Little Gem Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

This little gem salad is an easy, flavorful side salad you can serve any time of year but is especially good in spring and summer. Little gem lettuce is mixed with thinly sliced vegetables, fresh herbs, and sunflower seeds, then tossed with a delicious sherry vinaigrette.

Simple enough for an easy weeknight dinner side salad or entertaining friends.

Want a simple and vibrant salad to add to your dinner rotation? This little gem salad will do the trick! The key is using fresh lettuce and fresh herbs to add a ton of delicate flavors. The homemade sherry vinaigrette is easy to make and balances the herbs perfectly.

Serve this salad with some seared shrimp, fish, or chicken for a light satisfying dinner. Add some fresh baked bread to round out the meal.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Little gem salad:

• little gem lettuce: Tender, small romaine-like leaves are buttery and flavorful and make up the base for this salad. If you can't find little gem lettuce, you can use the smaller inner leaves of romaine or butter lettuce instead.
• carrots + cucumber: You can use whatever vegetables you'd like as long as you can shave them THIN to keep the textural integrity of the salad. Radishes, cucumbers, carrots, red bell peppers, and asparagus work well.
• fresh herbs: mint, parsley, and dill are my favorite herbs to use in this salad. The flavors work so well with the sherry dressing. Other herbs that would work well would be fennel fronds, basil, thyme, parsley, and chives.
• sunflower seeds: I love how the sunflower seeds sit on the lettuce in this salad and add that salty nutty crunch. You can substitute with pine nuts or slivered almonds if desired.
• flakey sea salt + black pepper

Sherry Vinaigrette:

• sherry vinegar
• shallot: minced
• dried thyme
• Dijon mustard
• maple syrup
• olive oil
• salt + pepper

1. Make the sherry vinaigrette.
2. Wash + dry the little gem lettuce.
3. Toss the lettuce with the sherry dressing.
4. Top the lettuce with vegetables, herbs, and sunflower seeds, finishing salt and pepper.
5. Serve with more dressing on the side and enjoy!

Make Ahead + Storage Instructions

Sherry Vinaigrette: Make and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days before serving.

Little Gem Salad: Wash and dry lettuce and sliced vegetables and store each ingredient separately, in an airtight container, topped with a damp paper towel, for up to 2 days before serving.

Recipe Inspiration

This salad was inspired by The Madrona Salad I tasted at Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, CA. It was the perfect appetizer before the main course: Black Cod over carrot puree with fennel salad, it was so good, that I had to recreate it myself.