3 Ingredient Salad
This 3 ingredient salad is made with just three fresh, flavorful and simple ingredients. It is a plain salad, yet it’s a delicious addition to any meal. Not only is it healthy, it’s also easy to prepare and sure to become a family favorite.
This three-ingredient salad, which I also call an LTO salad (Lettuce, tomato, onion), will be your new favorite!
It is a nutritious salad that’s easy to prepare. It is versatile too, you can pair it with various proteins and turn it into a complete and balanced meal.
🤍Why you will love this recipe
- It’s one of those easy recipes, with fresh ingredients that really isn’t a recipe.
- It’s versatile! Serve it as a simple side dish or add more ingredients and serve it as a main dish.
- This salad is easy to make ahead; perfect to bring to a summer cookout.
Here is what you will need
This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe; scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions.
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🛒Ingredients
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Onions
🥄Equipment
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting Board
- Large salad bowl
How to make 3 ingredient salad
Prepare the ingredients: Rinse and dry the lettuce and tomatoes. Chop the lettuce into bite sized pieces. Chop the onions and tomatoes.
Step 1.
Place all of the ingredients into a salad bowl.
Step 3.
Pour your favorite dressing over the salad, toss and serve.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Lettuce – You can use any kind of lettuce in this salad. I like to use romaine or field greens.
Tomatoes – I like to use cherry tomatoes, but any variety of fresh tomato will work in this salad.
Onion – Any variety of onion will work in this salad. I like to use red onion for the extra pop of color, sweet onions or little bits of chopped green onions are also a good choice.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the ingredient salad as a side dish with a bowl of creamy potato and bacon soup topped with your favorite dressing like this balsamic vinegar dressing or one of your favorite store-bought dressings.
You can also drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil and a splash of lemon juice or lime juice with a sprinkle of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder with some crunchy chopped almonds on top.
Recipe variations
This is a very basic salad. Add to the main ingredients and make it your own by adding more ingredients, here are a few suggestions.
Add meat – Make this salad a complete meal and add grilled chicken breasts, shrimp, tuna or steak.
Add beans – Add one half to a cup of beans such as black beans, garbanzo beans or white beans for a little extra plant based protein.
Add nuts or seeds – Add one half to a cup of chopped nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.
Add cheese – Add one half to a cup of shredded or crumbled cheese such as parmesan cheese, blue cheese, feta cheese, cheddar cheese, goat cheese or mozzarella cheese.
Add more vegetables – Add any combination of vegetables to this salad such as cucumbers, bell pepper, shredded cabbage, shredded brussels sprouts, crunchy kale, artichoke hearts, black olives avocado slices.
How to store leftover salad
This salad will last in the refrigerator for up to two days in an airtight container. If you plan on leftover salad, leave the dressing off to avoid a leftover soggy salad.
How to make three ingredient salad ahead of time
Salads are perfect for making ahead of time. Even though this is a simple recipe, you can still save some time and make this salad ahead of time.
Rinse, dry and chop the lettuce and onions. Store each separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
To serve, chop the tomatoes, and place the prepared onions and lettuce into a large bowl, toss and add your favorite dressing.
💡Tips!
- Lightly dress the salad before serving and serve extra dressing on the side.
- Make sure the lettuce is completely dry for the best results. A salad spinner works well for this.
It’s totally up to you. You can chop it into bite-sized pieces or slice or tear it into strips.
While this is a basic salad, you can add more ingredients to enhance the flavor. Fresh herbs such as basil, parsley or cilantro will add flavor as well as a little sea salt and crack black pepper.
Do You like this recipe?
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3 Ingredient Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 head romaine lettuce or 1 small
- 4 cherry tomatoes or 1 sliced tomato
- 1/2 onion small or half of a large
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients: rinse and dry the lettuce and tomatoes. Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Chop the lettuce, onions and tomaotes.
- Place all of the prepared ingredients into a salad bowl.
- Pour your favorite dressing over the salad, toss and serve.
