Can I use any salad greens here?

Tender greens, like butter lettuce and romaine, really work best here so that the salad doesn't get overpowered in flavor from something like spinach or arugula.

How long will the pickled onions last?

Store them for 3-5 days in a sealed jar in the fridge!

Can this salad be meal prepped?

Sure! The elements will all keep individually for several days in the fridge, so keep them separate in the fridge, mix things together right before enjoying, and you'll be good to go!

Liz's Bistro Salad Recipe

Name: Liz's Bistro Salad
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: French-Inspired
Ingredients: 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar; 1/2 cup water; a pinch of salt and sugar; 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; 1/2 cup canola oil (see notes); 3 tablespoons lemon juice (more to taste); 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard or mayo – the purpose of this is to emulsify the dressing

Description

Crunchy, light, bright, and ultra-fresh. This French-inspired bistro salad is an absolute star as a side for nearly any dinner. Tender greens, fresh herbs, pickled onions, and a delicate vinaigrette on top.

Ingredients

Units 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

Bistro Salad

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

1/2 cup canola oil (see notes)
3 tablespoons lemon juice (more to taste)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard or mayo – the purpose of this is to emulsify the dressing

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Instructions

Pickled Onions: Place the onions in a jar; fill the jar about a third of the way with vinegar, then fill to the top of the onions with water. Add salt and sugar, shake, and keep in the fridge for a few hours or a few days. (I’d suggest 30 minutes minimum if you’re short on time.)
Vinaigrette: Shake all dressing ingredients in a jar. It should be pleasantly bright and mellow – remember we’ll be adding a bunch of onions and herbs to the salad, so it’s okay for this dressing to be pretty chill. Keep this in the fridge if making ahead.
Salad: Prep all your salad greens – chop the romaine and the herbs, and gently tear the lettuce leaves into bite sized pieces.
Toss: Just before serving, toss greens, herbs, pickled onions, and dressing together – starting with about half of the dressing that’s in the jar, and adding more as necessary.
Serve: Taste and adjust; add salt and pepper to taste. It’s tender, bright, a little puckery, and so fresh. I love it.

Notes

To make ahead: prep the onions and the dressing. Chop the greens. Store everything separately in the fridge, and assemble the amount you need just before serving! This works really well as a make-ahead side salad for dinners throughout the whole week. I would double the dressing and then just buy a bunch of greens and throw my 2-4 person salads together every night throughout the week.

If you want to scale this up, you should have enough dressing for a 6-8 serving salad; just add another romaine heart and use a full head of butter lettuce instead of half.

You can use another oil if you want, but I like canola for the neutral flavor – it keeps the dressing very mild.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Chop
Cuisine: French-Inspired

Keywords: bistro salad, french salad, side salad