Salads are the one size fit all for food, and it is one of the easiest meals to make. It is the go-to food on days you have to eat whatever's left in your fridge and the best meal if you are on the healthy living train.
As easy as making salads are, you must have definitely made or eaten a bad one. It always seems to taste better at a restaurant when someone else makes it. However, in this article, you will learn the secrets of making the perfect salad. Let’s get started!
As easy as making salads are, you must have definitely made or eaten a bad one. It always seems to taste better at a restaurant when someone else makes it. However, in this article, you will learn the secrets of making the perfect salad. Let’s get started!
1. Always Use Fresh Lettuce
Wilted lettuce in your salad does not sound perfect. Lettuces are delicate vegetables and could ruin your salad if not fresh. Since you are going for perfection, be gentle while washing and cutting the leaves.
Make sure the leaves are properly dried up, and never squash them. You can cut lettuce with a knife or tear it up using your fingers. Whatever method you choose, ensure you dress the lettuce as you serve.
2. Never Forget the Cream or Dairy
Don’t go crazy with your cream because too much of it can ruin your salad. But always ensure that you add only a touch, nothing more!
Cheese, cotija, fresh mozzarella, feta, bleu, and queso fresco are good dairy choices. You can use them to make a delicious cream and enjoy the heavenly goodness they will add to the salad.
3. Add Crunchiness
No one likes bland and boring food, but you probably have the misconception that you can only get crunchiness in your salad through the greens. That’s absolutely wrong!
Say goodbye to that thought and spice up your salad with jicama, broccoli, apples, cauliflowers, and cucumbers. Don’t forget to add nuts, tortilla strips, and wontons. Enjoy!
4. Use Olive Oil With the Best Quality
If you love a good green salad but you never successfully make one, quality olive oil is the missing ingredient.
With extra virgin olive oil in the right proportion, your salad will have a buttery and delicate feel, and the olive flavor makes it all perfect.
5. Don’t Let the Avocado Turn Brown
Avocados are the mix of heaven and sin in a salad. They complement a salad perfectly and ruin it just as fast. Getting served a salad with brown avocados is an immediate no!
If you are tired of brown avocados, the secret is to peel and chop them right before you serve. Cut the avocado in half, get rid of the pit, slice it lengthways, place it on the salad, and enjoy!
6. Make Sure You Add Protein
The good thing about proteins is that they come in different forms. From diced beef to nuts to chicken chunks and seeds, there is a wide variety of protein options for your salad.
Make sure you always add proteins to your salad. Apart from the delicious look it gives the salad, the nutritional value and taste double up too!
7. Mix Up the Salad Properly
You have probably eaten a salad with many tastes; some spoons were more savoring than others. This is because the salad didn’t get a proper mix.
Never forget to be generous with your oils and dressing; pour it evenly on the salad and mix to perfection with a spatula. A poorly mixed salad is automatically a ruined salad, and who wants that?
8. Texture Is as Important as the Greens
If you are careless with the texture of your salad, it’ll never be perfect. The salad's texture is a major determinant of how the salad looks and tastes.
Always ensure that your greens are fresh and still retain their texture when making a bowl of salad. No one wants wilted or dead leaves in their salad.
9. Make It Look Good
You have probably heard that the eyes eat before the mouth does. Food must always look enticing and appealing at a glance. Never rush up your serving, take your time to make it look good.
A quick trick is using bright-colored fruits or nuts or seasoning and toasting your proteins to make them look attractive. Be artistic with your bowl choice too, and place the salad in the most aesthetic way. If your salad looks like perfection, it will definitely taste like it too.
10. Pay Attention to the Dressing
Dressing can make or break your salad. If you have the best ingredients but use a cheap dressing, your salad will taste unsatisfying.
It takes less than five minutes to make a dressing. Use the ingredients you have in the right proportion. It is best to make sure everything is in moderation, remember, you are going for perfection.