Salad

[Anonymous No.10372937]

This might sound basic, but does anyone have some good tips for making salad?

[Anonymous No.10372951]

>use any variation of a vinaigrette
>use lettuce & veggies with different textures and color
>spice things up with nuts, cheese, meat or whatever

[Anonymous No.10372953]

need these two for every garden salad imo.

[Anonymous No.10372965]

Feta, black pepper and a tiny dab of oljve oil

[Anonymous No.10372968]

>>10372937
most salads should have the same basic construction:
>A leaf (i like spinach and arugula)
>A fat ( i like avocado or walnuts, walnuts also meet the next requirement)
>A crunch (walnuts, croutons, etc.)
>A savory ( I like cheese or beans but this is also where you can put your protein like grilled chicken or steak)
>optional: a sweet (i prefer cranberries or segmented oranges)
for the dressing you always want a fat, an acid and an emulsifier. For example, I'm partial to olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I put olive oil in a bowl with balsamic vinegar and just a little bit of mustard and then whisk it or i shake it up if its in a bottle or container. You can also add something sweet to the dressing like honey or something spicy like ginger, but dressings should always have a fat, an acid, and an emulsifier (mustard, horseradish, even mayo works). pour it on right before the salad is to be eaten or else the fat will make the leaves wilt.

[Anonymous No.10372969]

>>10372953
>raw onion

"no"

[Anonymous No.10372975]

use olive oil and no sugar in the vinaigrette

[Anonymous No.10372981]

My gf sent me a pic of her lunch yesterday. She went with the "diversity is our strength" approach

[Anonymous No.10372982]

For me, it's the garden salad.
>romaine lettuce
>cherry tomatoes
>cucumber
>red onion
>basic vinaigrette

[Anonymous No.10373033]

>>10372937
grab bunch of lettuce, tomato, olive, onion and throw together in bowl then empty can of sauced sardines and spoonful of capers

[Anonymous No.10373054]

>>10372969
LOW TEST

[Anonymous No.10373063]

>>10372937
cauliflower florets, grape (not cherry) tomatoes, roasted sunflower seeds, cucumber are a must in every salad I make.

[Anonymous No.10373064]

anyone else really enjoy a simple side of plain shredded cabbage?

just like it mop up the sauce and crumbs of whatever you're eating.

[Anonymous No.10373206]

>>10372937
High quality ingredients
Dressing

Good salad

[Anonymous No.10373208]

>>10373064
No u fucking nip

[Anonymous No.10373210]

>>10372981
Your gf needs to never attempt to cook again

[Anonymous No.10373214]

Artichoke hearts if you trying to impress anyone

[Anonymous No.10373723]

>>10372982
My nugga right here has it.

[Anonymous No.10373744]

>>10372937
image related or any other nice quality lettuce + salt + sunflower seed oil + lemon juice = perfect salad

[Anonymous No.10373887]

>>10372982
Simple and tasty

[Anonymous No.10373910]

>>10373210
>he doesn't put deli meat and tangerines in his salad

[Anonymous No.10373914]

Tear up bread, toss with oil and bake it in a moderate oven
Cut heads of romaine lettuce into quarters and pull them apart with your hands
Take a jar and put in an egg yolk, a minced up tin of anchovies along with the oil, chopped parsley, chives and tarragon, the juice of one lemon, lots of black pepper, a heaped teaspoon of mustard and fill the rest of the jar with a neutral oil.
Shake up the jar for about a minute and pour its contents over the lettuce.
Toss the salad thoroughly with your hands.
Add the croutons and scatter over some shards of Parmesan made with a speed peeler

Boom, ten minutes Caesar salad, piece of piss.

[Anonymous No.10373915]

for me it's the golden caesar with anchovies

[Anonymous No.10373923]

>>10372937
FOR ME, IT'S THE ICEBERG LETTUCE AND RANCH.
TRULY THE BEST SALAD.

[Anonymous No.10373962]

>>10372937
Radish is seriously underrated.
Thinly sliced it will improve almost any salad.
Also croutons.

[Anonymous No.10373965]

>>10372937
Homemade dressing. I like using tahini and acv. Easy and delicious.

[Anonymous No.10373994]

>>10372981

[Anonymous No.10374023]

Where do you buy curly endive because neither grocer in a 25 mile radius sells it.

[Anonymous No.10374223]

I'm going to make this soon and serve it with satay chicken :3

[Anonymous No.10374370]

>>10372981

[Anonymous No.10375350]

>>10372981
>Modern housewife

[Anonymous No.10376057]

>>10372937
my favorite salad is this:
>large bunch of lacinato kale (don't use common curly kale, seriously), stems removed, chopped roughly
>thinly sliced red onion
>pomegranate seeds
>toasted slivered almonds
>fresh shaved parm
>lemon juice
Dressing:
>evoo
>champagne vinegar
>tahini
>more lemon juice
>s+p

squeeze 1/2 lemon over the kale, add some evoo and flaky salt, and rub it in (lol). seriously though, like actually squeeze the kale and stuff. let it sit for a while in the fridge (anywhere from 30 min to a few hours. slice up your onion, toast your almonds, and mix up the dressing.

add the onions, almonds, pomegranate seeds, and dressing to the kale. toss, then top with the shaved parm.

i live in hipster brooklyn and every time i make this for a friend-gathering it gets devoured and i don't have leftovers. i also made it at christmas for my southern family and they really liked it as well.

[Anonymous No.10376127]

>>10373744
I wouldn't really call that a salad bud. More like seasoned lettuce

[Anonymous No.10376142]

>>10373914
don't tell me what to do

[Anonymous No.10376158]

>no greek salad
Jesus Christo what a bunch of amateurs

[Anonymous No.10376164]

>>10376057
Sounds pretty good

[Anonymous No.10376173]

>>10372982
I have this daily but with carrots and beetroot added

Then optional additions would be coleslaw and/or Branston pickle, for weeks when I don't buy top quality tasting stuff

[Anonymous No.10376180]

>>10376164
thanks! you can also substitute lots of things
>no almonds? fine, replace with toasted walnuts or pine nuts
>vegans are gonna be eating it? just skip the parm
>pomegranates are expensive or out of season? use clementine wedges instead

[Anonymous No.10376187]

>>10376180
also diced roasted beets are a god-tier addition to this salad

[Anonymous No.10376217]

>>10376187
Yeah I think that might be the one thing this salad was missing. Diced roasted beets, sweet potato, squash, something like that and this salad would be perfect.

[Anonymous No.10376227]

>>10376217
for sure, when i have time i add roasted beets. golden beets are especially good with this salad. when i add beets i usually replace the parm with a nice goat cheese.

[Anonymous No.10376522]

I've found that so many people make shitty salads and never even think of seasoning them

Also this >>10373962

[Anonymous No.10376530]

My go-to salad is spinach, tomatoes, cucumber and feta cheese. Top with some dressing if you wish

[Anonymous No.10376703]

>>10372951
+ California dressing

[Anonymous No.10376757]

>>10372981
Need help hiding the body?

[Anonymous No.10377793]

>>10372981
>the mandarin segments all have seeds in them

[Anonymous No.10377815]

>>10372981

[Anonymous No.10377919]

My salad secret is tossing in a little cumin at the end. Try it and thank me

[Anonymous No.10378006]

>fat, an acid and an emulsifier
I love sour cream for dressing - is it just fat?
What to add to it?

[Anonymous No.10378111]

Tomato salad:
In season or heirloom tomatoes
Mozzarella ball
Clove of Garlic
Olive oil
Serrano or jalapeno pepper
Balsamic vinegar
Oregano
Salt & Pepper

The only salad that makes me feel fatter after eating it. It may even be higher caloric wise than potato salad. It's a good way to get rid of tomatos if you grow them and don't want to fuck with canning. But I'm not really sure it counts as a salad.

[Anonymous No.10378130]

>>10372968
This guy has it right. The bowl should be like 60% leafy veggies, and for a crunch, I like raw veggies and nuts.

For awhile, when I was taking salads to work, I'd cook up some barley and add it to the salad. Made for a nice texture.

[Anonymous No.10378134]

>>10376158
American food is shit.

[Anonymous No.10378248]

>>10372937
My opinions on salad aren't shared by a lot of people but oh well here we go.
>Salad has to taste light, if you overdo richness you are wasting your time
>Be very light on cheese if you are adding it. Feta is fine but it has to be only a little bit. Torn mozarella is great, but it should be too moist.
>No crutons, ever
>Any dressing that has mayonnaise in it is fucking shit. You can make Ceasar without and it tastes far better
>Plum tomatoes belong in every salad
>Pine nuts are okay but no other nuts
>no avocado, too slimy
>Iceberg is great, but romaine is better, also red leaf lettuce is great
>There should be noticeable bitterness in most salads
>Rocket, basil, and pea shoots are great
>Dressing should be simple and not the main taste in a salad. Light vinigrettes are god tier, use good olive oil and real wholegrain mustard. Balsamic is too rich for most salads and people always overuse it. Cyder vinegars and white wine vinegar are your guys. Thyme infused vinegar is manna from heaven.
>Lemon juice works great as an addition
>Dress salad at the table. Packaged salads are shit because the acid in dressing fucks up the texture of soft leaves.
>Meat in salad is a very cagey subject. Lardons can be okay, tuna never is. Thinly sliced very tender beef (skirt is good) can make a salad amazing, chicken salad is a fucking bad joke. Salmon is almost always a waste in salad too.
>Thinly Sliced raw red onion is good unless you are a little bitch
>Strong additions: Capers, sliced olives, fresh mint, edible flowers, proscuitto

[Anonymous No.10378253]

>>10372969
>>>10372953
>>raw onion
>"no"
James Beard's favorite sandwich was raw onion. I guess his palate was shit? Right?

>>10372968
OP, all of this for tossed or layered salads. Think a balance of flavors, and less dressing than more dressing, which is mastered by tossing it lightly. I will add that for the leaf, vary it up, consider the nuances of different species of lettuces, from bitter to tender, from herbaceous to crunchy, from chopped to baby delicacy, it's all good. Don't do the same thing all the time.

Homemade croutons are the best! Consider not tossing those scraps or heels of bread, whether old pita or old rolls and turning them into crisp chewy middled croutons with your own oils, butter, herbs or cheese.

Once you have a few recipes you made from leftovers amazing, you'll find yourself growing in skill. I plan leftovers that will be served on salad.

And, finally, don't forget about grain salads. Start out with a near east box of taboulleh mix, and kick it up with sheeps feta, luscious queen olives, crisp tender bake cukes and tomatoes. A fresh herb like basil, mint, cilantro, dill or parsley and some kind of citrus will make it pop. It's even better the next day. Then move on to quinoa, farro, barley, wild rice, and it's easy to experiment, because you simply are using your starch from last night's dinner, and packing it away dressed to marinate overnight in the fridge. Finish it with a crunchy nut, or fresh splash of citrus before serving.

My favorite chain restaurant salads:
Thai filet steak and noodle salad from Houstons.
Sante Fe salad at Cheesecake Factory

[Anonymous No.10378682]

For you low test morons who can't stand onion in salad, here's a protip, slice the onion first and soak it in some water. Prepare everything else. Then add those onions.

[Anonymous No.10378820]

>>10378682
Or better yet. Don't add them. Onions are already in everything and they don't need to be in a salad too. Even a mild raw onion is too potent for salads. It's flavor is a safety blanket for people that are afraid of other flavors. It overpowers the subtle flavors that are in a good salad. But if you are eating iceberg and a chopped up flavorless tomato with ranch dressing, go ahead and add them.

Also if you need the meager testosterone boost that a raw onion may possible give you, you are too far gone and you should consider making the transition.

[Anonymous No.10378826]

>>10378134
whatever shithole you are from is shit

[Anonymous No.10378915]

Bulghur Wheat Tabbouleh with extra lemon and mint is the best salad. Fite me.

[Anonymous No.10378943]

>>10372969
SOY
BOY