Romaine Salad with Tomato and Lemon-Olive Oil Dressing

Headnote

This is a salad of clarity rather than complication: crisp romaine, ripe tomato, and a clean dressing that binds without weighing the leaves. Its success depends on temperature, restraint, and the precision of seasoning. When handled properly, it should taste bright, cool, and complete.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Salad

Cuisine or origin: Mediterranean-inspired

Course type: Starter

Yield: 1 serving

Serving size: 140 g

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Small bowl

Sharp knife

Cutting board

Salad spoon or tongs

Ingredients

Romaine lettuce, trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces: 90 g

Tomato, ripe, cut into wedges or small chunks: 35 g

Olive oil: 10 g

Lemon juice: 4 g

Salt: 1 g

Black pepper, finely ground: 0.5 g

Method

1. Place the romaine lettuce in a mixing bowl and add the tomato. Keep both ingredients cold and dry so the salad remains crisp.

2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Whisk briefly until the dressing looks lightly emulsified and evenly seasoned.

3. Pour the dressing over the lettuce and tomato. Toss gently for 10 to 15 seconds, just until every leaf is lightly coated and the tomato begins to glisten.

4. Taste a leaf and adjust only if necessary by redistributing the dressing in the bowl. The finished salad should be bright, clean, and balanced, with no excess liquid pooling at the bottom.

Plating and serving

Mound the salad lightly on a chilled plate or shallow bowl, allowing the leaves to remain open and untangled. Arrange the tomato so it is visible throughout the greens, and finish with the last traces of dressing clinging to the leaves rather than collecting beneath them.

Professional notes

Use ripe tomato with enough acidity to support the dressing; an under-ripe tomato will flatten the salad. Dress at the last moment to preserve the romaine’s structure. The correct finish is glossy, crisp, and sharply fresh, never wet or heavy.