcal
(10%)
Carbohydrates
10g
(3%)
Protein
3g
(6%)
Fat
17g
(26%)
Saturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
9g
Monounsaturated Fat
4g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
16mg
(5%)
Sodium
179mg
(7%)
Potassium
479mg
(14%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
7g
(14%)
Vitamin A
4740IU
(95%)
Vitamin C
17mg
(19%)
Calcium
76mg
(8%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings (2 cups each)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 204
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 2cups | |
| Calories | 204kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 9g | 53% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 16mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 179mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 479mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 4740IU | 95% |
| Vitamin C | 17mg | 19% |
| Calcium | 76mg | 8% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.