Description

Liz’s Bistro Salad is a fresh and vibrant green salad featuring a mix of romaine and butter lettuce tossed with a bright herb vinaigrette, pickled red onions, and fresh tarragon, dill, and chives. The salad is perfectly balanced with a lemony, slightly sweet and tangy dressing, making it a tender and refreshing side dish or light meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Pickled Onions

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
A pinch of salt and sugar

Salad Greens and Herbs

1 romaine heart, stem removed and chopped
Half a head of butter lettuce, stem removed, gently torn
2 tablespoons fresh minced tarragon
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped or torn
1/4 cup fresh chives, minced

Vinaigrette Dressing

1/2 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice (more to taste)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or mayonnaise (for emulsification)

Instructions

Pickled Onions: Place the sliced red onions in a jar. Add 1/4 cup of white or red wine vinegar until the jar is a third full, then fill the jar to cover the onions with 1/2 cup of water. Add a pinch of salt and sugar, then shake the jar to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, though a few hours or days will develop more flavor.
Make the Vinaigrette: In a separate jar, combine canola oil, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and Dijon mustard or mayonnaise. Shake well until the dressing is emulsified and smooth. The vinaigrette should have a bright but mellow flavor. Chill in the fridge if preparing ahead of time.
Prepare Salad Greens and Herbs: Chop the romaine heart and gently tear the butter lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Mince the tarragon, chop or tear the dill, and mince the chives carefully.
Toss the Salad: Just before serving, combine the prepared greens, herbs, and pickled onions in a large bowl. Start by adding about half of the vinaigrette dressing and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing as needed to your taste.
Serve and Adjust Seasoning: Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. The salad should be tender, bright, a little puckery from the pickled onions, and very fresh. Serve immediately for the best texture.

Notes

You can let the pickled onions sit in the fridge for a few days to develop more flavor, but a minimum of 30 minutes is recommended.
The Dijon mustard or mayonnaise in the dressing acts as an emulsifier to combine oil and lemon juice well.
Use fresh herbs for the best flavor impact.
Feel free to adjust the lemon juice and seasoning to your taste.
Canola oil is preferred for its mild flavor, but olive oil can be used as an alternative.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American Bistro

Keywords: bistro salad, pickled onions, herb vinaigrette, fresh herbs salad, no-cook salad, lemon dressing, romaine salad, butter lettuce salad