Little Gems & Cucumber Salad
Little Gems & Cucumber Salad
About this Recipe
Crisp, bright, and tangy, this salad piles green on green on green. Little Gem lettuces’ tight, compact leaves combine with cool cucumbers for a delightful crunch. The dressing is a riff on a green goddess dressing, a California classic traditionally made with herbs, sour cream, mayonnaise, and anchovies. Lemony-tart sorrel stands in for the herbs. There are no anchovies in this version, but instead a little grated garlic and maybe a pinch of thyme, if you’d like. It’s an all-purpose dressing that works on lots of fresh salads, or with raw or roasted vegetables (or if you eat seafood, grilled fish too).
The Benefits
Sorrel offers plenty of fiber, along with vitamins A and C. It’s also a good source of minerals: magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, and potassium. Magnesium in particular helps keep your bones and heart healthy.
Ingredients
Makes 6 to 8 servings
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
Zero Waste: Use sorrel stems for your herb broth, pesto, or green sauce
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.
View profile
More by Betty Hallock
Armenian Cucumber & Melon Salad
Armenian cucumbers are wondrous fruit. They look and taste a lot like cucumbers, but are part of the muskmelon family. In this salad, they join their cousin melons.
Black Lentil Soup with Turmeric
Black lentils hold their shape, while turmeric, ginger, and coconut yogurt add complex aromas and flavors to this vegan soup recipe.
Carrot Salad with Chile Vinaigrette
This carrot salad recipe has golden raisins, chickpeas, walnuts, scallions, fresh herbs, sumac, and a chile-bolstered honey-mustard vinaigrette.
