Greenhouse Salad
Salads don’t have to be boring! This easy Greenhouse Salad is packed with flavor, color, and crunch, and the zesty citrusy dressing ties it all together! If you’re a salad fan or just want to incorporate more leafy greens into your meals, this is the salad for you!
I love this salad. It’s well-balanced with a great assortment of textures and colors, and it’s so tasty! Fennel, radishes, and cucumber are the main stars, in addition to the greens, of course. But the beauty of this salad is that you can mix and match to customize it just how you like it.
Greenhouse salad
There’s fresh dill in this salad, too. Don’t be afraid of fresh dill! When combined with the other ingredients, it’s not that strong. And it works so beautifully with the dressing, which is a combination of orange, lime, lemon, and grapefruit juices.
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Refreshing, delicious, and so pretty to look at, this salad is perfect as a starter or the main meal! See all my serving suggestions below.
Why I love this recipe
- It’s fresh, refreshing, and so easy to make.
- You can prep everything ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Just shake the dressing and dress the salad before serving. You can also let guests add their own dressing.
- The fresh citrus is really fabulous in this dressing, and you can make the dressing up to a day in advance.
Gather these ingredients
- Mixed greens – I like using baby spring mix, but you can use any combination of lettuce. Use bagged lettuce to cut down on prep time.
- Fennel bulb – Use a mandolin to shave it super thin.
- Radishes – Thinly sliced. They add a nice peppery bite to the salad.
- Pepitas – Toasted. Look for small green pumpkin seeds, often called pepitas.
- Cucumber – Thinly sliced. I like using English cucumbers. They have edible skins and look so pretty in this salad.
- Orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit – You’ll need 1 of each. And a juicer to get all the juice from them.
- Honey – You can use another sweetener to make this a vegan salad.
- Olive oil – Good quality olive oil.
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper – To taste.
How to make this easy Greenhouse Salad
- Wash and pat dry the lettuce, if needed, and place it in a large salad bowl. Tear larger pieces.
- Thinly slice the fennel, radish, and cucumbers and arrange them on top of the greens.
- Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and grapefruit juices in a small bowl or a jar with a tightly fitting lid.
- Whisk in the olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. If using a jar, fasten the lid and shake to combine.
- Top the salad with the toasted pepitas and drizzle on the dressing. Toss and serve!
Tips & substitutions
- Make things easier on yourself and buy packaged, pre-washed greens. There are so many delicious combinations of greens. I particularly like baby spring greens, but you can use all your favorites. If you’re using whole heads, look for tender lettuce like butter lettuce and red leaf.
- Don’t use pumpkin seeds with the hulls on them, as they’re too hard to chew in this salad. Opt instead for the green pepita seeds, which are basically hull-less pumpkin seeds. You could use shelled sunflower seeds instead.
- Carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and even green onions are all great additions to this easy salad recipe. I wouldn’t use red onion as it might overpower the delicate flavor of the citrus dressing.
Serving suggestions
This is a terrific potluck salad, but it’s also terrific as a side salad or starter course. Sometimes, I cut the recipe in half if it’s just for the family; otherwise, it makes enough to serve about 8. I’ll also top it with a grilled chicken breast and turn it into an entree salad. Serve this bright, citrusy salad with hearty dishes like Tuna Stuffed Shells, Chicken Paprika, or Chili Braised Pork.
Storage
Store any undressed salad in the fridge for up to a day. The dressing will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
Check out these awesome salad recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Greenhouse Salad
Ingredients
- 8 cups mixed greens
- 1 bulb fennel, finely sliced
- 8 radishes, finely sliced
- 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, use toasted small green ones, not BIG white ones
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- Fresh dill
Instructions
- Lightly rinse greens and pat dry, place in a large salad bowl.
- Thinly slice fennel, radish, and cucumber and place on top of greens.
- In a small bowl, combine the citrus juice and honey. Whisk in olive oil and season with sea salt & cracked pepper.
- Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on the salad.
- Dress salad and lightly toss.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
