Butter Lettuce and Herb Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Soft butter lettuce, crisp celery, avocado, and fresh parsley, dill, and chives in a cool buttermilk dressing, with toasted sunflower seeds for crunch.
Why you'll love Butter Lettuce and Herb Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Butter lettuce is the most tender lettuce of spring, with soft, cupped leaves that taste faintly sweet, and it is made for a creamy dressing that settles into every fold. Here it gets crisp slices of celery heart, ripe avocado, a generous handful of fresh herbs, and toasted sunflower seeds, all coated in a tangy buttermilk dressing flecked with chives and dill.
The dressing is whole cultured buttermilk and sour cream in equal parts, which lands at a texture that pours slowly and clings to the leaves without weighing them down. A short rest in the refrigerator gives the garlic and herbs time to flavor the whole batch. Tender leaves bruise easily, so the salad is dressed in a wide bowl with your hands, gently, right before it goes to the table.
It is the salad for an April or May dinner, when the herbs are coming back and butter lettuce is at every market. Serve it next to roast chicken, a seared steak, or poached salmon.
Quick overview: This Butter Lettuce and Herb Salad with Buttermilk Dressing takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 49 min in all and makes 6 servings, each about 2 cups. You'll need a skillet.
Ingredients
- 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus a pinch for the salad
- 1/2 cup sour cream Label: cream and cultures
- 1/2 cup whole cultured buttermilk, shaken Label: cultured whole milk and salt, with nothing added (most store buttermilk is low-fat; look for whole)
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to finish
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives, plus 1/4 cup chives cut into 1-inch lengths
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus 1/2 cup whole flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus 1/4 cup small dill sprigs
- 1/3 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
- 3 heads butter lettuce, leaves separated, large leaves torn in half
- 3 inner celery stalks with their leaves, thinly sliced on an angle
- 1 large ripe avocado, sliced
- Make it from scratch: Buttermilk Dressing
Instructions
- Make a garlic paste: Grate the garlic onto a cutting board, sprinkle the 1/4 teaspoon of salt over it, and press and drag the flat of a knife across it a few times. The salt grinds the garlic into a smooth paste that spreads evenly through the dressing.
- Make the dressing: Whisk the sour cream in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in the buttermilk a little at a time, followed by the garlic paste, lemon juice, and pepper. Stir in the chopped chives, parsley, and dill. Loosening the thick sour cream before the buttermilk goes in keeps the dressing smooth.
- Chill: Cover and refrigerate the dressing for at least 30 minutes. The garlic and herbs flavor it as it rests, and it thickens slightly.
- Toast the seeds: Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Tip them onto a plate so they stop cooking.
- Dry the lettuce: Wash the lettuce leaves and dry them completely in a salad spinner or between towels. Dressing slides off wet leaves and pools at the bottom of the bowl, and dry leaves hold it.
- Dress and serve: Put the lettuce, celery, whole parsley leaves, dill sprigs, and chive lengths in a wide bowl with a pinch of salt. Spoon about two-thirds of the dressing around the sides and lift the leaves gently with your hands until they are lightly coated. Tuck in the avocado, drizzle on the rest of the dressing, scatter the sunflower seeds and a little pepper over the top, and serve right away.
Storage and leftovers
Dressed butter lettuce wilts within an hour, so dress only what you will eat. Washed, dried leaves keep in the refrigerator wrapped in a towel inside a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Keep the dressing in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and no later than the date on the buttermilk or sour cream, whichever comes first. The toasted sunflower seeds keep in a jar at room temperature for up to a week. Slice the avocado just before serving.
Variations
- Radishes: Add a few thinly sliced radishes in place of the celery for a peppery crunch.
- Tarragon: Add a tablespoon of chopped fresh tarragon to the dressing for a gentle anise note that suits spring greens.
- Make it a meal: Top each plate with sliced grilled chicken, flaked poached salmon, or two halved soft-boiled eggs.
- Pumpkin seeds: Use toasted pumpkin seeds in place of the sunflower seeds.
Notes and tips
- Find whole buttermilk: Most store buttermilk is low-fat, so read the carton. Look for whole cultured buttermilk with a label of cultured whole milk and salt.
- Use the inner celery: The pale stalks and leaves at the heart of the bunch are the most tender and the least stringy.
- Dress with your hands: Soft lettuce bruises under tongs. Hands coat every leaf without crushing it.
- Keep the herbs whole: Whole parsley leaves, dill sprigs, and chive lengths taste like part of the salad, and each bite gets a different herb.
Nutrition and mindful eating
- Butter lettuce, celery, and fresh herbs are mostly water and fiber, so this salad is light and hydrating with lots of volume.
- Cultured buttermilk and sour cream are fermented dairy, and their full fat is what makes the dressing creamy and satisfying.
- Avocado and sunflower seeds bring more real fat, and fat helps your body absorb the vitamins A and K in the greens.
- Parsley, dill, and chives carry most of the flavor, so a modest spoonful of dressing goes a long way.
- As you eat, notice the soft leaves, the crisp celery, and the cool, tangy dressing, and check in an hour after the meal: next to a protein, this salad should leave you comfortably full with steady energy through the evening.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this Butter Lettuce and Herb Salad with Buttermilk Dressing? Start here, with the questions people ask most.
Can I make the dressing ahead?
Yes, up to 3 days ahead. Stir it before using, since it thickens as it chills.
What if I cannot find butter lettuce?
Bibb or Boston lettuce are the same kind of soft, cupped lettuce. Little gem works too and adds more crunch.
Does buttermilk fit RESET360?
Yes. Fermented foods are part of RESET360, and buttermilk is one of them. Choose whole buttermilk with a label of cultured whole milk and salt.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Yes. Whole-milk Greek yogurt makes a tangier dressing with a little more body.
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