Crunchy Romaine Salad
Crunchy romaine salad is a refreshing salad made of crisp romaine lettuce, cabbage, sweet carrots, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries tossed in a tangy dressing. It’s the perfect blend of flavors and textures that everyone will love.
This crunchy romaine salad is a crowd-pleaser! It is versatile and customizable; see suggestions for variations below.
In addition, this crunchy romaine toss is one of those healthy salads filled with crunchy vegetables that tastes fantastic, making it a great addition to any meal or as a standalone dish.
🤍Why you will love this recipe
- It’s refreshing and crisp! The combination of romaine lettuce and cabbage creates a delicious crisp base.
- It’s versatile and customizable! You can easily customize this salad to suit your tastes. See suggestions below.
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
- Small head romaine lettuce
- Red Cabbage
- Carrots
- Pumpkin seeds
- Cranberries
- Orange juice
- Orange zest
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
- Soy sauce
🥄Equipment
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting Board
- Large salad bowl
How to make this crunchy romaine salad
Prepare the ingredients: Rinse and dry the lettuce, cabbage and carrots and dry them thoroughly in paper towels or use a salad spinner.
Shred the carrots and cut the cabbage and romaine lettuce into bite-size pieces.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar.
Step 1. Combine salad ingredients
Place the prepared romaine, cabbage, carrots, pumpkin seeds and cranberries into a large bowl.
Step 2. Add dressing
Stir the dressing and pour it over the salad.
Step 3. Toss
Toss the salad and serve.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Romaine Lettuce -Romaine lettuce adds the right amount of crunch to this salad. In addition to a small head of romaine lettuce, you can add a handful of baby spinach or field greens to add some variety to this salad.
Cabbage – I like red cabbage when making this salad because it adds a nice pop of color. You can also use green cabbage or a combination of both.
Apple Cider Vinegar -I use apple cider vinegar in most of my salads, and it can be substituted with an equal portion of red wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar if that is your preference.
Serving suggestions
This tasty salad tastes great as a side dish with just about any main course or as a main dish with grilled chicken, tofu or seafood on top.
How to make crunchy romaine salad ahead of time
The ingredients for this salad can easily be prepped and stored for a day or two before serving it and stored separately in the refrigerator.
Just before serving the salad assemble the ingredients, toss in the dressing and serve.
Recipe variations
As with most salad recipes, this salad recipe is so versatile! You can add more ingredients or change them up to suit your tastes.
Add fruit – While cranberries add sweetness, and you can enhance the fruity aspect by adding slices of fresh seasonal fruit such as apples, pears, peaches, mandarin oranges, or strawberries.
Add whole grains or beans– Make the salad more substantial by adding cooked quinoa, farro, or bulgur wheat. You can also add black beans, lentils or garbanzo beans for plant-based protein.
Creamy additions – If you enjoy creamy textures in your salad, add slices of avocado, crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese.
Extra crunch – For a super crunchy romaine salad, add chopped toasted walnuts, sunflower seeds, pecans, almonds, cripsy bacon bits, crunchy ramen noodles, crispy tortilla strips, uncooked quinoa or croutons to add an extra layer of crunch.
Add more veggies – Add more veggies cut into small pieces such as sliced green onions, chopped cauliflower or broccoli florets, or red bell peppers.
How to store leftover homemade romaine salad
Store leftover crunchy romaine salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
💡Tips!
- Save time and use a 5-to-6-ounce bag of romaine lettuce pre-washed and cut.
- Don’t dress the salad until just before serving.
- For a little extra crunch, toast the pumpkin seeds before adding them to the salad.
If the lettuce and salad ingredients are dry and cripsy, the salad should stay fresh in the refrigerator for at least a day as long as the dressing has not been added.
The best way to clean lettuce for a salad is to run it under cold water, making sure all of the dirt is off the lettuce, and then wrap it in a towel to dry it or use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture from the salad.
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Crunchy Romaine Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 small head Romaine Lettuce
- 1 cup Cabbage
- 1 Carrot shredded
- 1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds
- 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
Dressing
- 1/4 cup Orange Juice Freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon Orange Zest
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
Instructions
For the Salad
- Prepare the ingredients: Rinse 1 small head Romaine Lettuce, a small wedge of cabbage to make 1 cup Cabbage, and thoroughly with paper towels or use a salad spinner.
- Make the dressing: combine the 1/4 cup Olive Oil, 1 tablespoon Orange Zest, 1/4 cup Orange Juice, 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar. 1 tablespoon Honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard., 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce in a small bowl or jar.
- Shred 1 Carrot and cut the cabbage and romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the vegetables and 1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds, and 1/4 cup Orange Juice into a large salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
