Salad Basics

Salads are awesome. Remember that love affair of veggies I'm always spouting about? Salads are the epitome of veggie love.

For posts of three of my favorite salads, check out: Kale Avocado Salad, Israeli Salad, Caprese Salad with Avocado and Spinach Salad.

This post is focused on the basics of salads. I whole-heartedly reject iceberg lettuce (not enough taste and lower in nutrients than other lettuce) but whatever floats your boat. Many items like kale, mustard greens and arugula require a certain palate to enjoy. I detected a notable difference in my palate when I stopped drinking soda and did not add sugar to coffee/tea. You begin to appreciate the bitter tastes in life (brussels sprouts, black coffee, hops, vinegar, radishes, broccoli, lettuce, dark chocolate, etc.) You can food-chain to expose your palate to bitter tastes by using iceberg lettuce as your main items with a little of bitter greens.

Greens
I prefer to limit the amount of lettuce in the salad. Many salads are a ton of lettuce with a few veggies thrown in for color. No thank you. Lettuce can be your base but I prefer to let lettuce make up no more than 1/3 of the final product to let the other veggies shine.

Preferred greens: spinach, kale, arugula, butter lettuce, Romaine, cabbage (green or purple), mustard greens and fennel. You can tear by hand, chop or ribbon.

Vegetables
Endless possibilities of deliciously wonderful combinations. My favorite go-to veggies: purple onion, chives, sprouts, carrots, beets, radishes, corn. Technically fruits but used as vegetables: tomatoes (grape/cherry are my go-to), avocado, cucumber, zucchini, green beans, snow peas, bell pepper.

Fruits/Nuts/Cheese/Other
Fruit: mandarin oranges, apples, pears, strawberries and pineapple. Nuts: walnuts, almonds and pecans. Cheese: goat, feta, gorgonzola, bleu and cheddar cheese. Other: olives (green, black, kalamata), cranberries, chick peas, beans (black, pinto).

Meats
Adding meat can make the dish more filling. Pick from chicken, pork, beef, cured meats (sliced prosciutto, capicola).

See my post on salad dressings here.

When making a salad with a tough lettuce like kale, it's best to dress the salad about 20-30 minutes before serving to allow the lettuce to soften. Items like avocado or goat cheese can be added right before serving.