Lettuce Salad with Garlic Croutons

 After all that heavy calorie eating, its time to slow down and eat simple and healthy. I whipped up a very basic lettuce salad recipe that one can never go wrong. A refreshing change from the rich festive food. There are numerous vegetable salad recipes that are healthy with interesting salad dressings but I tend to go back to a simple lettuce salad. This salad has a fresh crunch due to the iceberg lettuce, garlic croutons and nuts. Easy to put together, clean flavors, healthy and works perfect for a picnic or potluck as it can be made ahead.

I used home made garlic flavored croutons. You can use store bought croutons or alternately, toast three days old bread cubes till crisp and use them. Do not omit the garlic croutons as they provide the necessary crunch and flavor to the salad.

Lettuce Salad with Garlic Croutons Recipe

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: min

Yield: 4

Main Ingredients: lettuce

Ingredients

• Iceberg Lettuce - 1 head, remove leaves, wash and place in ice cold water
• Green bell pepper - 1, finely sliced
• Tomato - wash, de-seed and slice
• Cucumber - 1, peeled and finely sliced
• Garlic Croutons - 1 1/2 cups
• Nuts - fistful, (almonds or pistachios or walnuts or peanuts), lightly toasted and chopped
• For Salad Dressing - whisk all the ingredients for a few seconds and refrigerate until use
• Vinegar - 1/2 tbsp
• Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsps
• Black pepper powder - freshly ground I used a little less than 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon powder - small pinch
• Roasted cumin powder - large pinch
• Date syrup - 1 tsp (or jaggery syrup or castor sugar)(optional)

Method

1. In a large bowl, place the sliced cucumber, bell pepper, tomato and garlic croutons. Tear the washed and drained lettuce leaves and place in the bowl. Toss all the ingredients using two large wooden forks. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until serving time.
2. Just before serving, whisk the salad dressing and pour over the lettuce salad and toss to combine.
3. Garnish with nuts and serve.

Tips

• You can throw in some cooked and shredded chicken or paneer. If using paneer, lightly roast it in olive oil for 3 to 4 mts, cool and add to the salad