Butter Lettuce Salad
In this simple salad, tender butter lettuce leaves are dressed with a tangy, herb-infused vinaigrette. Sliced radishes add color and crunch, and salty shaved Parmesan adds an elegant touch.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Tarragon Dressing
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves (from about 4 large sprigs)
For the Salad
- 1 large or 2 small heads Butter lettuce (about 8-10 ounces total)
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch chives (about 12), snipped into inch-long pieces
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan (2 ounces)
Instructions
- Make dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard until combined. Season with salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in olive oil until dressing is thick and emulsified. Stir in shallot and tarragon and whisk or shake again to combine. (Dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, until ready to serve.)
- Prepare lettuce leaves. First, cut off and discard the stem ends of the lettuce. Separate the leaves and gently tear the large, outer leaves into a few pieces. Keep the smaller inner leaves whole. Place the leaves in a salad spinner filled with cold water and gently swish leaves to remove any dirt. To crisp up the leaves, add a few ice cubes to the water and let stand about 10 minutes. Then drain and spin dry.
- Toss dressing with lettuce. In a large serving bowl, combine lettuce with dressing and toss gently with wooden salad tongs to coat. Because butter lettuce is delicate, avoid using metal tongs, which might bruise the leaves.
- Serve. Divide lettuce among plates. Scatter each plate with radishes, shaved Parmesan, and snipped chives. Sprinkle with more salt and freshly ground pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil used in this recipe.
- Mix Extra Dressing: This tangy dressing is also wonderful drizzled over sliced tomatoes and mozzarella, grilled white fish, steamed green beans, or over halved hard-boiled eggs. It can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 161.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.9g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.6g | Cholesterol: 8.5mg | Sodium: 213mg | Potassium: 236.5mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 0.8g | Vitamin A: 1638.7IU | Vitamin C: 5.8mg | Calcium: 205.4mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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