Do you have a house salad—the crunchy, fresh vegetable side you reach for when hosting a dinner or just want a reliable, bright salad?
We eat a lot of salads and like to switch things up: a classic Caesar with a beloved family dressing, a spinach and arugula mix with berries and nuts, or a crunchy cabbage salad with an Asian-style ginger dressing. Still, when I want an all-purpose, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salad, this is my go-to.
This salad combines a large variety of crisp vegetables, crunchy nuts, creamy feta, briny olives, tangy pickles, and garlicky, crispy croutons. The vinaigrette is bright and lively, lifting the flavors rather than weighing them down. It’s versatile, satisfying, and pairs well with nearly any main dish.
I hesitate to call this a strict “recipe” because it’s so adaptable, but the notes below will get you started — then feel free to customize with whatever veggies you have on hand.
Baty House Salad
5 from 1 review
- Author: Erica
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Total Time: 22-24 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
This loaded side salad is a crowd-pleaser and works with many dinner menus. For a main-course salad, add a protein like grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas to make it a complete meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 10oz spring mix
- 1 head butter lettuce, sliced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 radish, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup dill pickle, finely diced
- 10 kalamata olives, sliced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2–3 oz feta, crumbled
- 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
Croutons
- 2 cups crusty bread cubes (stale bread works great)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Big pinches of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
Croutons
Preheat oven to 350°F. Drizzle bread cubes with olive oil and toss so they absorb the oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt, then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 12–14 minutes, stirring once, until browned and crisp.
Vinaigrette
Whisk together Dijon, honey, minced garlic, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Taste and adjust with more lemon, honey, salt, or pepper as desired.
Salad
Place all salad ingredients and the croutons in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to combine. If you plan to eat the salad over several days, keep the dressing and croutons separate until serving to maintain crunch and freshness.
Notes
This salad is extremely flexible—use any fresh vegetables you enjoy or need to use up. Good additions include tomatoes, corn, cucumber, mushrooms, cabbage, or snap peas.
I like combining butter lettuce with a darker leafy green here, but romaine, kale, or other greens work well too.
To make it vegan: replace honey with agave and omit the feta or use a dairy-free alternative.
To make it gluten-free: prepare the croutons with gluten-free bread or omit them and add toasted seeds for crunch.