It’s officially that time of year, my favorite time of year ~ salad and berry season! So my recipe for this Butter Lettuce, Strawberry and Avocado Salad with Sunflower Seeds and Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing has all the good summer vibes.
Is it Boston, butter or bibb lettuce?
To answer this question that stumped me at first, too, boston and bibb lettuces are members of the butterhead lettuce family.
These tender greens have a sweet neutral taste, making them great for summer salads, sandwich toppers, and even to use as lettuce wraps.
Often you see these varieties in clamshells in the produce section with the root still attached. Or they are often hanging out among the other loose heads, such as romaine.
You can of course buy this pre-chopped, but as with all lettuces (and really all vegetables and fruit for that matter), cutting it up yourself makes all the difference in taste and quality.
Berries from my local farmers market via Stokes Farm
I use strawberries for this salad, but of course you can use raspberries or blueberries. I also keep it simple with adding only avocado and sunflower seeds, but any one of these other ingredients would work:
- almond ricotta or smoked cashew cheese (vegan)
- goats milk cheese or feta (if you prefer dairy)
- grilled chicken for the meat eaters in the family
- heirloom cherry tomatoes
- sliced breakfast radish
- sliced cucumber
- edible flowers
- fresh mint
- quinoa
Raspberries or blueberries are also delish in this salad!
Sunflower seeds go well with everything in this salad, and I always recommend roasting first. I prefer to buy nuts and seeds raw and roast myself. This way I am not getting unwanted oils and sodium that can often be found in pre-roasted nuts/seeds.
The easiest way to roast/toast seeds or nuts is to bake them at 350° for 8-12 minutes, depending on what you are roasting. Seeds are quicker than nuts such as hazelnuts and walnuts.
And speaking of nuts, any nuts would be awesome in this salad. Try any of these:
- almonds
- pistachios
- walnuts
- pecans
- cashews
Tip: shake vinaigrettes in a small jar to emulsify
The dressing comes together by whisking in a small bowl, or you can shake it up in a small jar to emulsify (aka bind). The dijon mustard helps to naturally bind the acids (lemon and vinegar) with the oil.
What is the reason for making an emulsified dressing, you ask? Flavor balance! Otherwise, you get some bites of greens that are oily, and some that are too vinegary.
The old standard for acid to fat ratio in vinaigrettes was 1:3 (1 part acid such as vinegar to 3 parts oil). But, now the ratio is more like 1:2, which makes a vinaigrette with a more vibrant and tangy flavor.
This salad is perfect for lunch, brunch or a picnic
If you make this recipe please tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below. I love seeing your creations!
Feelin’ fruity? Check these other recipes out…
Ricotta Toast with Macerated Berries
Mango, Avocado & Butter Lettuce Salad
| Servings |
servings
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- 1 tbsp minced shallot
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey sub maple or omit for vegan
- 2 tbsp extra virgin avocado or olive oil
- 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
- 2 heads boston bibb lettuce chopped (about 4 - 6 cups)
- 1/2 pint strawberries washed, trimmed and sliced
- 1 large avocado chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
Ingredients
Dressing ingredients
Salad ingredients
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- in a small bowl or small jar combine all dressing ingredients and whisk or shake to blend, then season to taste with salt & pepper (dressing makes about 1/3 cup)
- ensure lettuces are washed and well dried, then in a large bowl combine all salad ingredients except sunflower seeds
- gently toss salad with part of dressing, top with seeds and a little more dressing, then serve right away
- recipe serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main
- see blog post for recipe tips and variations
Original recipe created by Jerran Boyer
www.healthnutchefs.com