Although this is the simplest salad ever, I feel it is my duty to pass along the recipe that left us longing for more. A friend from church sent my husband home with two bags of fresh garden lettuce and a recipe called “Wilted Lettuce Salad (so simple, so good).” Mmm, mmm. You had me at “Wilted”.
Our lettuce-grower friend’s instructions, which I’ve heard numerous times on Food Network, said to rinse the greens under cold water and then dry them in a salad spinner. This method makes for a crisp, rather than wet and limp, salad.
Next, either cut up or tear up the lettuce. A chef will probably tell you to tear it by hand to avoid bruising, but I was eating mine quickly so I didn’t care. I took the kitchen shears to it and made up two big bowls of crisp, clean lettuce for me and my hubs for a late dinner after the kids went to bed.
Finally, you’ll mix up the simple dressing (see below), microwave it until it’s boiling (maybe 30 seconds), dump it on the greens, and toss. The lettuce wilts down a little and absorbs all the flavor of the dressing. The resulting sweetness and tanginess of the salad makes it go down like a spoonful of sugar. 🙂
Although I would gladly eat Wilted Lettuce Salad again as is, I might try adding a little freshly grated Parm next time. I also imagine feta or blue cheese crumbles with some thinly sliced apples would pair nicely with the balsamic-based dressing. Ooo, and what about adding some toasted pecans? Yeah, baby. I know what’s on the menu for tomorrow night’s dinner!
If this recipe is up your alley, you might like a similar dressing I make called Balsamic Parmesan Dressing. It’s my all time favorite.
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This simple salad and its homemade dressing makes for a simple, delicious addition to your favorite meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (I used sea salt)
- 1 large bowl of lettuce (clean, dry and torn up)
Instructions
- Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small glass bowl.
- Microwave for about 30 seconds or until boiling.
- Immediately pour hot dressing over large bowl of salad. Toss and eat.
- Serving suggestion idea: Add freshly grated Parmesan, feta or Gorgonzola crumbles, thinly sliced apples, and toasted pecans.
Wilted lettuce was always a summer favorite on the farm. I absolutely loved it; however, ours was made with hot bacon grease (our salad had crumbled bacon bits also). Poured it over garden lettuce with chopped green onions and sliced hard-boiled eggs. Yum!
That sounds absolutely delicious! How can bacon grease be bad? 🙂
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Sweet, Beth. Glad to know someone else likes it as much as we do. Hope your fam is doing well!
I grew up on this salad as a kid! Our garden produced so much lettuce I think we had it just about every single night. I didn’t like it as a kid (so picky!), but love it now as an adult. Great recipe to share!