Simple Romaine House Salad
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Sep 30, 2026 
This romaine salad is a simple “house” salad has crisp romaine and a creamy homemade garlic Parmesan dressing that comes together in minutes, and pairs well with just about any dinner!
An Easy Romaine Lettuce Salad
Allow me to introduce you to our family’s “house” salad! It’s the romaine lettuce salad I make on repeat because it goes with basically everything and I always have the ingredients. Crisp romaine, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion are my fridge staples, and the creamy garlic Parmesan dressing comes together in about two minutes right in the serving bowl, which means one less thing to wash (love that!)
Now here’s the thing about this salad: it lives or dies by how dry your lettuce is. When I tested it with damp romaine, the dressing just slid off and the whole bowl tasted thin and watery, but a well-dried head holds onto that creamy, garlicky dressing in a way that makes every bite taste exactly right (ditto my big Italian chopped salad, which you should definitely try next!).
The dressing keeps for up to three days in the fridge, so I almost always make a double batch on Sunday and pull it out all week long. In this case, just make the dressing separately then toss together when ready to serve. This is the PERFECT salad to serve with baked ziti, chicken Parmesan, stuffed shells, and more, which is exactly what you want from a house salad you’ll actually make on repeat. Yum!
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make a Simple Romaine Salad!
Robyn’s Testing Tips for Romaine Salad with Homemade Dressing
- Spin the romaine until it’s really, truly dry, not just mostly dry. When I tested with lettuce that still had moisture clinging to it, the dressing thinned out immediately and the whole salad tasted diluted by the time it hit the table.
- I tested the dressing with both fresh and bottled lemon juice and fresh wins every time. The bottled version tasted flat and a little metallic, while fresh lemon gave the dressing that bright, tangy kick that makes it taste homemade in the best way!
- Slice the red onion as thin as you possibly can, as thick slices are too sharp and take over every bite, but when I sliced them paper thin they mellowed into the dressing and added flavor without dominating.
Simple Romaine House Salad
Ingredients
For the Garlic Parmesan Dressing
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
For the Romaine Salad
- 2 medium romaine hearts, chopped, washed and spun very dry (about 8 cups chopped)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup English cucumber, chopped into half-moons
- ¼ medium red onion, very thinly sliced
Equipment
- Large Bowl
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan, salt, and black pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust, add more lemon juice for brightness or more salt as needed.
- Assemble: Add the romaine, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion to a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss well until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve: Toss with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan and serve with additional freshly ground black pepper if that’s your thing.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Dress the salad right before serving and don’t let it sit too long. If making ahead, just prepare the dressing separately and then toss to combine when ready to serve.
