Little Gem Salad with Coconut Ranch Dressing
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 206kcal
This easy Little Gem Salad pairs crisp lettuce, peppery radishes, crunchy pistachios, and fresh dill with a creamy homemade coconut ranch dressing. It’s ready in just 20 minutes of hands-on time and is perfect for weeknight dinners or entertaining.
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Ingredients
For the Coconut Ranch Dressing:
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup full fat coconut milk canned
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad:
- 4 heads Little Gem lettuce
- 4 radishes thinly sliced
- ¼ cup crushed pistachios for garnish
- fresh dill for garnish
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, coconut milk, and apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl.
- Stir in the chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Chill the dressing for at least 30 minutes so the flavors get to know each other.
- Wash the lettuce and dry completely. Separate the whole leaves from the cores.
- Arrange them on a large platter. Scatter the radishes over the leaves.
- Drizzle your desired amount of dressing over the salad.
- Garnish with pistachios, fresh dill, and a few grinds of coarse black pepper.
Notes
- Dry the lettuce thoroughly. Water left on the leaves dilutes the dressing and keeps it from clinging. A salad spinner makes quick work of this.
- Don’t skip the chilling time. The dressing tastes better after the dried herbs have had at least 30 minutes to hydrate and mingle with the other ingredients.
- Arrange the leaves curved-side up. Those natural little lettuce cups hold onto the dressing, radishes, pistachios, and herbs instead of letting everything slide to the bottom of the platter.
- Dress it just before serving. You can prep everything ahead, but wait to drizzle the ranch over the lettuce so the leaves stay crisp.
Nutrition
Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 561mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1745IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
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