This simple tossed salad recipe for a crowd is perfect for all of your summer parties, potlucks and BBQs, or simply served up as a healthy side dish for a weeknight meal! Tossed in a homemade vinaigrette dressing, this mixed garden salad is so fresh, crunchy and delicious! {Gluten-free, vegetarian & dairy-free}
Place romaine lettuce in a salad bowl and top with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and carrot.
Place oil, vinegar, Dijon, honey and garlic (if using) in a small jar or container. Put the lid on the jar or container and shake dressing until well combined.
Pour dressing over salad. Season salad with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
For milder onions: If you don’t like the taste of raw onion, you can soak the onion in a bowl of water for 10 minutes. Also, be sure to chop up the onions finely so that they don’t overpower the salad.
Look for firmer tomatoes: I like to use firmer tomatoes so that they hold their shape when diced. Additionally, I typically remove the seeds from the tomatoes when chopping them, but it’s a personal preference.
If making this salad ahead of time: I recommend placing all of the vegetables into a large bowl or container and keeping the dressing separate in a jar or small container. Pour the dressing on right before serving and toss to prevent the salad from getting wilted and soggy.
Adapt according to taste preferences: This is a basic salad recipe, but I love adding in extras like croutons for extra crunch, feta cheese, or diced avocado for additional flavour and texture. See post above for more suggestions!