Green Salad

This Green Salad has been on our 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, we're sharing our family’s recipe! The hard-boiled eggs are optional, but we 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.

What stands out

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 us, you know that we cannot eat lettuce in huge chunks so the way salad is cut makes ALL the difference in the world. We 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

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.

Then, 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!

Kitchen 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. Also, a sharp knife, a sturdy cutting board and a foolproof technique are the secret to thin slices.

Swaps

1. The options are 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.
2. Play around with the proteins: try leftover chicken or steak, fried eggs, crispy chickpeas, grilled salmon or canned tuna.
3. 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.

Serve it 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

Questions

How do i properly make hard boiled eggs?

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! We have a whole post about it a mark here if you want more info!

How did you get your lettuce leaves so thin?

A sharp knife, a sturdy mark cutting board and a foolproof technique are the secret to thin slices. We have a full tutorial here: a strong How to Thinly Slice Lettuce. We think it’s worth the extra effort in this green salad!

Any other protein ideas instead of eggs?

This Green Salad is such a versatile recipe, the options are endless! Chickpeas (either straight from the can or roasted) are, you could do cooked chicken breast (use up those leftovers!), grilled salmon or canned tuna..

would dairy-free yogurt work in this salad?

We haven’t tried this swap personally, but we can’t see why not!

can this be Green Salad be made ahead?

Absolutely, but we 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 assemble the green salad, toss and serve.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 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)

Equipment

• Cutting Board
• Nakiri Knife
• Medium Pot
• Mixing Bowls
• Redmond Real Salt
• Peeler

Method

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Note: If you need a full tutorial on how we cut lettuce, you can look at this recipe tutorial here: How to Thinly Slice Lettuce, Basil, Spinach and Many Other Leafy Greens
4. 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.
5. 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!