If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I live for my nightly "House Salad" with cucumbers, avocado and my moms balsamic dressing. It’s a staple. Simple, fresh, and totally versatile – it’s the salad that winds up on our table 5 out of 7 nights, and once you try it, you’ll see why! I give you... the WGC House Salad!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
This house salad is my ride-or-die. It’s crisp, refreshing, and goes with literally EVERYTHING. Making meatballs? Easy, house salad on the side. Pasta? House salad. Pizza night? You already know. Fish, chicken, steak, lasagna – it’s the ultimate sidekick.
And the best part? It’s made with ingredients I always have on hand - avocados, cucumbers, salt, pepper... easy. Plus, if you want to make it a meal, just throw some grilled chicken or salmon on top and call it a day. Trust me, once this is in your regular rotation, you’ll soon adopt it as your own house salad and never look back.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Little Gem Lettuce
- Green onions (optional)
- Avocados
- Kosher salt + freshly cracked black pepper
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Garlic
- Shallot
*Full ingredient list with measurements is below*
How to Make
Arrange the mixed lettuce on a large platter or in a serving bowl.
Scatter the sliced cucumbers, green onions, and avocado wedges over the top.
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add more vinaigrette if needed.Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Lettuce matters: I love a mix of soft and crunchy greens—think butter or little gem lettuce, romaine, and a little radicchio for color.
- Dressing in BULK: Make a triple batch of the vinaigrette and keep it in your fridge for the week. It’s great on roasted veggies, grain bowls, or even as a quick marinade.
- Avocado 101: Add the avocado right before serving so it stays fresh and doesn’t brown.
- Get Creative: Toss in fresh herbs (hello, basil + chives) or add a little crumbled feta or Parmesan for extra flavor.
FAQ's
Can I make this House Salad ahead of time?
Yes and no! The dressing can be made in advance, and you can prep the veggies, but don’t toss it all together until you’re ready to eat. No one likes a soggy salad.
What can I add to make it a full meal?
Grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, or even crispy chickpeas – the options are endless.
Can I swap the dressing?
100%! A French Dijon vinaigrette or even my famous basil vinaigrette would be chef’s kiss here.
Similar Recipes
House Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups lettuce little gem, butter or radicchio
- 3 Persian Cucumbers thinly sliced
- 2 green onions sliced on a bias
- 2 avocados cut into wedges
For the balsamic vinaigrette
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ shallot finely chopped (about 1-2 tbsp)
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Arrange the mixed lettuce on a large platter or in a serving bowl.
- Scatter the sliced cucumbers, green onions, and avocado wedges over the top.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add more vinaigrette if needed.Serve immediately and enjoy!
I LOVE this one. We have it all of the time!!
This salad is just perfect! It will be on our weekly rotation from now on.
This was a hit! Made it to go with our Thanksgiving dinner and it was the perfect complement. This will be my go to green salad going forward.
Note- I added homemade croutons and used cherry tomatoes.
In a world full of complicated salad recipes this is the perfect everyday salad with just enough to make it still feel special! I subbed out the green onion for thin slices of red and served with baked salmon and a squeeze of lemon.. perfect light summer dinner!
This is going to be my go-to salad from now on. Absolutely delicious! The mint makes it!
Yum! This looks so simple and easy but also delicious and healthy - basically all the things you could ever ask for! Plus throw avocado in anything and I'm pretty much game!
http://www.sprinklesandsaturdays.com
I want this salad in MY house! Haha 🙂 it looks so fresh and delicious!
This is a beautiful salad. I love it as a side, but it makes a wonderful meal as well.
This is great. All salad recipes tend to be fancy and complicated. I love that you just posted a simple house salad!!
Just so pretty and refreshing- I love this salad!!
I can't wait to dig into this salad! This salad is so pretty!