little gem salad with herb yogurt dressing & rye sunflower seeds
For this application, feel free to make the most of your dill and parsley by chopping up the stems along with the leaves (waste-free dressing, chic). Toasting caraway with sunflower seeds gives the crunchy topping a rye bread vibe without actually making homemade breadcrumbs. That said, no one is stopping you from adding a little handful of panko (and a little extra butter) to the pan for some extra crunch. If you don’t want to buy a fourth (!) herb for this recipe (understandable!), skip the mint and simply garnish with whatever herbs you have leftover from the dressing. The mint is really nice, though.
yield 2–4 servings
herb yogurt dressing
½ cup full-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon mayo
3 tablespoons finely chopped dill
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons whole grain or Dijon mustard
1 lemon
a pinch of sugar (optional)
assembly
1 tablespoon butter
⅓ cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 medium heads little gem lettuce or 1 large romaine heart
½ cup finely grated alpine cheddar or aged white cheddar cheese
3 sprigs mint, leaves thinly sliced or torn (optional)
riffing
add 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (and 1 extra tablespoon butter) to the pan with sunflower seeds for extra crunch
top with protein of your choice for more salad entree vibes
mix the dressing with 1/4 cup grated cheese and use as a dip with crudite and ruffles
recipe prep
In a large bowl, combine ½ cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon mayo, 3 tablespoons dill, 3 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons chives, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 teaspoons mustard. Zest half of the lemon directly into the bowl, then add juice from half of the lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust flavor to taste with more lemon juice and/or a pinch of sugar.
In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add ⅓ cup sunflower seeds and 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and sunflower seeds are golden brown (watch closely, they go from raw to burn quickly!). Remove from heat and immediately transfer to a small bowl.
Separate (and clean!) little gem leaves, tearing if large (if using romaine heart, halve lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces). Add lettuce and half of the cheese to bowl with dressing and toss to coat.
Pile high on a serving platter or bowl, if desired, then sprinkle salad with remaining cheese and seed mixture. Finish with mint leaves.
do it ahead make salad dressing a day or two before and store in the fridge. Make sunflower seed topping a day or two before and store in an airtight container on the counter.
