My biggest
culinary complaint is when people cook vegetables beyond recognition.
A dear friend of
mine agreed.
"If you
can't cook vegetables properly," she said. "MAKE A F*CKING
SALAD!"
Not only are
salads easy to prepare, but they're good for you and take almost no time to
make. All they take is a basic knowledge of what goes in them to begin with.
There are many
types of salad out there: lettuce based, fruit based, potato based, grain based
i.e. rice or quinoa, noodle based, and cabbage based i.e. slaws (though to be
fair, a slaw can also consist of fennel or radishes instead of cabbage).
Having taught
you how to make a basic salad dressing in my previous article, I'm going to start you off with the principles
of lettuce-based salads, and then, for those who want specific recipes, I'll be
tackling both classic salads and my own versions in the next entries.
Freestyle
Lettuce Play
Salad doesn't
take long to master. All you need to know is what the common elements are.
I'm going to
break it down for you as simply as I can.
Ingredients for a Lettuce Based Salad
1 type of Lettuce or a Mix of a few - washed, pulled apart, and if the leaves
are large, chopped up or torn by hand into bite sized pieces - this could be
Romaine, Iceberg (a popular favorite), Boston, Endive - which is pale and has a
slightly bitter taste, see the image below, Radicchio - that reddish lettuce
you often find in fancy salads, see the second image below, Arugula aka Rocket
Lettuce - which has a peppery taste that often varies in intensity depending on
which batch you get, Spinach or Baby Spinach, Baby Beet Greens, or A boxed salad mix
- but they're pricier than buying whole heads of lettuce, PLEASE DO NOT BUY BAGGED LETTUCE MIXES UNLESS YOU
PLAN TO USE 'EM SAME DAY - They tend to spoil quicker!
![]() |
Endive |
![]() |
Raddicchio |
Another Fruit or Vegetable of Choice or 3
- Washed, and Chopped or Grated - Cucumbers
and Tomatoes are popular choices, but you could also use berries - one type or
mixed (Blueberries and Raspberries are hot in salads right now), Oranges or
Grapefruit - just remember to take the seeds out, Carrots, Avocados, pitted,
peeled, tossed in a little lemon or lime juice so they stay green, and chopped,
Radishes - Daikon, a large Japanese radish is also coming into favor these days,
apples, and even beets - you can clean and grate these raw or peel them, chop 'em up, boil them until
they're tender, and then add them to the salad, but I prefer them raw and
grated meself.
IF YOU WANT TO ADD AN ONION - use it
sparingly, as in a
couple of thin slices, sliced in half and broken up so the rings separate - and
try to stick to a sweet onion, like a red one for example, as onion flavor is
VERY strong.
1 or 2 Crunchy Elements - Optional - This doesn't have to be croutons - You
could use sliced Almonds of any kind, Pine Nuts, Cashews, Peanuts - flavored
ones would be awesome, Pumpkin or Sunflower Seeds, fried and crumbled Bacon or
fake Bacon bits (I call them "Fakin' Bacon"), Fried crispy rice
noodles (available in most grocery stores and all Asian Markets), dry
instant Ramen noodles (throw out that nasty packet of instant broth they come
with), or even Parmesan Chips (press heaping spoonfuls of grated parmesan cheese onto a silicon baking mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet, bake at 400 F until brownish around
the edges (about 5 minutes) wait for them to cool, and then eat as is or put 'em in your salad)!
1 Protein of Choice - Optional - This turns a salad from a side dish or
appetizer into a meal, and the type is really up to you - Chicken - the breast grilled, roasted, or cooked in a
pan, or even pulled off a store bought rotisserie chicken would work well (a
good way to use leftovers), as would steak - cooked in a pan or on the grill
and then sliced - another great way to
use leftovers, you could also use Roast Beef, chopped up, Firm Tofu (the soft
stuff will just fall apart) cut into cubes, Tuna from a can or Tuna Salad, any
kind of cooked fish filet - once again, another good way to use leftovers, Any
sliced Cold Cuts, Canned Beans of any kind, rinsed and drained, or even Hard
Boiled Eggs or egg salad!
1 Cheese - Grated, Crumbled if it's a
soft-ish cheese like Goat or Blue, or even cut into small cubes - Optional - Parmesan, Blue cheese - try to get
something firm like Castello brand Danish Blue, or Le Bleu d'Elizabeth, a
pungent blue cheese from Quebec, Cheddar, Asiago (a Spanish cheese that was
trendy for a while), Swiss, Gruyere, or Feta - a Greek cheese that's usually
used in Greek salad. Please note that if
you're using cheese, stick to only 1 and use only a little, as cheeses tend to
be quite strong in flavor and you don't want them all fighting dominance in
your salad. Furthermore, remember that something really soft like ricotta,
mascarpone, or cottage cheese won't work that well, as they're too runny.
How to
Assemble Your Salad
This will vary
depending on whether you're serving yourself or a crowd.
For crowds, I
like to make something pretty to get some oohs and ahs when I bring it to the
table. Salad for guests often doesn't get eaten right away so I like to layer
ingredients a bit so my cheese doesn't fall apart, and my crunchy element
doesn't get soggy (not an issue if you're using nuts or seeds or bacon).
While you can prep the individual ingredients
beforehand, ALWAYS WAIT UNTIL THE LAST
MINUTE TO DRESS AND ASSEMBLE THE SALAD ITSELF. There are exceptions to this
rule i.e. potato salads and slaws, but for lettuce based salads especially, you
need to dress the salad as close to the projected time of consumption as
possible, as a salad left to sit in its own dressing for too long gets soggy
and unpleasant.
Regardless of
whether you're serving yourself or guests, always put your protein on top, as
it tends to be heavy and sink to the bottom and you don't want to lose it in
your salad.
For
serving to guests
Toss the
vegetables and, if using, fruit, together with your salad dressing in a bowl,
and then top with your crunchy elements, cheese and/or protein.
You can now
bring it to the table and await the compliments!
For
Serving to Yourself
Toss all but the
protein together in a bowl with your dressing, and then top with your protein,
if using, or put it on your plate with the rest of your meal.
You can now eat
your salad.
![]() |
Grilled Chicken Salad with Parmesan Chips |
Bon Appetit!
And stay tuned
for next time when I'll be tackling classic salads!
-Samantha R. Gold
Questions? Comments? Requests?
Bring it on!
I can be reached at: for.the.culinarily.challenged@gmail.com
Trolls will be unceremoniously
deleted and dismissed.
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