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Butter Lettuce Salad with Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

4.84 from 6 votes
Butter leaf lettuce salad on a platter with sliced radishes and breadcrumbs.
This butter lettuce salad is tangy, slightly sweet, salty, and oh so good. Its delicate leaves are melt in your mouth tender with pops of crunch from the toppings and then tossed with a lemon honey vinaigrette.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Serving Size 4

Ingredients
 

Salad

  • 2 heads butter lettuce (bibb or Boston)
  • handful fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn
  • 4 small radishes, thinly sliced
  • cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp capers

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

Instructions

  • Gently pull the leaves off the outer layers so the root sticks out a little bit. Then, gently twist the root off each head of lettuce and discard. (It'll come out pretty easily.)
  • Add the leaves to the bowl of your salad spinner, lightly rinse with cold water and then spin until dry. Repeat the process with the second head of lettuce. Alternatively, you can do this in a colander and then gently pat dry with a clean tea towel.
  • Once all the leaves are washed and dried, give them a rough chop and add to a large bowl. Thinly slice the radishes with a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife (easiest with a mandoline), roughly chop the basil, and add these to the bowl with the capers and breadcrumbs.
  • Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss throughout the salad just before serving.

Notes

One small lemon should yield about two tablespoons of juice and around one teaspoon of zest (no need to measure the zest).
No radishes? - jicama, carrot, or cucumber (English or Persian are best) would also work well.
No capers? - use any pitted olives and cut in quarters for a similar briny taste. Or you could also use quick-pickled vegetables.
No panko breadcrumbs? - pulse crackers of choice in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs.
No fresh basil? - use another fresh herb such as parsley, chives, dill, or tarragon.
Make it gluten-free - be sure to use gluten-free panko or do the pulsed cracker option instead.