Tips for making enticing salads?

kdbulger

So I'm a big fan of a really good salad. I order them at restaurants frequently. I always get dressing on the side and just add a small amount because I hate too much dressing.

I just seem to suck at making an interesting, tasty salad at home. Any tips for me? Elements that I should include but am missing? I just end up with greens plus some veggies down at the bottom and it's super boring/not tasty.

managematics

You might not like what others do, so I would start with the things you enjoy at restaurants and try to replicate it at home. It's not too hard. Just be aware that there are things other than dressings which can make restaurant salads pretty unhealthy: Nuts candied in a whole bunch of sugar, fried crunchy stuff, etc...

On Sunday I did the following: Kale, shredded brussels sprouts (shredded them myself but sometimes I'll buy them pre-shredded at the market), Broccoli slaw mix (pre-shredded broccoli and carrots), red bell pepper, pear, grilled chicken breast, and just a bit of blue cheese. I used a fat-free carrot ginger dressing.

For me, it works because there is plenty of crunch and variety of texture. The sweetness of the pears plays off the blue cheese. The main trick for me seems to be finding that contrast of flavors and textures to keep it interesting.

Lounmoun

Lots of stuff you can add to a salad-
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10270725/things-to-go-in-salads/p1

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/213/salad/green-salads/?internalSource=hub nav&referringId=96&referringContentType=recipe hub&linkName=hub nav daughter&clickId=hub nav 2

I had a tasty restaurant salad the other day and I wrote down everything I thought was in it. I'm going to try to make it at home soon.
Mixed greens- spinach, romaine, etc
White beans
Garbanzo beans
Grilled chicken
Onion
Tomato
Yellow pepper
Red pepper
Sundried tomato
Red pepper hummus
Quinoa
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

rosiepri900

Spinach
Tomatoes
Black olives
Boiled eggs
Sweetcorn
Onions
Avocados
Tuna
Lemon juice
Potato
Cucumber
Feta cheese

Normally use quite a few of these in salads..love making salads! Chop everything small, mix together and add bit if olive oil or lemon juice and mix..YUM

DX2JX2

Pickled products brighten the whole thing up and can take the place of dressing. Really low in calories, too.

My favorites are pickled onions (really easy to make at home), Peppadews (pickled sweet peppers), or pickled hot banana peppers.

Most home cooks underutilize acid as a seasoning but the right amount can really wake any dish up. The pros consider acid just as important as salt in making food taste great.

xvolution

Mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp ms dash seasoning of your choice. Marinate chicken breast in the mix for an hour, then grill until the chicken isn't pink (about 10 minutes). Let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into chunks. Makes for a good low sodium protein source.

ritzvin

kdbulger wrote: »

So I'm a big fan of a really good salad. I order them at restaurants frequently. I always get dressing on the side and just add a small amount because I hate too much dressing.

I just seem to suck at making an interesting, tasty salad at home. Any tips for me? Elements that I should include but am missing? I just end up with greens plus some veggies down at the bottom and it's super boring/not tasty.

• They are better tossed with a lower amount of seasonings than just throwing stuff on top of the lettuce (a bit of extra work, but usually worth it).
• My usual 'seasonings': balsamic vinegar (in spray bottle), olive oil spray, (lots of) pepper, dash of salt, a lot of minced garlic (bottled in water), grated parmesan/romano (the stuff in the canister - note: you'll want to weigh this - it adds quite a bit of calories but also some protein), balsamic glaze; topped most often with 2 oz of rotisserie chicken pieces or crumbled ground turkey/beef, and often with a small side of seasoned beans with pico de gallo.

ritzvin

also dried minced onion, and sometimes crumbled hard boiled egg.

ritzvin

I rarely bother, but also love alfalfa sprouts in salad. Smaller quantities of non-leaf-type greens (that you can chop and just throw in the salad spinner with the leafy greens, also add some nice variety without too much extra work.

melissaulmen

Nuts!! Not the sugar coated ones.
Walnuts - Spinach, Strawberries, Feta
Sunflower Seeds (ok, seed not nut) - I add these to regular salads
Slivered Almonds - Cabbage - Chicken - Green Onions - Toasted Almonds - Asian Dressing
Pecans - Beats - Greens - Blue Cheese

Look up on restaurant sites the salads they have. If it looks good recreate it. Panera, Twigs, etc.

kms234

I LOVE steak in salad! When we grill steak, I always double it so I have leftovers for salads. Add in a little blue cheese or feta and some onions..heaven.

I would also suggest searching Pinterest for copycat recipes from your favorite restaurants.

whitpauly

My "sexy salad" I call it,romaine topped with a few bacon bits,black olives,red onion,a bit of shredded cheese,a few croutons and a bit of ranch,I shake it in an oversized bowl cuz I don't like a lot of dressing either,sometimes I'll add grilled chicken and its dinner or I'll have it on the side

Cbean08

I like adding some roasted or cooked veggies to my salads. I make sure to season the veggies really well so that the flavor spreads to the other toppings. I also hate most salad dressings, so seasoning is a must. And, my salads all have a salty element. My recent fave -

roasted cauliflower and mushrooms in marinara sauce
spinach
onion
zucchini
kalamata olive
chicken
feta

Sp1tfire

Here's my lunch salad I eat every day:

Total calories: approx 290 (overestimating)
2 sticks of Surimi Crab meat (100 calories)
2 tablespoons reduced fat mayo (90 calories)
3 cups spinach (21 calories)
3 cups shredded lettuce (15 calories)
1/2 cucumber (23 calories)
A few strips of red onion (10 calories)

Chop up the surimi crab and onion. Mix with mayo. Chop spinach if desired. Mix with shredded lettuce.

I make it at work (subway) by doing 2 scoops of their 'seafood sensation' which is surimi crab mixed with mayo. This is my 'at home' recipe. Also good with green peppers mixed in!

RedSierra

I love salads. I eat a lot of spinach salads (baby spinach leaves) with shredded carrots, a little red cabbage, chickpeas, black olives, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers.

Pepsab

I want to start mixing it up more also. Love some of these ideas.

My go to salad is greens (spinach, lettuce etc) cucumber, red onion, yellow capsicum, carrot, cherry tomatoes. I then i add a sprinkle of my own homemade salad sprinkle. It has sliced almonds, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds. It just gives it that something extra. Then i add a different light dressing each time.

SDR1970

Chopped Palm Hearts and Artichoke hearts are a staple in my lunch salads. Thrown in with chopped cherry tomatoes, olives, cucumber, or some roasted beetroot and baby potatoes, they're flavorsome and meaty enough that dressing stays in the fridge.

a_candler

I love fruits in my salads, grapes strawberries, raisins, cranberries are all really good. a handful of seeds/nuts is good for crunch. tuna or salmon is good. spicy things too, banana peppers

rheddmobile

I love rainbow salads. I usually start with purple cabbage and add things of several different colors. Sometimes I go for a flavor based on a particular culture, such as a Japanese salad with soy ginger dressing or a Greek salad. Today it was a Mexican-inspired salad with yellow cherry tomatoes, orange peppers, red tomatoes, several colors of green (green onions, tomatillo, avocado, cilantro). Topped with black beans and a little turkey taco meat, dressing was lime juice and sesame oil with cumin.

Thinking about what foods are different colors will help keep you inspired, as well as lead you to include nutritious foods, since most highly colored vegetables are also coincidentally nutritious. Orange might be carrots, or roasted sweet potatoes, or bell peppers. Red could be peppers or tomatoes or beets. Purple could be onions or kale or cabbage.

Add a few ounces of lean protein - chicken, salmon, sirloin steak, pork tenderloin, tofu, lower fat cottage cheese - some legumes - black beans, edamame, white beans, pinto beans - and about 100 calories of fat - nuts, oils, fatty cheeses, or eggs - and top with a citrus or vinegar based dressing, and you have a very satisfying meal.

kokonani

I add nuts, beans and berries to my salads. The berries give it sweetness. Different textures always makes it interesting. Hard-boiled eggs, avocados..

KellieTru

I find adding liberal amounts of chopped herbs to a salad takes it from so-so to delicious! A good dressing is also key...make your own. There's plenty of recipes out there and just be sure to measure it out. I also read in an article that restaurant chefs tend to season the salad with salt and pepper before it gets served and that it helps bring out the good flavours in a salad.

myfitnessjourneyto180

Spiralizer. It can make the food look much nicer. Also, sea salt, herbs, and a tea spoon of olive oil (40 cals.).

I recommend also adding zuchinni noodles (you can spiralize the zuchinni) and then cooking it (with half a table spoon of olive oil, 60cals). One entire large zuchinni is only 55cals. and it is filling and feels like real noodles. You can even add some shrimps in there for only around 50cals at most if it's only a few (you can find ones for 60 cals. for 20 small shrimps, I've bought them myself). Overall, with the salad, it could reach 300 cals (most likely around 250 but I round up). with a lot of healthy non-fatty noodles, salad, and shrimp, with 0-calorie spices. Cheers

girlinahat

I find differing textures and levels of sweetness are key. My flatmate and I share salad making duties - so when it gets to lunchtime it can be a surprise with some of the items in there!

shredded carrots, beetroot, avocado and olives are good ingredients. I like finely chopped strawberries but my flatmate isn't keen. Feta, smoked cheese, hardboiled eggs (today's lunch has half a black pudding scotch egg in it...) parma ham, crispy smoked bacon are all great as protein elements and I might throw a handful of pine nuts in there too. Not a fan of cold beans of any kind, or lentils. Cold boiled potatoes are good but they need to be new or salad potatoes.

having some form of dressing is key - I favour balsamic or a vinaigrette, which I keep separate in a mini jam jar to add when eating.

sometimes I'll make a wild rice salad to mix in as well - Ottolenghi has a good recipe, and also does a great raw root vegetable salad recipe.

sofchak

My script for a good salad is: veggies (duh) + protein source + fiber source + cheese = awesome lunch!

Examples:
- Romaine, cucumbers, tomato + grilled chicken + black beans + feta
- Spinach, cucumbers, olives, red onion + grilled flank steak + cubed gala apple + blue cheese

The template gives me a starchy carb, a protein and a fat which all aid in keeping me feeling satiated and full. You can come up with so many varieties just by keeping that logic in mind. Then just toss in your fav salad dressing (or mix that up, too - I tend to do a variety of vinaigrettes) and you're good to go!

Skipjack66

Since you're Canadian, I'd highly recommend this Canadian Living "fresh and tasty salads" magazine issue. Everything I've made so far has turned out fabulous. It's on the shelves now at the grocery store. Got mine at Loblaws so I imagine they'll have it at Atlantic Superstore.

kwtilbury

Pro tip: pick up some mason jars and pre-package a week's worth of salad stuff to store in the fridge. Take one out each night and dump it over a bed of lettuce. Easy.

Here's what I usually include:
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Red peppers
Green peppers
Mushrooms
Apples
Carrots
Strawberries
Blueberries
Pickles
Pickled jalapenos