Little Gems & Cucumber Salad

Recipe 20 minPreparation Time 0 minCooking Time

Little Gems & Cucumber Salad

20 minPreparation Time 0 min Cooking Time

About this Recipe

This crisp, tangy salad combines Little Gem lettuce with cool cucumbers for a refreshing bite. The dressing is a twist on green goddess, minus anchovies but with lemony sorrel.

The Benefits

This salad is rich in fiber and antioxidants from Little Gem lettuce and cucumbers that support digestion and promote glowing skin. The sorrel-based dressing adds vitamins A and C, boosting immunity and heart health.

Ingredients

6 to 8 servings MAKES

Sorrel-Buttermilk Dressing

2 cups (40 g) sorrel leaves, chopped
1/3 cup (70 g) mayonnaise
2 Tbsp (30 ml) buttermilk
2 Tbsp (30 ml) plain yogurt
1/8 tsp grated garlic
1/8 tsp dried thyme (optional)
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Salad

3 small Little Gem lettuces
1 small, firm cucumber
3 radishes
1½ Tbsp minced shallot
6 chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Make the dressing: Put the sorrel, mayonnaise, buttermilk, yogurt, garlic, and thyme, if you’re using it, into a blender. Blend just until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Step 2

Trim the base of the lettuces. Pull a few of the whole outer leaves off of the lettuces and put them in a large bowl. Cut the lettuce hearts into quarters lengthwise, so that you have wedges. If the hearts are on the bigger side, cut each quarter in half. Add them to the bowl.
Step 3

Cut the cucumber into very thin slices (use a mandoline if you have one) and put them in the bowl. Cut the radishes into very thin slices too and add them to the bowl. Add the minced shallot and the chives. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the vegetables and add a few grinds of black pepper. Toss to combine.
Step 4

Transfer the mixture to a serving platter. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing all over the platter of salad.

Substitutions: Add thin slices from a quarter of a ripe cantaloupe, or sliced avocado, or both.

Explore Recipe Ingredients

Ingredient

Chive

About the author

Betty Hallock

Betty is a writer and editor: A journalist who formerly worked at the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Los Angeles magazine, she also has co-authored four cookbooks. Her favorite meal for as long as she can remember has been ochazuke — rice with tea and pickled plum.

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