This is a no-cook green salad built on two types of lettuce, rocket, pea sprouts, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, avocado, blueberries, and a lemon vinaigrette. It takes 10 minutes start to finish. The honest reason to make it: it uses a wide mix of whatever salad produce you have on hand, and it comes together before youโve had time to reconsider.
The short version of why this works
Two things matter here. First, layering the salad on a platter rather than tossing everything in a bowl keeps the delicate butter lettuce from getting crushed by the heavier toppings โ avocado and cucumber are dense, and theyโll bruise soft leaves fast if you pile them carelessly. Second, the combination of bitter rocket, mild butter lettuce, and peppery radish gives you contrast in every bite without any extra effort. The blueberries pull double duty: a small hit of acidity and just enough sweetness to balance the sharp lemon vinaigrette. Neither of those things costs anything extra โ itโs just about how you use whatโs already in the recipe.
Mistakes to avoid
- Dressing the whole platter at once: dress it at the table โ a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast, and with this many delicate greens youโll lose the texture within minutes.
- Skipping the dry spin on the greens: water clinging to leaves dilutes the dressing and stops it from coating anything. Even a quick shake in a colander helps if you donโt own a salad spinner.
- Cutting the avocado too early: dice it last, right before you assemble. Avocado oxidizes quickly once cut, and no amount of lemon juice fully fixes the color or texture after 20 minutes.
- Using cucumber straight from the fridge without patting dry: Lebanese cucumbers release water as they sit. A quick pat with a paper towel before slicing keeps the platter from pooling liquid at the bottom.
- Underseasoning the components: the lemon vinaigrette seasons the whole salad, but a small pinch of flaky salt directly on the avocado and tomatoes before you plate makes a noticeable difference.
Ingredient notes
- Borage flowers: these are edible and mild, used here as garnish. If you donโt grow them and canโt find them at a farmers market, any edible flower works โ nasturtiums, pansies, or even a few torn fresh herb leaves (basil, mint) do the same visual job for free.
- Pea sprouts: sold at Asian grocery stores and some supermarkets. Sunflower sprouts or alfalfa sprouts are direct swaps. In a pinch, thinly sliced sugar snap peas give you a similar crunch and fresh flavor.
- Baby cos and butter lettuce together: if you only have one type, use a full head of whichever you have. Iceberg works as a budget substitute for the cos โ less flavor, but excellent crunch.
- Blueberries: fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) both work. Halved grapes or pomegranate seeds are good alternatives when blueberries are out of season or expensive.
Make-ahead notes
You can prep the greens up to a day ahead โ washed, spun dry, and stored wrapped in a clean tea towel or paper towels inside an airtight container in the fridge. The cucumber can be sliced a few hours ahead and kept in a covered bowl. Everything else โ avocado, tomatoes, radishes, blueberries โ should be prepped the day of, ideally within an hour of serving. Do not assemble the platter more than 30 minutes before you plan to eat, and hold the dressing until the moment you bring it to the table. Dressed leftovers donโt store well; if you expect to have leftovers, keep the components separate and dress individual portions.
Quick Summer Goddess Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 1 head cos lettuce baby
- 100 grams rocket baby
- 100 grams sprouts
- 150 grams tomatoes halved
- 50 grams blueberries
- 2 medium radishes thinly sliced
- 1 medium avocado large dice
- 2 medium cucumbers Lebanese, sliced
- 1 handful borage for garnish
- 1 cup salad dressing lemon vinaigrette
Instructions
- Wash the lettuces together while pulling the leaves off the stem. Then spin dry all the leaves and place wrapped in a tea towel in the fridge. This ensures beautifully crisp leaves.
- Wash the rocket and pea sprouts together, spin dry and place wrapped in a tea towel in the refrigerator.
- Cover a large platter with 3/4 of the lettuce leaves to assemble the salad. Pile over the rocket, pea sprouts, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes and avocado. Add the rest of the lettuce leaves before sprinkling on the blueberries and edible flowers.
- Dress the salad just before serving.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different dressing if I donโt have lemon vinaigrette?
Yes โ any light vinaigrette works here. A simple mix of two tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar, a small pinch of salt, and a half teaspoon of Dijon mustard takes about 90 seconds to make and costs almost nothing.
What can I use instead of rocket if I donโt have it?
Baby spinach is the easiest swap โ itโs mild where rocket is peppery, but the texture is similar. Watercress is closer in flavor if you can find it.
How do I keep the avocado from browning if Iโm making this for a group?
Dice it as late as possible, ideally right before you plate. Tossing the diced pieces briefly in a little of the lemon vinaigrette before adding them to the platter slows oxidation slightly.
The recipe serves 4 โ can I scale it down for one or two people?
Easily. Use half a head of each lettuce, one small avocado, one cucumber, and a handful each of the remaining toppings. The dressing scales directly โ just use less.
Can I add a protein to make this more filling?
The recipe as written is vegan, and itโs satisfying as a light meal on its own. If you want more staying power without changing the character of the salad, a handful of cooked chickpeas or some shelled edamame stirred in adds bulk and protein without disrupting the flavors.
My grocery store doesnโt carry Lebanese cucumbers โ what should I use?
A regular English cucumber works fine โ just slice it the same way. If the skin is thick or waxy, peel it first. Persian cucumbers are the closest match in size and texture.