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Beautiful salad
Sarah Erickson

Pesto Salad with Easy Homemade Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

Fresh salad with vibrant veggies, loaded with flavor and packed with protein, topped with a bright and tangy pesto vinaigrette.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Course: lunch
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups chopped romaine
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 1 cup sliced cucumbers
  • 1 cup sliced bell peppers
  • ½ cup sliced red onions
  • ½ cup black olives
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup diced chicken (or turkey)
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • 4 slices of bacon
Vinaigrette
  • 2 peeled garlic cloves
  • 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 TBS honey
  • ½ tsp salt

Method
 

  1. Put all vinaigrette ingredients in jar and blend with an immersion blender until fully combined.
  2. Assemble salad.
  3. Serve with dressing on the side.

Notes

Storing the Salad
I like to store any leftover salad in an airtight glass container or jar in the refrigerator. This keeps everything crisp and fresh for a few days until ready to enjoy again. Quart-sized mason jars work perfectly for shaking up and tossing the salad when ready to eat. The salad also lends itself well to meal prepping individual portions for grab-and-go healthy lunches throughout the week.  Just be sure to store the salad without the salad dressing to prevent everything from getting mushy and soggy.  
Storing the Homemade Dressing 
This easy salad dressing recipe is perfect for bulk prepping. After mixing up a batch, transfer any extra homemade dressing to an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, you can pop the pesto cubes out and store them in a larger airtight container or bag. Then it's so simple to just grab a cube or two to defrost and toss with greens or vegetables for quick salads anytime! It helps cut down on waste while keeping the bright flavors ready to go.