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Field Greens Salad (Spring Mix Salad)

This Field Greens Salad is fresh and flavorful with an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette, along with mouthwatering homemade croutons. Eating your greens has never been so tasty.

Photo of salad ingredients in a large bowl

This is a salad that I have been making for years and it’s one that everybody loves. The inspiration came from a little wine bistro we used to live down the street from. The food there was phenomenal and their field green salad was no exception.

After enjoying this field green salad at the restaurant a few times, I had to figure out how to make it at home. That way we could enjoy it anytime we wanted to.

Ingredients for field greens salad

It’s actually a very simple salad made up of mixed spring greens, grape tomatoes and red onion. To finish it off, it’s dressed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette and topped with yummy homemade croutons.

But don’t get me wrong, this simple salad is full of delicious, fresh flavor. It’s, of course, a perfect starter, but it also makes a fantastic entree topped with sliced grilled chicken or steak.

Whether you serve this fresh green salad as a starter or as a main dish, it’s definitely company worthy.

The croutons are a big part of what make this salad so fantastic. They’re really quite easy to make. All you need to do is cube the bread and then saute the cubes in a skillet with some olive oil.

I like to use ciabatta bread to make this, but French bread or sourdough are also great choices.

Toasted Croutons in a skillet

Tips and Tricks

  • For the best results, don’t make the croutons more than a couple of hours ahead of time. If you do make them before you’re ready to serve the salad, don’t store them in a plastic bag or plastic container. Cover them lightly with a pepper towel or clean kitchen towel, until you’re ready to serve the salad.
  • Instead of whisking the olive oil slowly into the other dressing ingredients, you can add all of the dressing ingredients to a tightly covered glass jar and shake vigorously until the dressing has emulsified.
  • Make sure not to dress the salad until right before you’re ready to serve.

Ingredients Needed to Make This Field Greens Salad

Full instructions can be found below in the recipe card

  • Balsamic vinegar – This adds a sweet fruity flavor to the dressing.
  • Dijon mustard – Adds flavor and helps to emulsify the dressing.
  • Olive oil – Also adds a bit of a fruity flavor
  • Salt – Enhances the flavor of the dressing.
  • Black pepper – I prefer to use fresh cracked pepper.
  • Onion powder – Imparts just a hint of onion flavor in the dressing.
  • Ciabatta bread – Used to make the homemade croutons.
  • Herbes de Provence – This seasoning mix elevates the flavor of the crispy croutons
  • Spring mix greens – Any tender variety of greens works well for this salad.
  • Grape tomatoes – Add a pop of color as well as flavor.
  • Red onion – I prefer red onion both for the vibrant color as well as a more mild flavor than other varieties of onion.

How to Make a Field Greens Salad

  • Start out with a package of fresh field greens. This type of lettuce is also called spring greens, mixed greens or baby greens. The mix is made up of a variety of tender leaf lettuce and range in color from green to red, to purple.
  • Toss the greens with a very simple balsamic vinaigrette that consists of balsamic vinegar,  dijon mustard, olive oil, onion powder, salt and pepper.
  • The croutons are really what puts this salad over the top. I like to make the croutons with ciabatta bread. Either a loaf of ciabatta or rolls works.
  • Either way, you cut them into bite size cubes. Add the cubes to a skillet with hot olive oil and toss them until they’re browned and crispy on the outside. After they’re browned, sprinkle them with herbes de provence and a little salt. If you don’t have any herbes de provence on hand, Italian seasoning also works.
  • For added flavor and texture, grape tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion complete this salad.

Overhead photo of plated salad

Delicious Mains to Pair with the Field Greens Salad

There are so many different dishes to pair with this salad. These are some of my favorites:

Field Greens Salad {Spring Mix Salad}

Yield: 4

Field Greens Salad

Field Greens Salad

This field greens salad is fresh and flavorful with an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette, along with mouthwatering homemade croutons. Eating your greens has never been so tasty.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 4 slices ciabatta bread or 2 ciabatta rolls, cut into small cubes
  • 1 tsp herbes de provence
  • 1 (5 oz) bag spring mix greens
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar and dijon mustard together.
  2. While continuing to whisk, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil.
  3. Continue whisking until the oil is fully incorporated. The dressing should thicken and look glossy.
  4. Stir in salt, pepper and onion powder.
  5. Heat remaining 3 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  6. Add bread cubes, tossing until coated with the oil and continuing to toss until nicely toasted.
  7. Sprinkle croutons with herbes de provence and a little salt.
  8. Remove from pan and reserve.
  9. In a large salad bowl, toss spring greens, sliced onions and tomatoes together.
  10. Drizzle dressing over the top, a little at a time, so it’s not over-dressed, tossing until coated.
  11. Divide onto salad plates, top with croutons and fresh cracked pepper.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 567mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 5g

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