Simple Romaine House Salad

Wooden bowl of salad with romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, red onion, shredded cheese, and creamy dressing; two wooden salad servers placed inside the bowl.

This simple romaine salad comes together in 10 minutes with a homemade creamy garlic Parmesan dressing and works as an easy side for almost any dinner.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword easy, healthy, quick, romaine salad

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 0

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 118

Author Robyn Conley Downs

Equipment

Large Bowl

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

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.

Tip: The dressing should be tangy, garlicky, and just rich enough to lightly coat the romaine without being heavy.

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.

Nutrition