Mixed Lettuce Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
on Oct 16, 2020, Updated Apr 25, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This vibrant dressing features a generous amount of dijon mustard, tarragon, and shallots, and the salad is finished off with nutty Parmesan curls.
If you like an assertive mustardy vinaigrette, then you are in the right place. This salad has a lot of presence, and I love serving a salad with a punchy dressing with rich entrees. This would be perfect against the unctuousness of main courses like porchetta, fall-apart slow roasted pork shoulder, or oven-baked brisket.
This dressing features a generous amount of dijon mustard (whole grain is great, as is smooth), as well as tarragon, shallots, and the salad is then topped with satisfying curls of Parmesan cheese. You can switch up the lettuces as you like, but I love the slight bitterness of radicchio (try Treviso radicchio if you can) and endive, combined with the more neutral crunch of romaine. Again, a great pairing for richer foods.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy.
Using Mustard in Vinaigrette
I don’t think I’ve made a salad dressing without mustard in my adult life. Mustard does several wonderful things to salad dressing: it thickens and even emulsifies it, which means it helps the oil and vinegar blend together, pulling the dressing into a smooth and somewhat creamy consistency. It adds depth of flavor, it adds a bit of heat, and tanginess. It adds spark and life.
I used coarse grain in this dressing, as I like the little pop of the mustard seeds, but you can use whatever you have in the house. And guess what – if you used plain old brown mustard (same amount), you would still have a delicious dressing. As you can see by the title, the dressing is in fact mustardy. If you don’t have the same depth of affection for mustard as I do, use less.
Variations
- Add in a cup of cooked lentils to amp up the protein and make this a more substantial main course salad.
- Toss in some Homemade Croutons.
- Try other lettuces, such as arugula, watercress, kale or spinach.
What to Serve with Mixed Lettuce Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette:
- Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Chops
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Greek-Style Lamb with Feta Sauce
- Soy-Ginger Flank Steak
- Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti
Below it is piled next to some Barbacoa beef soft tacos and sautéed green beans.
More Side Salad Recipes
- Classic Wedge Salad
- Arugula, Orange, and Pomegranate Salad
- Frisee, Radicchio, and Escarole Salad with Citrus Dressing
- Spinach and Radish Salad with Feta
- Romaine, Pear, and Goat Cheese Salad
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Mixed Lettuce Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard (preferably coarse-grain)
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
- 2 heads endive (trimmed and sliced crosswise)
- 2 hearts of romaine (sliced crosswise into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 small head radicchio (torn into large pieces)
- 3 ounces Parmesan cheese (shaved into curls with a vegetable peeler ; see recipe intro for directions)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the mustard, shallot, lemon juice, basil, and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Trim core ends of salad greens. Cut romaine heads in half lengthwise, and radicchios and endives into quarters lengthwise. Place half the wedges on a platter and drizzle with 1/4 cup dressing. Top with remaining wedges and drizzle with another 1/4 cup dressing. Scatter with cheese and croutons, and serve the remaining dressing on the side.
