Simple Green Salad with Homemade Dressing

This Simple Green Salad with homemade dressing makes a healthy side dish to any meal. Or you can add in chicken, steak, or summer sausage and enjoy this for a healthy and filling lunch!

If you love making simple salad recipes as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like my Chicken Sausage Greek Salad, Garlic Lime Chicken Taco Salad With Avocado Dressing, Strawberry Balsamic Broccoli Salad, or Roasted Cauliflower Turkey Salad With Lemon Dressing.

simple green salad in a large white bowl on a white marble countertop.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Simple Green Salad with Homemade Dressing
Ready In: 5 minutes
Makes: 1 serving
Main Ingredients: spring mix, avocado, pumpkin seeds, pickles
Flavor Profile: vibrant veggies with a crunch and citrus dressing
Dietary Info: gluten free, vegan, eggless, no seed oils
Difficulty: Easy!
Why You’ll Love It: lots of vegetables, hearty seeds, filling nuts and the sweet and salty umami flavor

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

10 Minutes: Only takes 10 minutes to chop veggies and mix up dressing, so it's perfect for when you don't have a ton of time.
Main or Side: Serve this simple green salad with homemade dressing as a side dish or add in protein like chicken, steak, parmesan cheese, goat cheese, or summer sausage to make it a meal!
Simple Organic Ingredients: Fresh organic veggies, seeds, nuts, and homemade dressing make up this beautiful salad!
Vegan & Gluten Free: Naturally vegan and gluten free, this simple green salad with homemade dressing is a healthy side dish without dairy or gluten.
Salty & Sweet: I love using my recipe for The Best Refrigerator Pickles in this salad as it brings some salty and sweetness to this organic salad. If you don’t have those on hand, or if you don’t want any sugar, you can use cucumbers in their place.
Homemade Dressing: The dressing ingredients I use are only olive oil, balsamic and seasoning mix. This is my top trick for making a delicious salad dressing without seed oils but with a little tang that's totally customizable.

Jump to:

A Quick Look At The Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Homemade Salad Dressing Hack
Easy Substitutions
How to Make a Simple Green Salad with Homemade Dressing
Serving Ideas
Simple Green Salad with Homemade Dressing FAQ’s
More Organic Salad Recipes
Simple Green Salad With Homemade Dressing
The Bake Shop

Ingredients

Mixed Greens: Feel free to use any kind of organic mixed greens or lettuce leaves you have. But, I like the organic spring mix which includes butter lettuce and spinach.
Green Bell Pepper: I use green bell peppers here, keeping with the theme. But, any color bell peppers wok!
Pickles: I use my recipe for The Best Refrigerator Pickles in this recipe. You can also just use cucumbers if you prefer.
Pumpkin Seeds: I use organic roasted and salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) for a little extra crunch. You could also use sunflower seeds too.
Pistachios: I use organic pistachios that are already roasted, salted, and shelled (for ease). I'm using pistachios to keep this salad in the “green” theme, but almonds, walnuts, or even cashews also work too if you prefer.
EVOO: I make my own homemade salad dressing with organic extra virgin olive oil.
Seasoning Mix: I use FreshJax Organic Citrus Pepper Blend for a one ingredient spice mix that provides so much flavor to the dressing and it's so easy! You can use any seasoning mix you like, such as Italian.

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Homemade Salad Dressing Hack

I make my own homemade salad dressing with just 3 ingredients for this simple green salad. While most store bought salad dressings contain seed oils, soy, or flavors, you can easily avoid all of these ingredients when you make your own!

I use a simple mix of organic extra virgin olive oil, balsamic, and seasoning mix. By using an organic seasoning mix you can really create a quick and easy homemade dressing that has so much flavor! It's going to blow your mind how easy this homemade dressing is and how much flavor it has!

If you don't have the seasoning mix I use, you can use an Italian seasoning, or even just a little dried oregano, or other mediterranean herbs with a little salt and black pepper to give you a homemade dressing that's super quick and easy. You could even add a little lemon juice, dijon mustard, or a touch of honey if you want! This is super customizable and you can play around with it.

Easy Substitutions

Use any kind of lettuce you like. While I'm using a spring mix, you can also use spinach, kale, romaine, or iceberg.
Feel free to swap veggies for things you have in you fridge. While I'm using all green to keep with the theme, you can definitely mix it up!
You can also use sauerkraut in place of pickles for a very similar flavor!
I'm using FreshJax Organic Citrus Pepper Blend here for a very light and bright flavor, but you can use your favorite seasoning. I also love using everything bagel seasoning or Italian seasoning on this salad. Try them out too!

How to Make a Simple Green Salad with Homemade Dressing

In a large bowl, add the mixed greens, bell pepper, avocado, cucumbers (or pickles), celery, pumpkin seeds, and pistachios.

Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top and sprinkle with the citrus pepper seasoning and stir together.

simple green salad mixed together with a fork in a large white bowl on a white marble countertop.

Serving Ideas

Make this as a side to Garlic Herb Beef Tenderloin Steak, Organic Turkey Burgers with Grilled Onions, or Organic Meatloaf with Bone Broth.
Add grilled chicken, steak, deli meat like ham or turkey into this salad for more protein.
If you're vegan or vegetarian, try adding your favorite grilled tofu.
Enjoy with Pan Pizza Dough Recipe With Instant Yeast or Mushroom Broccoli Pizza With Homemade Crust.
I love as a simple meal with Air Fryer Loaded Garlic Bread.
This makes a great side to cozy soups like Meyer Lemon Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Ham Bone Soup, or Healthy Beef Soup With Leeks.
Enjoy with cozy stew like Slow Cooker Pumpkin Stew or Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Stew.

Simple Green Salad with Homemade Dressing FAQ's

What is the best lettuce for a simple green salad?

I like to use mixed greens for the best flavor and texture. But, you can use a single lettuce like romaine, kale, or even all spinach if you prefer. This recipe is super flexible.

Can I use spinach instead of mixed greens?

Yes, absolutely, feel free to use all spinach if you prefer.

Can I use cucumbers instead of pickles?

Yes, this totally works!

Can I add protein to make this a meal?

Yes, add your favorite such as chicken, steak, summer sausage or even cheeses like parmesan, feta or goat cheese to add some protein.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can prep this salad ahead of time. But, don't dress it. If you dress this it can become soggy, so just prep ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Then dress the salad before serving it.

Can I make the homemade dressing ahead of time?

You can if you want to store it in a jar and then just shake it up before adding to your salad. I usually just dress it right onto the salad because it's just so easy, there's really no need to make it in advance.

Can I use another vinegar besides balsamic?

You can, I recommend using apple cider vinegar if you don't have balsamic.

What seasoning works best in homemade salad dressing?

For this recipe I'm using a citrus seasoning blend. This is going to give the dressing a light and zesty flavor. But, you can feel free to switch it up and use an Italian seasoning blend or another mix of Mediterranean spices. That's why I love this salad dressing trick, as it's super flexible and the olive oil and balsamic act as a wonderful base to switch up the flavors depending on the spices you use.

How long does homemade salad dressing last in the refrigerator?

If you are making a bottle of dressing in advance, it will last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge in an airtight container.

Can I make this salad bigger?

Absolutely! If you want to make this as a big salad for a dinner party you can just 3x the recipe using the recipe card and it will triple it for you! If you're serving this as a side salad, then tripling the recipe will give you about 6 servings as opposed to just 3 if it's served as a side and not a main.

Can I make this salad for meal prep lunches?

Yes, this is a great salad for meal prep. Just don't dress it, add the dressing into a separate container and then dress right before eating.

What can I serve with a simple green salad?

This is a great side salad to so many meals such as meatloaf, steak, chicken, sheet pan dinners, pasta or even salmon!

More Organic Salad Recipes

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Gut Healthy Chicken Salad

Strawberry Balsamic Broccoli Salad

Garlic Lime Chicken Taco Salad With Avocado Dressing

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