Green Leafy Salad with Balsamic Dressing

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The ingredients in this greens salad are so simple that it almost seemed silly putting them in a formal recipe. But this is a salad I make at least two to three times per week and I had to share it with you! It’s helpful having quick and delicious sides that you can serve with just about anything, and this Green Leafy Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Dressing has got to be the quickest and easiest of them all, taking just 5 minutes to prepare!

Pre-made, bottled salad dressings can be expensive and can quickly land us in “half-opened bottles cluttering the fridge” territory. Homemade dressings taste so much better and recipes like this make it very easy to avoid the bottled varieties. Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper. That is all you need! And it tastes AMAZING.

This green leafy salad is the perfect side to almost anything. Cottage pie, steak, barbecues, chicken schnitzel, risotto or pasta, you name it and this salad works with it. You can choose any greens you like, but I normally go for a mixed leaf variety from the supermarket. The one I’ve been buying lately is a mix of butter lettuce and tender greens. And it’s absolutely divine!

Does it matter which oil, vinegar and seasoning I use for my salad?

Yes! Because this salad is so simple, it’s all about the ingredients.

• Olive oil – Choose a good-quality olive oil. Extra-virgin is the least processed, highest-quality and most flavour-packed type.
• Vinegar – Use a high-quality balsamic vinegar. I have taken a photo of the one I’m using at the moment and love. It can be found at Harris Farm here in Australia and also on Amazon, but don’t stress if you can’t get it. Just try and look for a balsamic vinegar that has no sugar and contains “grape must” as the first ingredient, rather than vinegar, as these balsamics are thicker, more drizzle-worthy and naturally sweeter – an aged balsamic also gets extra points.
• Salt – Sea salt flakes versus regular table salt offers not only an incredible flavour but an amazing texture with little pops of salty crunchiness
• Pepper – Freshly cracked black pepper has a completely different fragrance and flavour from the pepper you can purchase pre-cracked at the supermarket, so I highly recommend it.

Salad toppers – for extra flavour and crunch!
These delicious, crispy toppers are fantastic to jazz up salads, whenever you want a little extra flavour and texture.

• Toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) – Toasted pepitas add a gorgeous crunch and nutty flavour to salads. Toast 150 g (1 cup) of raw shelled pepitas in a dry frying pan until golden brown and season with ½ teaspoon of salt before sprinkling on your salad.
• Chorizo crumb – Finely dice chorizo and cook it in a dry frying pan until crispy. Crumble it onto your salad to add a smoky, spicy flavour-bomb.
• Crispy bacon bits – Fry bacon until crispy in a dry pan and crumble it over the top of your salad. Add a little maple syrup if you like.

If you enjoyed Green Leafy Salad with Balsamic Dressing, I think you’ll love:

Tomato and Burrata Salad Recipe
Easy Rocket (Arugula) and Parmesan Salad Recipe
Kale, Quinoa and Halloumi Salad Recipe
Cheat’s Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
Homemade Coleslaw Recipe

Green Leafy Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Author: Nicole

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This simple Green Leafy Salad with Balsamic Dressing recipe can be whipped up in 5 minutes and is the ideal side as it goes with almost anything!

Prep 5 minutes mins

Total 5 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 170 g (6 oz) mixed leaves of your choice
• ▢ 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• ▢ ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

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• Place the mixed leaves in a large bowl, drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt flakes and black pepper. 
• Toss with tongs and serve immediately. 

Nutrition information

Nutrition Facts

Green Leafy Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Amount per Serving

Calories

138

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

14

g

22

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

10

g

Sodium

 

602

mg

26

%

Potassium

 

83

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

2

g

1

%

Fiber

 

0.1

g

0

%

Sugar

 

1

g

1

%

Protein

 

1

g

2

%

Vitamin A

 

484

IU

10

%

Vitamin C

 

10

mg

12

%

Calcium

 

9

mg

1

%

Iron

 

0.4

mg

2

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes

Recipe notes

MAKE AHEAD

This Green Leafy Salad with Balsamic Dressing is best made and served immediately.

LEFTOVERS

Leftovers at a push can be refrigerated for a maximum of 24 hours, but you can expect softened leaves, even within a few hours. If you know you’re going to have leftovers, use more robust salad leaves such as rocket (arugula), baby spinach, curly endive (frisée) or even finely shredded kale.

Equipment

• My Go-to Kitchen Equipment >
• My Go-to Kitchen Appliances >

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Course Salad, Sides

Cuisine American, French