One of the staples that was never missing from the table in my childhood was a simple green salad. With pasta or meat or fish, there was always room for a side dish adapted to the produce of the season. I must confess that at times, like all children, I was not an enthusiast when it came to eating a side dish full of vegetables. However, thanks to the various combinations, I learned to appreciate the different flavors.
These days, that little green salad is a constant presence at many of my meals. And I’ve noticed lately that I’ve never shared this salad recipe, which is very simple and easy to make. I hope it becomes one of your favorite side salad recipes to make and enjoy at every meal.
The Little Green Italian Salad recipe ingredients
This little green salad is the perfect side dish. In fact, it is my favorite side dish for every day meals. This recipe is also a savior at more formal lunches, as it’s a good rule to offer a green side dish. It’s a simple salad, but the combinations of ingredients give this basic salad recipe a bite.
The secret to this green salad is to combine some greens, in this case arugula, with crunchy ingredients like the pecans. If you like, you can add some Parmesan for creaminess and saltiness. The greens are dressed with a honey vinaigrette made with EVOO, apple cider vinegar, raw honey, salt and crushed black pepper. What’s more simple than that?
The key combination for this easy side salad is to combine some leafy greens, nuts, crunchy veggies and drizzle it with dressing. It’s important to choose fresh ingredients, and it’s such a simple recipe, yet tasty enough that you can mix and match any of the following combinations to create your own salad:
Leafy Greens: Arugula, endive, radicchio, baby spinach, Tuscan kale.
Nuts: Walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans.
Other vegetables: Fennel, artichokes, green onions, tomatoes, celery, cabbage all depending on the season.
Dressing: usually a simple EVOO and apple cider vinegar vinaigrette, but also balsamic or lemon vinaigrette.
The Little Green Italian Salad recipe variations and substitutions
This salad is vegetarian and gluten-free. To make it vegan, omit the cheese. To make it dairy-free look for a dairy-free cheese or remove the cheese.
The variations are endless and really depend on your taste and the season. Here are some simple salad ideas by season, to make the most of each ingredient:
– Fall: radicchio + walnuts + grana or endive + fennel + pine nuts
– Winter: tuscan kale thinly sliced + red cabbage + hazelnuts
– Spring: baby spinach + raw artichokes + parmesan or rocket + green onions + radishes + goat cheese
– Summer: arugula + tomatoes + cucumbers or arugula+ peppers + sliced almonds.
The dressing can be any vinaigrette of your choice, Lemon, Balsamic or Honey are all good ones that you can alternate to always offer something different and never boring.
How to serve the Little Green Italian Salad
This side dish goes well with all the Italian dishes on my blog because, like many of my recipes, it contains the typical fresh flavors of the Mediterranean.
Serve it as a side with the
In addition, you can combine this humble salad with any grilled chicken, beef or fish of your choice.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 cups arugula
- 4 tbsp Parmesan shavings
- 2 tbsp Pecan Nuts chopped
For the Honey Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp vinegar apple cider
- 2 tsp honey raw
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper black
Instructions
For the dressing
- Whisk together all the ingredients and set aside.
For the green salad
- In a bowl place all the ingredients.
- Drizzle with the honey vinaigrette.
- Serve it in individual plates.
Nutrition
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