It might be a rare opinion, but salad is absolutely one of my favorite things to eat in this world, hands down. (I feel the same way about pasta but for this article, salad.)
These are the ways to make the best salad, time and time again. Start today and you’ll be glad you did, by the end of May.
Good Greens
They say, the better the greens, the better the salad. But me? I say, buy what you like, and that will make the best salad for you. It’s true, the greener, the healthier but it’s also fun to mix lettuces. This way you can try different kinds and mix and match to find your favorite combination. (If you love raw spinach, use that.) Talk about healthy!
Make Your Greens Last
The best tip to keeping your greens fresh for longer, lays in paper towel. Yup, paper towel. All you have to do is take a sheet and add it to the bag/container and your lettuce will stay fresh at least twice as long as it would have otherwise. Use this paper towel tip, you will not be disappointed!
Pile on the Vegetables
Salads are an amazing way to get in all the veggies. The base is lettuce, but on top, you can add all the things. Carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, cabbage, and tomatoes are all great toppings. Other amazing additions from the produce family are avocado, grapes, berries, spring onions, or melon.
Fermented Foods
You can literally add anything to salad, how cool is that? Fermented vegetables are super healthy and such a great thing to throw into your dish. Whether it’s pickles or beets, adding additional flavors will only add greatness to your salad.
Other Toppings
Depending on the type of salad you like, you can literally add anything you like to a salad. You can add cold pasta to an Italian salad, I’ve seen it done and it’s delicious and unexpected. For a Greek salad, add banana peppers for more flavor and a little kick.
Different Textures
Your salad needs crunchy, soft, and even hot and cold. You want all the different elements to come together for your salad, and the more you do, the better.
Beyond Croutons
Croutons are a fun, crunchy topper and there are so many options these days. To make you own, all you have to do is choose your favorite bread and cut it into squares. Drizzle on a good cooking oil, whatever spices you’d like, and throw them into the oven until they are browned to your preference. Fun tip: you can also make “cheese” croutons in the oven by baking little cheese piles until they crisp up.
Proteins
Of course, steak is an ultimate topper for salad, but there are so many delicious and tasty proteins to add. A burger on top is a great way to finish the meal and chicken is popular and tastes so good. If you don’t eat meat, you can add eggs for a soft, decadent touch or salty, crunchy sunflower seeds to boost the protein level.
Dressing
Homemade dressing is easy and the best way to finish your salad. Whether it’s Western dressing, a light vinaigrette, or honey mustard with pepper, dressings are the best when you make them yourself. When dressing a salad, they say to dress the bowl and add your sauce that way, and not by adding it directly to the greens.
The absolute best thing about salads is that you can do literally anything with them and add cheeses, meats, and other toppings, even pasta if you want to. What’s your favorite kind of salad?