A salad is only as good as the quality of its ingredients. To make a truly great salad, you’ve got to use ingredients that are fresh, ripe and in season.
If you think salads are limited to watery lettuce and a few chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, think again. There are endless amounts of wonderful combinations and you can make a salad as simple or as complex as you like. Spend a minute thinking about the contrasts of tastes and textures in the ingredients you are choosing and what sort of dressing you want to use, so you end up with something delicious and exciting every time.
THE BASE OF YOUR SALAD
The ingredient that forms the bulk of your salad is the base. And when we hear the word ‘salad’, lettuce is often the first ingredient that comes to mind because it is used as a base for so many salads. Oakleaf, cos or romaine lettuce and baby mixed lettuces, also make great salad bases, as do chicory, radicchio, arugula, watercress, baby spinach, tiny red-veined chard leaves, mustard leaves, pea shoots and sorrel. But plenty of salads don’t have any lettuce in them at all. You can make beautiful salads using cooked new potatoes, couscous, lentils, shredded cabbages or any other robust interesting vegetable. Use your imagination and you’ll never be bored.
PREPARING AND WASHING SALAD LEAVES
Wash your salad leaves before using them. Make sure your sink is clean then fill it with cold water. Gently wash the salad leaves in the water until they are clean and then transfer them to a salad spinner and spin dry. If you don’t have a salad spinner, put them into a clean tea towel, gather the edges up and spin it around your head. Make sure the leaves are dry – if they aren’t, the salad dressing won’t cling to them. Keep them in the refrigerator or bowl under a damp cloth until you’re ready to use them.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU ADD TO A SALAD?
Raw crunchy veggies, like carrots or radishes, are great in salads. But they can be quite hard if they’re in big pieces, so finely slice them or shave them into ribbons with a peeler. Beets, spring onions, cucumber, squash and celery all work well. Cooked vegetables are also fantastic in salads. Peas, beans, asparagus and corn, cooked very quickly so they are not mushy, add flavor and color. Grilled slices of zucchini or pepper or even chunks of roasted squash or pumpkin also make salads much more interesting.
Adding soft herbs at the last-minute adds loads of extra flavor. Basil, tarragon, parsley, dill, mint or even thyme or marjoram tips are all great choices.
It’s also nice to add a bit of protein to a salad, especially if you’re having it as a main meal. Use your imagination; there are really no limits to what you can include. Try a few slices of smoked salmon, shredded roast chicken, cooked shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, buffalo mozzarella, crispy bacon, cannellini beans, lentils or crumbled goat cheese.
For a bit of crunch, try adding a few nuts or seeds. Toasted or flaked almonds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, crumbled walnuts and chopped cashews all work well.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DRESSING
Think of your salad dressing as the link that brings all the ingredients in your salad together. There are loads of ready-made bottled dressings available in the markets, but it’s so easy to make your own, so try to get into the habit of doing that rather than buying them. Store-bought dressings are likely to contain lots of hidden ingredients and may be high in calories and sugar. Plus if you make your own, you can tweak it every time to suit the other ingredients in your salad.
The easiest way to make your salad dressing is in a clean jar. Just add all of your ingredients, pop the lid on and give it a good shake!
Most salad dressings contain an oil element – such as extra virgin olive oil, nut oil or sesame oil – and an acid element, such as balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or lemon or lime juice. Aim for a ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part acid, then add any other ingredients you fancy. Half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard or some finely chopped fresh herbs or chillies can add loads of flavor. If you want a slightly creamy dressing, try stirring a spoonful of natural yogurt into the dressing.
Once dressed, salad leaves can wilt after a few minutes, so always add your dressing right before serving. If you want to ensure a really good even coating, using clean hands, quickly toss everything together. Just make sure you don’t add all of the dressing at once; add a little, mix it up, then have a taste before deciding whether you need to add more. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away.
Mediterranean Pita Salad
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, crushed with a press
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- Pinch ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce (about 1 large head romaine)
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 pita breads, toasted and broken into bite-size pieces
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, coriander and pepper. Whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream until blended.
Add romaine, mint, parsley, tomatoes, radishes, green onions, cucumber and toasted pita and toss until blended. Serve immediately.
Steak Salad with Yogurt-Lemon Dressing
6 servings
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Steak:
- 1 rib-eye, strip loin or top sirloin steak (about 12 ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
- 4 cups finely chopped hearts of Romaine lettuce
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado, pitted and diced
- 1/4 cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
- 4 ounces crumbled feta
Directions
To make dressing:
Whisk yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Thin with up to 3 tablespoons of water so it dribbles off a spoon. Let stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes to develop flavors. (Can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.) Makes 1 cup.
To prepare steak:
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill for high heat, pat steak dry and season with salt and pepper. Grill 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips.
To prepare salad:
Make a bed of romaine on a large serving platter and sprinkle with parsley. Arrange cucumber, tomato, chickpeas, avocado, olives and feta in mounds and place steak strips in the center. Pass the dressing on the side.
Crab Salad with Lemon Dressing
Serves 2
Ingredients
Crab
- 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 dashes hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
- Salt and pepper
- 8 ounces lump crabmeat
Salad
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons champagne or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives, more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
- 1/3 pound thin green beans, trimmed
- 1 bunch arugula
- 1 bunch endive, chopped in 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 3 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and cut into thin wedges
- 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and finely chopped
Directions
For the crab:
Stir together shallot, hot sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and chives in a medium bowl. Add crabmeat and lightly toss. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.
For the rest of the salad:
Whisk together mustard, shallot, vinegar, chives and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in olive oil until dressing slightly thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Steam Yukon gold potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork. While potatoes are still warm, pour a tablespoon or two of dressing over them.
Steam green beans until tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly. Combine green beans with arugula, endive and radish. Toss with a tablespoon of dressing.
Toss fennel with remaining dressing in a small bowl. Check over the crab for any pieces of shell.
To serve:
Arrange greens on a platter or individual plates. Top with crab, fennel and eggs. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.
Couscous Salad with Zucchini and Parsley
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups boiling water
- 1 cup whole wheat couscous
- 5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 small zucchini
- 1/4 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo Beans (also called chickpeas), rinsed and drained
Directions
In a large, heatproof bowl, pour water over couscous, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and set aside to let cool for 5 minutes more.
Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, tahini and salt in a second large bowl.
Thinly slice zucchini over dressing and then use kitchen shears to snip parsley leaves into the bowl; discard stems.
Add tomatoes, beans and couscous and toss gently to combine.
Grilled Chicken and Wheat-Berry Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup wheat berries, rinsed and drained
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves, divided
- 1 cup green apple, peeled and cut into julienne strips
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken or turkey breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Cooking spray
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
Cucumber Yogurt Dressing
- 1 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
- 3 tablespoons plain low-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon dried dill
Directions
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a simmer; cover and cook for 2 hours, 15 minutes or until wheat berries are almost tender.
Drain and place in a salad bowl; discard bay leaf.
For the salad dressing:
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate dressing in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Preheat grill.
Coarsely chop the spinach leaves. Add spinach, apple, bell pepper and 3 tablespoons of the cucumber dressing to the wheat berries and toss well.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Thinly slice chicken.
Arrange chicken evenly over salad mixture; sprinkle with green onions. Pass dressing on the side.
Related articles
- Chickpea and Quinoa Salad (skinnyfiberblog.wordpress.com)
- Spring salad (nilssonsambrosia.com)
- Shaved Brussels Sprout, Mustard Green and Radish Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette Recipe (georgiapeachonmymind.com)
ninoalmendra
Thanks, Jovina! These salad recipes are all excellent, I can’t wait to try one of it!
And I totally agree on your statement on using fresh ingredients for salads.
Cheers from the Persian Gulf! -Nino
Jovina Coughlin
Cheers to you from the Gulf of Mexico! Thank you so much for reading my post and taking time to comment.
ninoalmendra
It’s my pleasure! Thank you for compiling a bunch of awesome salad recipes.
Dimple@shivaaydelights
I’m loving all these amazing salad dishes…Can’t wait to try them out as the weather is getting warmer x
Jovina Coughlin
Yes this is a great time of year to switch over to this type of eating. Thank you and I hope you enjoy eating some of these salads.
Animalcouriers
Some lovely salad dressing ideas there, thanks.
Isn’t it great that research has found the source of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet – olive oil combined with leafy salad or vegetables (http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27470115) — can’t go wrong there.
Jovina Coughlin
Totally agree! Thank you for sharing this article – we try to follow the Mediterranean style of eating in our home.
Pam
They all look delicious to me… especially the steak salad.
Jovina Coughlin
Thanks Pam. I hope you like the recipe.
Our Growing Paynes
Salads sure have come a long way from the 80’s iceberg, one tomato, red onion, drowned in creamy blue cheese. 😊. Great recipes.
Jovina Coughlin
Oh they sure have. Thank you so much.
Amanda
Salads are a thing of wonder. I used to think they were boring, but now I realize a good salad can be the heart of a meal. There are so many wonderful flavor combos and greens. It really is a joy. Great ideas here!
Jovina Coughlin
There are endless possible combinations and salads are so refreshing. Thanks Amanda.
Mary Frances
These all look so good, how am I supposed to choose!? I gotta step up my salad game!
Jovina Coughlin
If you like crab, Mary, that would be my first choice. The last few weeks temperatures have been getting close to 90 here, so salads are at the top of my list. I am preparing these now and when you start getting those hot temps up north, you will have a reference.
Wendie Donabie
THese salads all look great for summer meals.. I look forward to trying them all.
Jovina Coughlin
All right Wendie. Where will you start. Thanks so much.
Michele
Made a salad with pieces of baked salmon in it. Delicious!!!
Jovina Coughlin
I bet it was delicious! Salmon can add a lot of flavor.
ambradambra
There’s nothing better than freshly-picked salad. I grow my own special type of radicchio (well, a type of chicory really) that isn’t available in shops here in Australia. It’s called ‘zuccherina di Trieste’ and is a regional green from nth-eastern Italy. This year’s crop is nearly ready to harvest, but I actually wrote about it last year on my blog. Have you ever tried it? http://ambradambra.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/the-secret-radicchio-society/
Jovina Coughlin
I read your post and the radicchio pictured reminds me of the type of arugula that I get here in the US. The only type of radicchio I get here is in the shope of a small red ball. You are lucky you can grow these varieties in your garden.
Anne
Terrific ideas, Jovina! We love to have main dish salads all summer long, and this will help keep the new ideas coming. I just made the dressing from the steak salad to put on our layered taco salad (but used lime zest instead of lemon zest). After working in the garden all day, it is wonderful to come in and literally just toss dinner together. I will be trying the chicken and cucumber recipe soon, too.
Jovina Coughlin
That is great Anne and so creative. I love when readers make these recipes their own. We love salad dinners especially in this warm weather, also.
Treedson A
I love your salads variation, I will try them. I’m sure they are lovely.
Jovina Coughlin
Thank you so much. I hope you like the recipes.
Treedson A
I will definitely enjoy it. 🙂
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