Citrusy Butter Lettuce and Edamame Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette from Dahlia Haas

This simple salad is lovely, especially in the spring and summer when fresh herbs are at their best. Fresh tarragon has the strongest flavor and mint adds sweetness.  Any type of basil works beautifully as well, cinnamon, lemon, and purple are just a few of them. What I like most is how this regal this salad looks, once stacked with the edamame and sliced mushrooms.

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

2 heads butter lettuce, washed and well dried

2 cups button mushrooms, thinly sliced

Method

Carefully cut out the core from each head of lettuce and separate the leaves; discard any tough outer leaves. Place the leaves in a bowl of cold water to refresh them and remove any dirt, then lift out and spin-dry in a salad spinner. Place in a large bowl with the sliced mushrooms.

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

1 Large shallot, minced

2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

¼ Cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Cup edamame, shelled

2 cups mixed herbs, parsley, basil, mint, tarragon, chives, stemmed and finely minced

Method

In a large salad bowl, place the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes. Then whisk in the olive oil, drop by drop and add honey. Add the edamame and all the minced herbs.

Toss the butter lettuce leaves and the sliced mushrooms together with some of the vinaigrette. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Divide the butter lettuce leaves equally among the plates and build each using the largest leaves of the lettuce, ending with the smallest, most tender leaves and top with marinated edamame and herbs.

Dahlia Haas is a renowned cooking teacher, writer, food stylist and photographer in Los Angeles and on the Hawaiian Islands. She writes seasonal stories with recipes called “Cooking Fresh” printed in the award-winning magazine Edible Hawaiian Islands.  Dahlia travels extensively creating recipes for the magazine and her cooking school in Beverly Hills, The All Seasons Cooking School, established in 1996.