American

Josephine’s Everyday Salad

Name: Josephine’s Everyday Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 large clove garlic, smashed but still whole; 1 head iceberg lettuce, washed, dried and cut into bite-size pieces; or 2 medium-sized romaine hearts; 8 ounces red cherry tomatoes, halved; 2 mini cucumbers, sliced; 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced; 1 stalk celery, sliced; 4 small red radishes, sliced; 1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained and sliced; avocado, sliced, optional garnish

This is my Italian mother Josephine’s everyday salad, and we loved it so much that we asked for it every night. Her actual dressing recipe is impossible to nail down—she just uses apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil in whatever amounts feel right, and somehow it always tastes wonderful! Rubbing the wooden bowl with garlic gives the crisp vegetables a gentle savory flavor, while tomatoes, cucumber, carrots and radishes make every bite fresh and crunchy. Tender hearts of palm add a little something special. I serve it with my measured version of Josephine’s Salad Dressing, bringing my mother’s Italian touch to an everyday American dinner—and keeping a little of her kitchen at our table.

Recipe by Mary Keelan Williams | One Recipe Two Cultures ✓ TESTED & DEVELOPED BY MARY KEELAN WILLIAMS

🇺🇸 All-American

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Mary’s Introduction

Rubbing the wooden bowl with a whole smashed garlic clove gives this salad a subtle savory base. Keep the vegetables fresh and crisp, then offer Josephine’s Salad Dressing separately so everyone can choose how much to use.

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How to Make Josephine’s Everyday Salad

Prepare the lettuce

Wash, dry and cut the iceberg or romaine.

Prepare the vegetables

Halve the tomatoes and slice the cucumber, carrot, celery and radishes.

Drain the hearts of palm

Drain and slice them before combining.

Rub the bowl

Rub its bottom and sides with the smashed whole garlic clove.

Toss gently

Mix the vegetables so they pick up the garlic from the bowl.

Serve fresh

Add optional avocado and offer the separate dressing recipe.

Recipe Guidance

Storage

Refrigerate undressed salad in a covered container at 40°F or colder and use within 1–2 days for quality. Store juicy tomatoes separately when possible. Keep dressing separate and add avocado at serving. Freezing is not recommended because lettuce and cucumber lose their crisp texture.

Reheating

Do not reheat. Serve chilled; gently toss and drain any accumulated liquid before serving.

Make Ahead

Wash and dry lettuce and slice firm vegetables up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate separately; drain and slice the hearts of palm, then combine near serving. Keep optional avocado whole until needed.

Serving Suggestions

Serve as four side-salad portions. Offer Josephine’s Salad Dressing as its separate recipe; neither dressing nor optional avocado is included in the salad nutrition.

Mary’s Introduction