All Green Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette

March 17, 2015

4.2

(14)

All green salad with citrus vinaigrette in a white bowl.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone

This all-green salad is studded with creamy avocado, crunchy cucumbers, and asparagus, and punctuated by tons of fresh dill and basil. The varied shades of green look like spring in a bowl.

Recipe information

Total Time
25 minutes
Yield
Serves 8

Ingredients

Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons honey

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad and Assembly

Kosher salt

2 bunches asparagus (about 1½ pounds), ends trimmed and cut on a diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1 romaine heart, roughly chopped

1 English hothouse cucumber, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced

1 ripe avocado, cut into ½-inch cubes

15 basil leaves, torn

⅓ cup torn fresh dill fronds

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Vinaigrette
Step 1
Whisk shallot, vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, and honey in a medium bowl until combined. Add oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until combined. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Salad and Assembly
Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; prepare a large bowl of ice water and a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels. Add asparagus to the boiling water and cook until crisp tender, 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and immediately plunge into the ice water until chilled, then use slotted spoon to transfer asparagus to baking sheet to drain.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine romaine, cucumber, avocado, basil, dill, and blanched asparagus. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine. Serve salad with remaining dressing on the side.
Do Ahead: Asparagus can be blanched up to 2 days in advance; store in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.

TagsEpicurious Salad California Cuisine American Asparagus Vegetable Avocado Cucumber Side Lunch Brunch Dinner Dairy Free Vegan Vegetarian Gluten Free Nut Free 30 Minutes or Less Quick Easy

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Reviews (14)

Loved it! I’m actually surprised that there were any negative reviews, but I suppose everyone’s tastes differ. The citrus vinaigrette is indeed sour, so if that’s not your bag perhaps steer away, but IMHO I thought it worked great with the greens. I also wonder if others who described it as bland didn’t season with enough salt and pepper? In any case I’m definitely keeping this recipe in my rotation.
- Sour loving Alex
- Milwaukee, WI
- 6/28/2022
This was delicious alongside a seafood gratin. I took heed from the reviewers and added the snow peas and also added toasted almond slices and fried shallots ( from Asian market in a jar)for crunch so I did not add shallots to the vinaigrette . It was a hit with my foodie guests.
- deford
- Charlotte, NC
- 4/15/2021
I had such high hopes for this salad but it was disappointing--too bland and not enough differentiation in flavor. I had left overs so I'm going to attempt to "kick it up a bit", starting with some salt, maybe some toasted pecans or almonds and some feta. Probably won't make it again.
- strawberryroan
- Cincinnati, OH
- 10/21/2019
Okay I made some changes, so three forks for the recipe and one fork for me ;-) I only used 1/4 of the dill, included a good handful of blanched snow peas sliced diagonally, and made the dressing as written. To finish, I threw in several black olives semi sun dried with orange marmalade and garnished with twisted orange slices. Devoured. Raves. This is a good fresh salad that goes with anything.
- janejetson
- Sydney, Australia
- 9/10/2016
This is a delicious salad. I have made it many times for family as well as guests, and receive compliments every time. It is beautiful and flavorful.
- jessandwalt
- 7/22/2016
I also felt this was a disappointment. The salad itself was fine, but needed something additional- crunch, onion- something. The dressing was also very bland. A nothing special salad. Had left-over salad which never happens in my house.
- Anonymous
- 3/28/2016
This salad was a disappointment to me. I didn't diverge from the ingredients or amounts listed; and, for me, it simply didn't work. The dressing was too sour. In hindsight, a creamy dressing would have gone better with the asparagus. The amount of dill in the salad was overpowering and worked against the bay leaves; and the combination of ingredients in the salad didn't compliment. I made this for a family dinner at my daughter's. Salad was left on plates and in the salad bowl. Not a hit.
- fullmooninnapavalley
- Napa, CA
- 9/20/2015