When I tell people one of my favorite foods is salad, I typically get a confused look. Salad has a bad reputation. Boring. Bland. Not filling. This is due to the nasty prepackaged salads we've bought, the dried out/stale salad bar, or our own lack of creativity. Salad can be amazing & full of flavor! There are so many ingredients that can be added into a salad, it should never be boring!
One of the biggest mistakes we have been making is dousing our salads with dressing, oily, salty, sweet, or creamy dressings. These mask the amazing natural flavors of the fruits & veggies we should be enjoying. Salad is a beautiful mixture of flavors, and if done properly, all you need is a bit of herbs & a slash of juice to make it complete!
Here are some tips to making a perfect salad:
1. The Base:
Greens!! Buy numerous greens like kale, spinach, romaine, red leaf, green leaf, Boston, Iceberg, beet greens, etc. Finely chop your leaves and blend the dark with the light! Try a mix of kale & Boston lettuce, or spinach with romaine! There are so many greens out there, buy a huge variety and blend them to add some excitement to the base.
2. Sweets:
Sweet veggies or fruits are a MUST!! They add so much flavor to the salad and make our taste buds happy!! Fruits & veggies like tomatoes, carrots, beets, red peppers, peas, corn, clementine slices, apple slices, pomegranate seed, sugar snap peas, etc. Always add 3 or more of these!! There is no rhyme or reason, they are tasty and full of health benefits! The more, the merrier! Use flavors that combine well and that you actually like! Try buy a variety of tomatoes, cherry, grape, beefsteak, or vine ripe! They all taste a bit different and can really add great flavor and texture to the salad!
3.More Veggies:
Cucumbers, onions, chives, celery, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, pea shoots & sprouts, etc. I like to add 2 or more of these. I prefer my salad on the sweeter side, so I don't over due on these! Another tip is to leave the skin on the cucumbers, and either slice thin on a mandolin or chop into little pieces! I love the extra crunch the skin adds, the different ways of chopping and slicing can help with texture. Chop cauliflower small, as well as broccoli!
4. Herbs & Spices:
This is so important!!! Since we are skipping store bought dressing, you cannot skip this step! Herbs like cilantro, dill, parsley, mint, basil, rosemary, red pepper flakes, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, are packed with flavor and essential!. I usually use a mix of spices and 1 or 2 herbs depending on the taste I am looking for. I like a mixture of dry herbs and fresh herbs! Sometimes I use dry parsley and other times I like it fresh! It is more flavorful when it is fresh! So if you really want a more intense flavor use fresh!
5. Juice:
Lemons
Limes
Oranges
or Blend avocado with lime juice to make a creamy base.
I use 1 lime or lemon or orange per family size salad. I just squeeze it over the salad and blend well.
6. Extras:
There's more!!! Now if you enjoy seeds, or nuts, beans or dried fruit, ADD on top! Things like sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, nuts, or sprouted lentils are great options! Other beans are great as well! Keep these to a minimum though, they don't digest as well as fruit & veggies and may make you feel heavy and bloated!
Before you eat...mix the salad well and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes! This will help the juices from the fruits/veggies and herbs & spices to blend and absorb. Letting it sit will also soften up the greens a little bit! Now you are ready to eat!!!
Your salad should taste fresh & light! It should be full of color and flavor, not oily, heavy & full of salt! Once you start making a proper salad, you will never want dressing again! This has been my salad making method at home for over a year and a half! My son LOVES to eat them like this and I use to have to give him a ton of dressing before!! We no longer buy dressing, and no longer add oil or salt!!
