Loaded Garden Salad

A quick and easy loaded garden salad with butter lettuce, fresh veggies, and crunchy croutons, all tossed in a tangy vinaigrette. Fresh, simple. delicious. 

This is a regular salad on our dinner table and it’s also known as empty the fridge salad! I loaded this beauty up with lots of crisp veggies, salty feta cheese, and crunchy homemade croutons. This salad is always a hit with my family and a great way to use up leftover veggies in the fridge.

How to Make a Loaded Garden Salad

Make the vinaigrette by combining olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, together in a small glass jar. Seal with a lid and shake very well until emulsified. Set aside to allow flavors time to mingle. Shake well right before using.

Make the loaded garden salad by tearing the butter lettuce into pieces and placing it in a serving bowl or plate. Top with tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), radishes, red onion, feta cheese, homemade croutons, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds.

Drizzle with some of the well-whisked vinaigrette, to taste, and toss to coat evenly.  Serve immediately with additional vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy.

Loaded Garden Salad

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2½ tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• Pinch of sugar
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Loaded Garden Salad:

• 4 cups butter leaf lettuce
• 10 grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ English cucumber, diced
• ½ avocado, diced
• ¼ cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• ¼ cup red onion, slices
• 2 radishes, sliced
• 2 tbsp feta cheese
• 2 tbsp croutons
• 1-2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp roasted sun flower seeds

Instructions

• Make the vinaigrette by combining olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, together in a small glass jar. Seal with a lid and shake very well until emulsified. Set aside to allow flavors time to mingle. Shake very well right before using. Side Note: We like a very tangy vinaigrette, if you don't, add more olive oil to the recipe.
• Make the loaded garden salad by tearing the butter lettuce into pieces and placing it in a serving bowl or plate.
• Top with tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), red onion, radishes, feta cheese, homemade croutons, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds. 
• Drizzle with some of the well-whisked vinaigrette, to taste, and toss to coat evenly.  Serve immediately with additional vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy.

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