Garden Salad

This chopped Garden Salad features a hypnotic blend of crisp, nutritious veggies and the classic, nostalgic holy trinity of zesty homemade ranch, buttery cheese and garlic-herb croutons. It's the elevated salad of your youth (or at least mine) guaranteed to have everyone begging for “more salad please!” This Garden Salad is completely customizable depending on the season and your likes/dislikes and can even be made into a main dish with the addition of any protein, (chicken, shrimp, salmon, etc.). Serve this chopped salad with everything from Tuscan Chicken and Lasagna, to French Dip Sandwiches, Burgers, Cajun Chicken, etc.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 12

Total Time 37

Servings servings

Ingredients

GARDEN SALAD

1 10 oz. package spinach spring mix (or your favorite lettuce)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, halved and sliced
2 ears sweet corn, (optional)
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
4 pepperoncini, chopped (optional)
1-2 avocados, sliced or chopped
4-6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup toasted salted sunflower seeds
3/4 cup shredded or cubed Gouda or cheddar cheese

Dressing (pick one)

1 recipe Homemade Ranch Dressing
1 recipe Homemade Italian Dressing

HOMEMADE CROUTONS (OR STORE-BOUGHT)

1/2 loaf (5 cups) sourdough or French bread, cubed (preferably day old)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp EACH dried basil, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Dressing: Whisk dressing ingredients together per recipe (<<click here). Best if chilled 1 hour before using. Ranch Dressing will last up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Croutons: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray or use a nonstick baking mat. Add cubed bread to the baking sheet and drizzled with olive oil then sprinkle with spices; toss until evenly coated. Spread bread into an even layer and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden, stirring halfway through.
Assemble: Add the lettuce to a large serving bowl then top with remaining salad ingredients; serve the bacon, avocado and croutons on the side if expecting leftovers. Either toss the salad with desired amount of dressing (only if not expecting leftovers) or dress individual servings.

Video

Notes

Tips and Tricks

Customize ingredients: The salad ingredients and measurements are simply suggestions. You can omit, add/swap any ingredients for your favorite veggies, seeds and cheese. See the post for tons of ideas!
Make it a meal: add chicken (rotisserie chicken, marinated chicken, Italian chicken, lemon basil chicken, balsamic chicken, cilantro lime chicken, salmon, grilled shrimp, pan seared shrimp, steak, pork, etc..
Shortcuts: Use store-bought lettuce, your favorite store-bought dressing, pre-cooked bacon or bacon bits.

Make Ahead/Meal Prep

Prep the veggies up to 3 days in advance: Chop or slice them as instructed, then store in separate airtight containers/bags with a paper towel. I'll often place the plastic bags on top of the lettuce in a big salad bowl and cover; when it's time to dress the salad, all I have to do is dump the bags out. This works great when transporting the salad!
Cook the bacon up to 3 days in advance: Cook until crispy (either on the stove or in the oven), crumble or chop, and then store in the fridge. Note that the bacon will lose its crispness once chilled.
Make the dressing up to 1 week in advance: Store in an airtight container in the fridge. You may need to add a splash of milk to thin when ready to use.
Make the croutons up to 1 week in advance: Make the croutons, let them cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. If you use a sealable bag, make sure to squeeze out excess air. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week.