Butter Lettuce Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Name: Butter Lettuce Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (20 g) shallot, peeled and very finely minced (about 1 small shallot); 3 tablespoons (45 ml) champagne vinegar; 2 teaspoons (10 g) Dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon (3 g) honey; ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste; 2 medium heads (450 g) butter lettuce, cored, leaves separated, washed, spun dry and torn into large bite-size pieces; 2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh chives, snipped into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces; 1 tablespoon (3 g) fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, left whole or torn

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender butter lettuce leaves tossed in a bright, sharp-sweet champagne vinaigrette with shallot, Dijon and fresh herbs. A classic French bistro-style salad that takes 15 minutes and goes with almost any main course.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: —
Wait: 10 min
Total: 25 min
Makes: 4 side salads (about 4 cups / 120 g dressed lettuce each) plus a little extra dressing

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the vinaigrette
2 tablespoons (20 g) shallot, peeled and very finely minced (about 1 small shallot)
3 tablespoons (45 ml) champagne vinegar
2 teaspoons (10 g) Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon (3 g) honey
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
For the salad
2 medium heads (450 g) butter lettuce, cored, leaves separated, washed, spun dry and torn into large bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh chives, snipped into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces
1 tablespoon (3 g) fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, left whole or torn

Equipment (6)

Large salad bowl (at least 4-quart / 4 L)
Small mixing bowl or 8-oz (240 ml) jar with a tight lid
Small whisk or fork
Salad spinner or clean kitchen towels
Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Measuring spoons and cups

Steps

Before you start

Butter lettuce bruises easily, so handle it gently and dress it only at the last minute.
Chill 4 salad plates or a large bowl in the fridge if you like a very crisp, cold salad.
The shallot needs 10 minutes in the vinegar to mellow, so start the dressing first.
Use a good, fruity extra-virgin olive oil; you will taste it clearly.

1
Macerate the shallot
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the minced shallot, champagne vinegar and fine sea salt.
- Stir and let sit for 10 minutes so the vinegar softens the shallot's raw bite and the salt dissolves.
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Ready when: Shallot pieces look slightly softened and translucent at the edges
Tip: Salt dissolves far better in vinegar than in oil, so add it now.
2
Wash and dry lettuce
- While the shallot sits, cut out the core of each head and separate the leaves.
- Swish them gently in a large bowl of cool water, lift out (don't pour, so grit stays behind), and spin dry in a salad spinner on low speed or pat gently between clean towels.
- Tear any large leaves into big bite-size pieces.
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Ready when: Leaves are fully dry to the touch with no water beads
Tip: Wet leaves repel dressing and make the salad watery and bland.
3
Prep the herbs
- Snip the chives, roughly chop the tarragon and tear or leave whole the parsley leaves.
- Keep them together in a small pile on the board.
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Ready when: Herbs are dry and loosely piled
Tip: Chop herbs just before using, since they darken and lose aroma quickly once cut.
4
Whisk in mustard
- Add the Dijon mustard and honey to the shallot mixture and whisk until smooth and fully combined, about 15 seconds.
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Ready when: No streaks of mustard or honey remain
5
Emulsify the oil
- Whisking constantly, drizzle in the olive oil in a thin steady stream, about 30 seconds total.
- (Or add the oil to the jar, seal and shake hard for 20 seconds.) Season with freshly ground pepper.
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Ready when: Dressing looks creamy, slightly thickened and doesn't separate when you stop whisking
Tip: Pouring the oil too fast makes the dressing split; if it does, whisk in 1 teaspoon of water.
6
Taste and adjust
- Dip a lettuce leaf in the dressing and taste.
- Add a pinch more salt if flat, a few drops of vinegar if too mellow, or a tiny bit more honey if too sharp.
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Ready when: Dressing tastes bright and balanced; on a leaf it should taste lightly seasoned, not sour
Tip: Taste on a leaf, not a spoon, because lettuce dilutes the flavors.
7
Toss the salad
- Place the lettuce and herbs in the large bowl.
- Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing (roughly 3 tablespoons) around the edge, then toss gently with your hands or two wide spoons, lifting from the bottom, for about 10 seconds.
- Add more dressing only if leaves look dry.
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Ready when: Leaves are lightly and evenly glossy, with no dressing pooling in the bowl
Tip: Dress just before serving; butter lettuce wilts within minutes.
8
Serve immediately
- Divide the salad among 4 plates, mounding it loosely without pressing down.
- Finish with a crack of black pepper and serve right away.
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Ready when: Salad looks light, airy and glossy

Good to know

Tips

Dry lettuce thoroughly; it is the biggest factor in a vinaigrette that clings instead of pooling.
Use your hands to toss: they are gentler on the delicate leaves than tongs.
Keep the oil-to-vinegar ratio near 2:1 for a French-style dressing that is brisk but not harsh.
Serve on chilled plates for the crispest texture.

Make ahead

"Make the vinaigrette up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate in a sealed jar; let it sit at room temperature 15 minutes and shake well before using, as olive oil can solidify when cold. Wash, dry and refrigerate the lettuce up to 1 day ahead, wrapped loosely in a paper towel inside a container."

Storage & reheating

"Dressed salad does not keep; eat within 10 minutes. Undressed lettuce keeps 1 day in the fridge in a container lined with paper towel. Leftover vinaigrette keeps 5 days in the fridge in a sealed jar. Do not freeze."

Substitutions

champagne vinegar → white wine vinegar. Slightly sharper; add an extra pinch of honey if needed.
shallot → finely minced white part of a scallion. Milder and greener in flavor; skip the 10-minute rest if you like.
fresh tarragon leaves → fresh chervil or dill. Chervil is the most traditional French option; use the same amount.
honey → pinch of sugar or maple syrup. Use ¼ teaspoon sugar or ½ teaspoon maple syrup for the same balance.