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How to Build a Better Salad

With the warm weather of summer upon us and more salads on our menus, here are a few fun ideas from Chef Sally Cameron on how to build a better salad. Enjoy using her ideas to up your salad game while delighting your palate and banish boring salads not just in summer but all year long!

And for a complete look at her delicious recipes, make sure to check out all the yummy goodness at A Food Centric Life!

Try Different Greens

With so many options now at the market, do you grab the same old thing each time? Red lettuce is my favorite, but peppery arugula, baby kale, tender butterhead lettuces (Bibb, Boston), curly Frisee, escarole, elegant endive, sturdy Romaine, watercress, a classic crisp wedge of iceberg, and baby green spinach make for wonderful salads. Add thinly sliced red cabbage or radicchio for color. Mix up your greens! 

Add Some Crunchies

Crunchy things give salads texture and are a way to add flavor, protein, fat, and color. Sprinkle on hemp hearts, adding protein and crunch. Try a small handful of slivered almonds or chopped walnuts for healthy fat. Pine nuts give salads a Mediterranean flare. Raw veggies add great crunch, plus it’s a great way to up your daily veggie quota. Try raw chopped colorful red or orange carrots, zucchini, red or orange bell peppers, roasted beets and celery. Marinated artichoke hearts are a delicious add too.

Brighten it Up with Fruit

Summer tomatoes are an easy add with many colorful heirloom varieties and sizes from petite cherry to softball size. In summer, try chunks of peaches or nectarines, and in fall apples or pears. Choose what is best in season. Berries are one of my favorites, especially raspberries and strawberries and then adding a raspberry vinaigrette for an unbeatable salad.

Make it a Meal

Add leftover chicken or sliced steak to a green salad to make it an entrée salad. Additionally, try guacamole chicken salad, egg salad, lentil salad or a bean salad. Serve on top of or alongside of a simple leafy green salad for a main course.

Dress for the Occasion

The right dressing makes the salad! Choose light dressings such as vinaigrettes for light, soft greens. Choose creamy, heavier dressings for study greens. Many creamy dressings also make good dips for snacking with raw veggies. See my recipe for a creamy ginger vinaigrette or a classic French vinaigrette below.

  • 1/4 small shallot finely chopped (1- 2 teaspoons)
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 pinches sea salt
  • 2 pinches ground black pepper

 Add finely chopped shallot to a bowl or jar with the vinegar and allow to stand for a few minutes to soften. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk together or shake in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference. Like it tangier? Add a little more vinegar. Like it creamier and love Dijon? Add a little more mustard. A bit of tahini works too.

 In a hurry, simply whisk together good olive oil and vinegar (and a pinch of sea salt) in a 3:1 ratio. For example, 3 tablespoons olive oil to 1 tablespoon vinegar. Try Balsamic, red wine, and Apple Cider Vinegar. Flavored vinegars are wonderful too!

 We hope you have loved these ideas as much as we have, and that you enjoy trying some of these main dish salads (yum)! And for all of Chef Sally’s recipes, tips and tools make sure to visit A Food Centric Life.

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