Despite the extreme heat and drought in Southern California this Summer, somehow we got a few beautiful heads of baby greens. Fresh lettuce from the garden or farmers market has so much more flavor and crunch than grocery store greens. I paired the baby green oak lettuce with some other stars of summer produce: tomatoes and corn. I wanted a creamy and tangy dressing, so I whisked a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt into my lime vinaigrette. Greek yogurt is a fantastic replacement for mayonnaise. It occurred to me that you could lighten up a Caesar dressing this way as well.
This salad is the essence of Summer and goes perfectly with a grilled steak and black beans.
Summer Salad with Lime Yogurt Vinaigrette
serves 2
Ingredients
1 head of baby green oak lettuce, core removed, leaves washed and spun dry
1 heirloom tomato, cut into wedges
1 or 2 ears of sweet corn, husks and silk removed
1 shallot, thinly sliced, soaked in red wine vinegar and a bit of honey for 15 mins
2 tblsp plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
zest of 1 lime
3 tblsp lime juice
1 small clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
1. Light a grill to medium-high heat. Rub the ears of corn with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill corn until it begins to char. Let cool. Cut the kernels off the cob.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Gently toss the lettuce, tomatoes, and grilled corn in the dressing.
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