Salads are a healthy meal packed with so many essential nutrients and they are also super delicious! Gone are the days of boring salads! Salads are also so quick and easy to make. However, many of us don’t know how to make a proper salad. Get ready to revamp your traditional lettuce and tomato salad.
Below are five easy steps for making the perfect salad.
Step 1: Choose your salad base
A traditional salad usually starts with a base of a mild tasting leafy green. Iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce are two of your traditional mild tasting leafy greens. They are neutral tasting and compatible with any salad ingredient and salad dressing.
A salad can be made with just one mild tasting leafy green, or you can try adding other leafy greens to create different flavor profiles and textures. Leafy greens such as spinach and kale, give salads a different texture and are packed with more nutrients.
Bold greens such as watercress or arugula, add a peppery or spicy flavor to the salad. Belgian endives add a slight bitter flavor. Try using a non-traditional salad base or add one bold and/or bitter tasting green to a traditional salad base, to create different salad flavor profiles.
- Salad Base: Iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, watercress, arugula, Belgian endives, bibb lettuce, mesclun mix (Spring mx), radicchio, escarole, leaf lettuce.
- Serving Size: 2 handfuls of salad per person/serving.
Step 2: Choose your protein
Adding a protein to a salad makes the salad more filling. It also helps to make the salad more satisfying. We definitely recommend adding a protein to a salad, if your salad is for dinner as the main meal. Jazz up your protein options by using different herbs and spices for added flavor.
For a meatless, vegetarian or vegan salad, there are so many delicious protein options to choose from as well. So try using different proteins, to create different filling salad options.
- Protein: Chicken breast, steak, turkey, tuna fish, fish (salmon), shrimp, boiled eggs, cheese, beans (chickpeas, black beans, lentils, edamame), tofu, tempeh, seitan, vegan meat, edamame, nuts/seeds, wild rice, brown rice, quinoa.
- Serving Size: ½ cup to 1 cup.
© GettyImagesStep 3: Choose your fruits and/or vegetables
Fruits and vegetables also add healthful vitamins and nutrients to your salad. However, they also add beautiful color, texture and amazing flavors to your salads. Be creative and have fun! If you prefer a salad that is more on the sweet side, then choose more fruit and sweet vegetable foods.
If you prefer a more savory salad, then choose more vegetables and maybe one fruit option, or you can exclude the fruits all together. For an interesting salad, make it a sweet and savory salad, and add equal amounts of both fruits and vegetables. Try different flavor combinations.
- Fruits: Apples, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, cherries, avocados, pineapples, pomegranates, bananas, oranges, plums, apricots.
- Serving Size: ¼ cup to ½ cup per fruit item. You can add more according to your preference.
- Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, onions, celery, mushrooms, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, beets, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots.
- Serving Size: ½ cup to 1 cup per vegetable item.
- *If you are not using a protein in your salad, then increase your vegetable/fruit serving sizes.
Step 4: Choose your toppings
A well made salad doesn’t need too many toppings. And toppings are totally optional. Choose toppings to your liking, or match them up with the flavor profile of your salad.
- Toppings: Croutons, dried cranberries, raisins, dried fruit, nuts/seeds, candied nuts, cheese, olives, hemp/chia/flax seeds.
- Serving Size: Varies according to your salad profile and preferences. 1 to 3 tablespoons per topping.
Step 5: Choose your dressing
When it comes to dressings, there are so many options, so the choice is yours. You can choose a simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing or a simple salad dressing of olive oil and lemon juice, with a pinch of salt. You can also choose to match up your dressing with the type of salad you are making.
If you want a more sweet salad, then you can choose a more sweet style dressing. If you want a more savory salad,then you can choose a more savory style dressing. For a salad with both sweet and savory flavor profiles, try using a salad dressing that is opposite of your salad flavor profile.
For example, if your overall salad is on the sweet side, then use a more savory salad dressing and vice versa. Try different salad dressings to also create different salad profiles. There are so many delicious store-bought options, and there are also so many delicious recipes to create on your own.
- Dressing: Balsamic, ranch, French, caesar, thousand island, Italian, ginger dressing, honey mustard, raspberry, apple cider vinegar, lemon vinaigrette, red wine vinaigrette, maple vinaigrette.
- Serving Size: Start off with 2 to 3 teaspoons and add more as desired.
