Little Gem Salad with Crispy Shallots & Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

This salad comes together in just a few minutes, and has become my go to side for a dinner party or with a simple protein for an easy weeknight dinner. It's vegetarian, vegan if you skip the cheese, and you can add in any other topping you like.

The vinaigrette for the salad is also so delicious and so quick to make. You likely won't use all of it for the salad, but it keeps very well so you are half way to your next weekday lunch when you make this one.

The salad itself here is really simple here by design - just some little gem lettuces, crispy onions or shallots (I use these on my panko bowls and other dishes and buy them at Whole Foods - they are usually near the salad dressings and other crispy toppings) and grated or shaved parmesan or pecorino. That said, it's a great base salad to add in anything else you have in your fridge that you want to use before it goes bad - thinly sliced radishes, avocado, thinly sliced fruit like pears, apples, etc. It's light, tangy and full of healthy greens, so it's the best thing to serve during the fall and winter alongside something heartier.

This dish is vegetarian and serves 4 as a side dish.