Don’t worry about having all seven of these herbs on hand for this salad. Use a variety of any fresh herbs and greens available in your kitchen. Fresh and crisp, it pairs well with egg dishes, such as frittatas or scrambled eggs, for a light summer meal.
For the Vinaigrette:
1 small shallot, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the Herb Salad:
1½ cups loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
1½ cups loosely packed arugula or mizuna leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed sorrel or baby spinach leaves
½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
¼ cup loosely packed chive batons (about 1 inch long)
¼ cup loosely packed fresh chervil leaves or 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
Thinly sliced radishes (optional)
Nasturtium blossoms or other edible flowers (optional)
Parmesan or other hard cheese, thinly shaved (optional)
Fresh salad greens, for serving
1. To make the vinaigrette, combine the shallot and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for about 5 minutes to soften the shallot, then whisk in the olive oil. Taste for seasoning; the dressing should be quite sharp. (The dressing can be made several hours ahead.)
2. To wash the herbs, plunge the parsley, arugula, basil, spinach, mint, and chervil into a bowl of cold water to freshen them and loosen any dirt. Swish them around, then lift out, drain, and dry them thoroughly by laying them out on clean towels or using a salad spinner. Tear any larger leaves into bite-size pieces—cutting or chopping the leaves can collapse the herbs, and the salad won’t have the loft it would otherwise—and combine them all in a salad bowl.
3. Dress the salad and serve. Toss the herbs with enough dressing to just coat (you may not need all of it) and taste for salt and pepper. Add the radishes and garnish with the blossoms and cheese, if using. Toss again and serve right away with extra leafy salad greens.
Recipe from All About Dinner by Molly Stevens, copyright 2019. Published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, NY
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