How to make salads you want to eat
Note: this post mostly applies to entree and potluck salads here, since a side salad can just be perfectly dressed and seasoned handful of greens.
Though we love salads now, we didn’t always care for them.
Growing up, it wasn’t dinnertime without a bag of wilted iceberg blend, replete with some shredded carrots and perhaps a leaf of red cabbage - we’re sure many of you are familiar with this 90s phenom. Then came the sad spring mix of our 20s, which we threw out more than we care to admit. Thankfully, bagged and boxed salads have significantly improved, and now we keep them - specifically pre-shredded slaws (which keep well and long!) - in rotation. And, we’ve also expanded our definition of salad: lettuce - which can be blah and soggy - doesn’t need to be the main ingredient. Let other veggies and ingredients shine. Below, we’ve listed our essential salad components - holler at us with any you think we missed.
Quality ingredients
Salads are only as good as their components, since ingredients can’t lurk behind butter or a layer of cheese. So, it’s important that each ingredient is high quality and can stand on it’s own.
Contrast
Incorporating contrasting but complementary flavors and textures satiates our appetites and palettes. We like to use something sweet (some type of fruit or a sweet-ish dressing), salty (a literal sprinkle of salt, croutons, olives, etc.), crunchy (cucumber, crisp lettuce or slaw, chopped nuts), and creamy (crumbled or grated cheese, avocado, dressing, etc.).
Fixings
You know we love a topping. We like to use all sorts of cooked, raw, massaged or fermented veggies in our salads, which is a great way to use up strays in your fridge - those left over roasted veggies, kraut or kimchi, a stalk of celery, a few olives, capers, or jarred peppers - you get the idea. We also love to add. that sliced apple your kid didn’t finish, berries that are about to go, or any number of dried fruits you inevitable have in your pantry.
Texture/Crunch
Make sure to add a little glitter by way of some toasted seeds, micros, chile crisp, or toasted grains.
Filling Foods
To make your salad a complete meal, add nutrient and protein dense items like legumes, grains, cheese, poultry or fish/seafood. Think crumbled feta, steamed lentils, salmon filets, cured meats, tinned fish, chicken breasts, etc. Again, this is a great way to use up strays in your fridge or freezer - like that half piece of fish unfinished from last night. I even added dumplings to the salad pictured above.
Greens & Herbs
We like to a blend of greens, if you have them on hand. As mentioned above, we’ve had our fill of mixed greens, and favor something a bit sturdier and crunchier - usually chopped romaine or lacinato kale, butter lettuce, or little gems. We also like to add a handful of herbs liek parsley, basil or chives (great way to use these up and they add some pizzazz!), microgreens, or some endive, radicchio or frisee.
Dressing
Like the rest of the salad, a good dressing should be balanced with sweet, salty, and acidic/brightening notes, which could be from citrus juice, mustard, or vinegar. For the salty factor, you might try a sprinkle of sea salt, a dash of tamari. or sprinkle of nutritional yeast. For the sweet element, try maple syrup, honey, or agave or aminos. For a pop of savory umani, try dried herbs. Another element of a good dressing is a creaminess, say from avocado, yogurt/sour cream, seed/nut butters, or mayo. When dressing your salad, remember that grain and legumes absorb more liquid than greens, requiring more dressing. But, start with a little - you can also add more.