basic vegetable salad from switzerland

Ingredients

• - lettuce (mesclun, butter lettuce, baby spinach, etc.)
• - carrots (i used orange and yellow)
• - celery
• - purple cabbage
• - cucumbers
• - tomatoes
• - beets (which i grated raw)
• - yellow summer squash or zucchini
• - green beans, quickly steamed
• - onion (yellow, red, scallions, shallots)
• - fresh herb(s): dill, parsley, tarragon, etc.
• OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
• - hardboiled eggs
• - cooked beans (kidney, garbanzo, broad, etc.)
• - nuts or seeds (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.)
• BASIC SALAD DRESSING:
• pinch ground white pepper
• - mustard (i used stoneground mustard)
• pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons vinegar (i used equal parts white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar)
• 4 tablespoons oil (grapeseed for this variation)
• FRENCH DRESSING:
• pinch ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon french mustard (dijon, for ex)
• 2 tablespoons onion, finely minced, shallot for ex. (skip the onion if your salad contains onion)
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• pinch salt (maldon or grey salt would be good!)
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ITALIAN DRESSING:
• pinch cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons onion, finely minced (skip if salad contains onion)
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons olive oil