Little gem salad with dates, avocado and champagne vinaigrette

Fat avocado and sweet date want bubbles and acid.

Champagne or Provençal rosé; date-lemon soda if skipping alcohol.

Vinaigrette keeps a week. Dressed leaves do not. Slice the avocado at the last possible moment.

• Little gem lettuce5 head
• Avocado2 ea
• Medjool dates8 ea
• Toasted almonds0.25 cups
• Champagne vinegar3 tbsp
• Mixed soft herbs1 cup
• Dijon mustard0.5 tbsp
• Honey0.5 tbsp

Multiplying the ingredients is the easy half. These are the parts of the recipe that the batch count does not move.

Cooking time

Nothing cooks, so batch size does not change a cooking time. Chilling does not scale either — it is set by the depth of the container, so a double batch in one deep tub takes far longer than two shallow ones.

1. Read the whole method before you shop. This is a planning recipe for little gem salad with dates, avocado and champagne vinaigrette, not a certified kitchen test.
2. Amounts below are one batch: 6 portions. Build a plan and this card scales itself to it.
3. This dish can be completed up to 1 day ahead. Cold storage is the real limit — do not make it ahead if the fridge is already tight.
4. No heat. Assemble from cold ingredients. Keep covered until service.
5. Hold time is short (8 min). Finish close to service. Do not guess a longer hold.
6. Drink pairing: Champagne or Provençal rosé; date-lemon soda if skipping alcohol.
7. Leftover route: Vinaigrette keeps a week. Dressed leaves do not. Slice the avocado at the last possible moment.
8. Confirm every ingredient and every allergen yourself. Dietary tags are planning filters, not safety guarantees.