Fresh herbs bring a luscious touch of flavor indulgence to vinaigrette. My favorite builds a dream team of fresh tarragon mixed with chives, parsley, and celery leaves plucked from the celery’s heart. Although a bare-bone vinaigrette made with oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper works just fine on a simple salad, sometimes I like to tinker with the basics.
The fiddling pays off when the fresh herb vinaigrette dresses a mix of Iceberg lettuce and one of the mixed greens combos sold in the marketplace. One I like is dubbed a “Super Greens Blend.” It contains a mix of baby spinach, baby kale, and baby spinach. There are many combinations in supermarkets’ produce sections, and one of those can be substituted.
I garnish the herb-enriched salad serving with a judicious amount of crumbled feta cheese and pomegranate seeds. And take note, the dressing is also delicious spooned over roast chicken. Yum.
Mixed Green Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons finely diced shallot
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped celery leaves
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 cups Iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
5 cups mixed baby greens, such as baby spinach and baby arugula, or baby spinach with baby kale and baby chard, or mixed greens labeled “spring mix.”
Garnish: Crumbled feta cheese, pomegranate seeds
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small glass measuring cup with a handle or a small bowl, add vinegar, mustard, garlic, shallot, and salt. Stir to combine and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Whisk in oil in a thin steam. Add chives, parsley, tarragon, and celery leaves. Add pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
2. Place lettuce and greens in a large salad bowl. Stir vinaigrette and spoon enough over lettuce and greens to coat the leaves. Toss. Divide between salad plates and top each serving with some crumbled feta cheese and pomegranate seeds. Serve.
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.