Some days are hard. This salad is easy.

People get overwhelmed at the thought of making their own salad dressing but this is so simple my kids can do it. Plus, when kids help in the kitchen they will probably eat it, try it, or at the very least be exposed to foods they might not consider eating otherwise. My salad philosophy is like my food philosophy – simple ingredients, real food, tasty.
Keep these ingredients on hand to make this salad so common in your home that your kids could whip it up too.
That’s Easy Salad
Equipment
- Big bowl
- 1/4 measuring cup
- Tablespoon
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Orange or 2 halos
- 1 tbsp real maple syrup not table syrup
- 1 bag or head of butter lettuce or lettuce of choice
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In your big bowl add 1/4 olive oil, balsamic, juice from orange, and 1 tbsp of maple syrup
- Whisk ingredients together until combined (kids have fun with this process) taste and add desired amount of s&p (who doesn't love a good taste test)
- Add bag of salad or chopped and cleaned butter lettuce to bowl and toss well
- Tada, you did it!
Notes

Once you have the base salad dressing down there is a multitude of ways to mix it up. Swap the balsamic for equal parts white wine vinegar. Add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard. Or get real sophisticated and add half a ripe avocado by whisking it until pureed and then adding the other ingredients. Sky’s the limit but most importantly, don’t take yourself too seriously and have some fun with food because that’s an important lesson too.
Live well friends,
Christy
FYI: These links are Amazon affiliate links. What this means is that by buying through these links, Amazon gives me a little bit of money at no extra cost to you. It’s one little way you can help me keep Messy Adventure up and running! I only endorse products I love and buy myself. Thank you friend.