Build Your Own Salad with Alphabet Croutons

This is one of my favorite ways to serve a salad. It’s simple. Everyone gets involved, building their own, which takes some of the pressure off of getting dinner ready. Plus, the alphabet croutons are always a big hit with the kids. Suddenly, salad for dinner doesn’t sound that bad. I serve the salad with my famous (at least it’s famous in our family) Greek Goddess Dressing. It’s a simple play on the classic Green Goddess Dressing. But my version replaces half the mayonnaise with a combination of Greek yogurt and olive oil. My favorite salad with this dressing is edamame, cucumber, sunflower seeds and grapes. For the alphabet croutons, all you need is a bit of olive oil, salt and some sliced whole wheat sandwich bread. They’re super simple to make. If you don’t have a set of alphabet cutters, you can easily purchase them on Amazon for less than $10.

Greek Goddess Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup reduced-fat Greek yogurt

1 1/3 cup green onions, chopped

1 1/8 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup fresh tarragon leaves

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

4 anchovy filets

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Store any leftover dressing for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.