This accompaniment salad pairs beautifully with nearly any main course. Crisp romaine with cherry tomatoes, avocado, and cucumber is finished with a simple red wine vinaigrette, shredded Parmesan, and crunchy croutons.
We’ve made variations of this salad for years and finally put the recipe down on paper. It complements casual weeknight meals as well as special-occasion dishes.
Try it alongside crab cakes, shrimp scampi, shepherd’s pie, seared filet mignon, or a classic meatball parm—its bright, fresh flavors balance rich mains wonderfully.
Table of Contents
Why Make This Recipe
- Classic side salad to keep in your cooking repertoire
- Versatile: pairs with many mains or becomes a meal with added protein
- Quick and easy—ready in about 15 minutes
🥗 Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce — or your preferred greens; mixed greens work well
- Cherry tomatoes — halved; use red or gold, or diced full-size tomatoes
- Cucumber — seedless English or mini cucumbers, sliced
- Avocado — optional, for creamy texture
- Red wine vinegar — can substitute white wine or sherry vinegar
- Olive oil — extra-virgin preferred
- Parmesan cheese — shredded; goat or feta can be used instead
- Croutons — store-bought or homemade
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Rinse 1 head of romaine lettuce, dry thoroughly with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, and slice into roughly 1½-inch sections.
Rinse ½ pint of cherry tomatoes, pat dry, and slice in half. Halve an avocado, remove the pit, score the flesh into cubes, then scoop them out. Slice a seedless cucumber into rounds or bite-sized pieces.
For the vinaigrette: whisk together 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, then slowly whisk in 5 tablespoons olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado onto four small plates. Divide ½ cup shredded Parmesan and 1½ cups croutons among the plates. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.
🧐 Recipe FAQs
An accompaniment salad is a light side served with a main course to complement its flavors. It’s vegetable-forward and not intended to replace the main dish.
An appetizer salad is served before the main course and should stand on its own, while an accompaniment salad is designed to pair with the main.
Prepare the vinaigrette and chop cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce ahead of time. Store lettuce wrapped in damp paper towels in the fridge. Cut avocado shortly before serving to avoid browning, and avoid dressing the salad too far in advance so it stays crisp.
Yes—this recipe scales easily; double or triple quantities as needed.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
To turn this into a main-course salad, add grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or tofu. Bright additions like sliced red onion, sweet peppers, or olives work well.
You can customize the vinaigrette with herbs or a touch of honey. Store it in a jar in the refrigerator and shake before using.
Make quick homemade croutons by cubing day-old bread, tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then toasting until crisp.
Dry lettuce thoroughly—use a salad spinner if you have one—so the dressing clings to the leaves and the salad doesn’t get soggy.
If your avocado is unripe, ripen it quickly in a paper bag with a ripe banana for a day or two.
For a gluten-free version, substitute chopped nuts or toasted seeds for croutons for a satisfying crunch.
Other Delicious Salad Recipes
This is one take on an accompaniment salad. Any small salad that complements your main will work. Other ideas include frisée with baguette croutons, Mediterranean cucumber-tomato salad, pear and gorgonzola salad with glazed walnuts, and kale with roasted butternut squash.
Frisée Salad with Baguette Croutons-
Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad
-
Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Glazed Walnuts
-
Kale Butternut Squash Salad
If you try this accompaniment salad, please rate it and leave a comment—feedback is appreciated.
📖 Recipe — Accompaniment Salad
Accompaniment Salad
Chef Molly Pisula
A simple, versatile side salad with romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, red wine vinaigrette, Parmesan, and croutons.
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 seedless cucumber
- 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (about 42.5 g)
- 1½ cups croutons (about 75 g)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the lettuce, then slice into 1½-inch sections.
- Rinse and halve the cherry tomatoes.
- Halve and pit the avocado, score into cubes, then scoop out the flesh.
- Slice the cucumber into rounds or bite-sized pieces.
- Whisk together the red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard; slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado onto four small plates.
- Top with shredded Parmesan and croutons.
- Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Notes
Make-ahead: Vinaigrette and chopped vegetables can be prepared in advance; keep lettuce wrapped in damp paper towels in the refrigerator. Cut avocado shortly before serving to prevent browning. Avoid assembling and dressing the salad too early to keep it crisp.
Variation: Add herbs or a touch of honey to the vinaigrette, or swap Parmesan for feta or goat cheese. For gluten-free crunch, use toasted nuts or seeds instead of croutons.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories: 388 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Fat: 31 g
- Fiber: 8 g
Instagram users: If you make this salad, tag @vanillabeancuisine or use #vanillabeancuisine—we’d love to see your photos!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef and with over a decade of experience as a personal chef, I share well-tested recipes designed for home cooks and families.
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