I remember every time we went to eat at a restaurant, the entree included a tiny side salad. It was a very simple affair of iceberg lettuce and some sliced tomato, dressed with a simple vinaigrette. I did not appreciate how wonderful those salads were. A lot of little hole in the wall family restaurants had the most amazing food, fried and rich and those salads were the pefect palete cleanser. My mother's cousin had one such restaurant, up in the mountains of Coamo. I remember the cool, fresh air. They played music and had a little stage local acts would perform on during the weekend. Pancho the turkey would roam freely, as we ate carne frita, chicharrones de pollo, along with tostones and that little salad. Most households don't make them, but I sometimes do here. The dressing is very tangy, eschewing the usual 3:1 oil/vinegar ratio for a 1:1. This makes 2 small salads and can be scaled easily!
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1½ tsp red wine vinegar
- 1½ tsp olive oil
- A generous pinch kosher salt
- Small pinch of dried oregano
Salad
- 1½ c iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 large slicing tomato, cut in wedges
- 1 tbsp red onion, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Combine dressing ingredients. Set aside
- In a medium bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes, and onion if using
- Add dressing to taste right before serving