Finely Shredded Greek Romaine Salad with Dill and Lemon

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The taverna salad that shows up before the fish: romaine sliced into hair-thin ribbons, tangled with scallions and a serious amount of fresh dill, then dressed at the very last second with sharp lemon and grassy olive oil. The fine shred is the whole point — it turns sturdy lettuce into something almost silky that carries dressing in every bite. Feta is welcome but strictly optional.

Ingredients

• 2 heads romaine lettuce hearts (about 1 1/4 lb total)
• 4 scallions, trimmed
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh dill fronds, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, Greek if you have it
• 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Greek oregano, crumbled

• 3 ounces Greek feta in brine, broken into large crumbles
• 8 Kalamata olives, pitted
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Remove any bruised outer leaves from the romaine hearts. Halve each head lengthwise, then cut out the dense white core at the base so the leaves separate easily.
2. Stack 6 to 8 leaves at a time, flat and aligned, on the cutting board. With your sharpest knife, slice crosswise into ribbons no more than 1/8 inch wide — thinner if your knife allows. Work in small stacks; crowding the board is what produces thick, uneven shreds. You should end up with about 10 loosely packed cups.
3. Fill a large bowl with cold water, add the shredded romaine, and swish gently for 15 seconds to rinse out grit and crisp the leaves. Lift out and spin dry in a salad spinner in two batches, or roll in clean kitchen towels and pat firmly. The romaine must be genuinely dry or the dressing will slide off and pool.
4. Transfer the dried romaine to a large bowl, cover loosely with a damp paper towel, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to 3 hours. Cold, dry, crisp lettuce is what makes this salad taste like a taverna's.
5. Slice the scallions very thinly on a sharp diagonal, using both the white and green parts. Chop the dill fronds coarsely — you want visible feathery pieces, not dust. Add the scallions, dill, and parsley if using to the bowl with the romaine.
6. Make the dressing no more than 10 minutes before serving: in a small jar, combine the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano. Seal and shake to dissolve the salt, then add the olive oil, seal again, and shake hard for 20 seconds until emulsified and slightly cloudy.
7. Just before the salad goes to the table, pour about three-quarters of the dressing down the side of the bowl and toss with your hands or two large spoons, lifting from the bottom, for 30 to 45 seconds until every ribbon is lightly coated. Taste a strand: add the remaining dressing, a pinch more salt, or a squeeze of lemon as needed.
8. Pile the salad into a wide shallow bowl. If using, scatter the feta crumbles and olives over the top and finish with a thin thread of olive oil. Serve immediately with lemon wedges — the salad is at its best within 5 minutes of dressing.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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