Simple Green Salad
on Apr 01, 2023, Updated Feb 25, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Simple Green Salad has been on my family’s table for generations. Any time we have ever served this salad to guests, it’s devoured in seconds, and we are always asked how it’s made. Finally, I’m sharing my family’s recipe! The hard-boiled eggs are optional, but I always add them because they lend a nice serving of protein and make the salad a bit more substantial. The vegetables in this green salad are meant to highlight some of spring and summer’s best produce: crunchy lettuce, 🥒 juicy cucumber, peppery radishes, and oniony scallions aka green onions.
Why You’ll Love This Simple Green Salad
This Green Salad is so simple yet bursting with flavor. The secret to its success is slicing the lettuce as thinly as possible, which allows the flavors of the dressing to marinate all throughout. If you know me, you know that I cannot eat 🥬 lettuce in huge chunks so the way salad is cut makes ALL the difference in the world. I love it because it’s substantial too, thanks to the hard boiled eggs 🥚. It comes together quickly and you can use any of your favourite spring veggies.
How to Prepare Simple Green Salad
🥚 First, boil the eggs in a pot of boiling water, about 10 minutes. While they cook, prepare a large bowl of ice water. Submerge the cooked eggs into the ice water. Cool and peel.
🥬 Stack the lettuce leaves, roll them tightly (just like a cigar), and thinly slice with a sharp knife. The thinner the better!
🥣 Next, transfer the lettuce to a serving bowl along with the cucumber, radishes, and green onions. Now season to taste with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and salt and then toss it altogether.
🥗 Finally, peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them in half. Nestle the egg halves on top of the green salad and season each egg with a touch of salt and tiny drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip
The secret to this green salad is slicing the lettuce as thinly as possible, which allows the flavors of the dressing to marinate throughout. A sharp knife, a sturdy cutting board and a foolproof technique are the secret to super thin slices.
Variations and Substitutions for Simple Green Salad
- The options are really endless! There is no exact recipe for the green salad; all the quantities are just suggestions. Please feel free to add whatever quantity of each ingredient, as you like.
- Play around with the proteins: try leftover chicken or steak, 🍳 fried eggs, crispy chickpeas, grilled salmon or canned tuna.
- You can also have fun with the 🥬 lettuce varieties in this green salad. Try mixing in some peppery arugula, crisp iceberg lettuce or a add some radicchio to the mix.
Similar Salad Recipes
Best Served With
- Roasted Leg of Lamb
- Grilled Lemon Chicken Breast 🍋
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers 🍤
- Kofte” which is also known as “Keftede” in Greece, “Kufteta” in Bulgaria, or “meatballs” in English
Common Questions
First, place the raw eggs into a pot of water and let the water come to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and cover the eggs for 10 minutes for a hard yolk (6 or 7 minutes will give you a softer yolk). Place the eggs into a bowl with cold water and ice for about a minute or so or until they are cool enough to handle. Take all the eggs out of the ice bath and gently crack it onto a hard surface to remove the peel and voila! I have a whole post about it here if you want more info!
A sharp knife, a sturdy cutting board and a foolproof technique are the secret to super thin slices. I have a full tutorial here: How to Thinly Slice Lettuce. I think it’s really worth the extra effort in this green salad!
This Simple Green Salad is such a versatile recipe, the options are really endless! Chickpeas (either straight from the can or roasted) are delicious, you could do cooked chicken breast (use up those leftovers!), grilled salmon or canned tuna. .
I haven’t tried this swap personally, but I can’t see why not!
Absolutely, but I would avoid tossing it altogether until you’re ready to serve. Have the eggs peeled and all the veggies chopped and sliced and held in the fridge. You could even mix up your dressing and store in a mason jar until ready. Then simply assemble the green salad, toss and serve.
Simple Green Salad
Ingredients
- 3 eggs, (optional)
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 English cucumber, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- 5 radishes, halved and thinly cut
- 3 green onions, sliced
- ½ cup olive oil , more or less to taste
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons Balkan-style yogurt, or any plain, full-fat yogurt (optional)
Instructions
- If making the hard-boiled eggs, boil the eggs for 8 to 10 minutes. While they are boiling, prepare a bowl of ice water. Once finished cooking, transfer the eggs to the ice water. This will make them easier to peel and stop them from overcooking.
- Stack the lettuce leaves, roll them tightly (just like a cigar), and thinly slice the lettuce. The thinner the better, but you can cut the lettuce in any way you prefer.
- Note: If you need a full tutorial on how I cut lettuce, you can look at this recipe tutorial here: How to Thinly Slice Lettuce, Basil, Spinach and Many Other Leafy Greens
- Transfer the lettuce to a serving bowl along with the cucumber, radishes, and green onions. Season to taste with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and salt. Add the yogurt, if using. Give everything a good a toss.
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them in half. Nestle the egg halves on top of the salad and season each egg with a touch of salt and tiny drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello. I am confused by this video. It mentions yogurt? I must be missing something.
Thanks for your comment Sharon! The yogurt is optional and I just updated the recipe to reflect that.