This simple and fresh green salad with the best homemade 4-ingredient dressing is a perfect side dish to any main course.
Simple Green Salad That Will WOW!
If you’ve browsed my site before, you know I’m all about quick and easy salads—and this simple and refreshing green salad is no exception. It takes just 15 minutes from start to finish, including the homemade raspberry vinaigrette, and it’s become a true family favorite in my house. I make it all the time, whenever I need a quick (and healthy!) side dish for a weeknight meal, but it’s just as perfect for holiday gatherings—whether it’s summer, fall, winter, Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas!
I toss together crisp sweet apples, tart dried cherries, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy pecans with a mix of leafy greens, then top it all with a tangy, pink vinaigrette. It’s totally customizable—seriously, you can swap almost anything. I’ve used whatever greens I have on hand (like mixed greens, spinach, butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, or arugula), changed up the nuts (I’ve tried pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews, and pistachios), and even swapped cheeses (goat cheese, feta, and Gorgonzola work so well!). This is my go-to green salad base for cleaning out the fridge! You can serve it with anything! Pair it with my popular main courses like chicken burrata pasta, veggie-packed Mediterranean salmon, or grilled steak. If you want to try a different dressing, make my Apple Spinach Salad with Honey-Lemon Mustard Dressing or Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing. I also recommend these fan-favorite leafy green salads that are popular on my site: Mango Blueberry Spinach Salad, Cranberry Spinach Salad with Cashews, or Mango Avocado Salad with Arugula and Pine Nuts.
The Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Mixed Leafy Greens: The quality of greens really matters: they should be fresh and bright. I use a spring mix, but I know this green salad will work beautifully with butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula, and even kale.
- Honeycrisp Apple is what I used. You can use your favorite sweet apples like Fuji or Gala. Use Granny Smith for more tartness. Pear works well, too.
- Dried Cherries: If I’m out, I swap in cranberries, dried blueberries, or even golden raisins.
- Pecans: Walnuts or almonds are just as good. You can also use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a nut-free version.
- Goat Cheese: I often substitute goat cheese with crumbled feta, blue cheese, Gorgonzola, or even shaved parmesan if that’s what I’ve got.
- Red Onion: Shallots or even green onions work in place of red onion for a milder taste, or just skip it if you’re not an onion fan.
- Raspberry Vinaigrette: Fresh raspberries are best, but frozen work too. If you don’t have cherry preserves, try raspberry or strawberry jam. You can even use a store-bought vinaigrette, but homemade is always worth it.
- Lemon Juice: This keeps the apples from browning and gives the salad a lift. Lime juice works just as well!
How to Make a Simple Green Salad
I like to start by gathering all my ingredients so everything’s ready to go. I spread the mixed greens out on a big platter or in a salad bowl, then layer on the toppings: the sliced apples, red onions, dried cherries, pecans, and goat cheese.
Squeezing fresh lemon juice over the salad right away keeps the apples from browning and adds a little brightness.
How to Make Raspberry Vinaigrette
For the salad dressing, I just toss the olive oil, cherry preserves, raspberries, and red wine vinegar into my food processor and blend on high until it’s super smooth and bright pink. Then, I usually pour it into a small pitcher or jar for easy (and pretty!) serving at the table.
Tips for Green Salad Success
- Prevent apple slices from browning: Always toss the apple slices in lemon juice right away. I do this even before I start assembling, unless I serve the salad right away.
- Keep the salad dressing colorful: Blend the raspberry vinaigrette just before serving for the brightest color and flavor. I keep a little extra raspberry or cherry preserve to stir in if I want it thicker.
- Prevent the greens from wilting: I like to arrange everything on a platter and drizzle the vinaigrette right before serving so the greens don’t wilt.
What to Serve with This Green Salad
- Classic Pairings: I love serving this simple green salad with chicken feta pasta, salmon orzo, or garlic butter flank steak for a simple but impressive weeknight dinner. It's a perfect side dish with pretty much any meal!
- Summer Cookout: The tangy raspberry vinaigrette pairs perfectly with smoky, grilled meats or fish. Here’s what I love serving it with: grilled teriyaki chicken skewers, tequila-lime grilled shrimp skewers, pan-seared marinated steak, grilled pork chops with Dijon-honey-herb marinade, or oven-baked BBQ ribs.
- Sandwich or Wrap: Pile the salad inside a pita or wrap with turkey or rotisserie chicken for the best lunch ever. You can also serve it with my chicken shawarma wraps or with my mortadella sandwich with burrata and pistachio pesto.
- Brunch: Add this simple green salad to a festive brunch spread with my sweet potato sausage frittata, breakfast puff pastry egg tarts, veggie-packed egg muffins, quiche, and fruit—perfect for showers or holidays.
- Holiday Side: This is my go-to holiday salad for special occasions or holiday dinners like Thanksgiving or Christmas—doubles as a beautiful, colorful centerpiece. Serve it with my roast duck or butternut squash spinach lasagna.
- Picnic Lunch: Toss in mason jars for easy, portable lunches (just layer dressing on the bottom, then greens, then toppings).
- With Soup: Pair with butternut squash soup or creamy tomato soup for a cozy, simple dinner.
Try My Other Favorite Green Salads
If you’re looking for more healthy green salad recipes that are easy enough for a weekday yet make a beautiful, colorful holiday presentation, here are my favs:
Simple Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Green Salad
- 6 cups mixed leafy greens
- 1 large Honeycrisp apple thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup dried cherries
- ⅓ cup pecans
- ⅓ cup goat cheese I used crumbled herb goat cheese
- The juice from 1 lemon
Raspberry Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cherry preserves
- ½ cup fresh raspberries
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients, then place the lettuce mixed greens in a large platter or bowl.
- Top with the sliced apples, sliced onions, dried cherries, pecans, and goat cheese. Squeeze lemon over the salad - it keeps the apples from browning.
- To make the Raspberry Vinaigrette, combine the olive oil, cherry preserves, raspberries, and red wine vinegar in a food processor or blender. Blend on high until a smooth, pinkish-red mixture forms. Add more cherry preserves for flavor or sweetness if desired.
- For ease of serving, transfer the vinaigrette to a small pitcher to pour over the salad. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toppings. Note: You don't have to use all of the salad dressing - use just enough to suit your taste, and save the rest for another salad.
Notes
- When made properly, the Raspberry Vinaigrette should be bright pink-ish red in color and be thin enough to drizzle over the salad.
Storage Tips
- Store components separately: Keep the greens, toppings, and vinaigrette in separate containers in the fridge. This keeps everything crisp and prevents sogginess.
- Add dressing last moment: Assembled (but undressed) salad will stay fresh for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- Add apples fresh: Slice and add apples right before serving to avoid browning, or toss them in lemon juice if you need to prep ahead.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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