If you can dream it, you can grill it yep, even greens —so provided your Weber is at the ready, feel free to toss those veggies on the barbie. Roasted: And, as the saying goes: If you can grill it, you can roast it. At least, it's a saying now. Go easy on the oil, so your vegetables aren't weighted down with grease. Pickled: Pickled vegetables add a funky, fermented note, and bump up the flavor in a big way. Combine them with raw vegetables or greens for a one-two punch; they're a bit too intense to make up an entire salad.
Grilled veg, a bracing vinaigrette , crunchy nuts, and fresh herbs? Yep, it's a salad. Photo: Ryan Liebe. Vinaigrette: A classic vinaigrette is made with fat and acid; traditionally, olive oil and either vinegar or lemon juice.
But these days, you can get crazy with your vinaigrettes. Feel free to add warm bacon fat it will solidify at room temperature , or experiment with a variety of vinegars and citrus juices. Thick and Creamy: Hearty salads with big flavors can stand up to creamy, rich dressings like ranch or buttermilk.
There are plenty of other greens to experiment with, all with slightly different flavor profiles. My advice is to mix it up and try something new. The greens at the top of the list are more mild in flavor. Start with those if you are not used to eating a variety of greens, and add in small amounts of the others on the list until you are used to their stronger flavors.
If you are not used to the bitter taste of some greens, try the baby varieties first. Also, greens with a firmer texture like cabbage and kale are awesome for salads because you can pour dressing on them and they stay good for a couple of days in the fridge, rather than getting soggy like more delicate varieties.
I am a big believer in adding a little sweetness to almost every salad. Even savory combinations benefit from a hint of sugar. I am not a fan of highly sweetened dressings, however. Too much sugar in the dressing drowns out the flavors in the salad itself and ruins the overall experience. But we will get to dressings in a minute. In my opinion, the best way to add sweetness to a salad is with fruit. I almost always add fruit to my salads, be it fresh, dried, or canned.
In some cases, fruit does not fit the flavor profile I am trying to achieve. In those scenarios, I try to include a vegetable with a higher sugar content, such as sweet peppers, snap peas, cherry or grape tomatoes, corn, or jicama.
They bump up the sweetness factor just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. This is where the party happens, friends. A salad is bland and boring without some crunch. You obviously get a little bit of crunch from the greens, but it should not stop there.
Use whatever sounds good. The best salads are finished with additional crunch from seeds, nuts candied nuts also add sweetness , wontons, tortilla strips, croutons, or any other crunchy item that is not a fruit or vegetable.
Be creative and use what you have on hand. Creaminess makes my world go round, and salads are not exempt from its heavenly clutches. I do not pour cream on my salads, although that might be delicious. But I do add a touch of creaminess in other ways because the smooth texture is delightful in contrast to the crunchiness that we already discussed.
Most of the time, cheese is my creamy salad topping of choice. Feta, bleu, and gorgonzola are good if you want to add a bit of a kick. I used to hate all three of them, but salads have convinced me of their amazingness. I do think you should give them a fair chance.
But, if they are not your cup of tea, try these milder varieties:. This dressing looks amazingly simple. Thanks for posting a great recipe to start off the year right. OMG I was cracking up for a whole minute here. Your poor hubby! Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
New here? Start here! Instructions Add the bacon to a cold skillet and fry until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and allow to drain, then chop the bacon into small pieces.
In a dry skillet, toast the slivered almonds for a few minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned and fragrant. Chop the kale and romaine into thin strips. In a bowl, toss together the cherry tomatoes, cheeses, croutons, nuts, and bacon.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and garlic. Pour the oil slowly into the mixture, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve. Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Did you make this recipe? Comments Amy Reeves says:. Courtney says:. Thanks for coming back to let me know! Thelma says:. Robbin says:. Omg…i just wanted a recipe…. No one cares about all of that. Jacki says:. Patti says:. Mary says:. Gabrielle Falk says:. Joanie says:. Carolyn says:. Sunny says:. Courtney NeighborFood says:. L says:. Linda says:. Thanks so much for coming back to let me know. An easy way to prepare your salad in advance is to do it in a Mason jar.
Start with dressing on the bottom, then add other ingredients in order of wettest to driest, ending with your greens. Keep your crunchy bits separate. To serve, turn the jar upside down over a bowl or plate, and add your crunchy bits. Keeps wonderfully in the refrigerator and everything is right together to make it easy to grab and go. I like using shredded cabbage as a base — I love the crunch! I have a balsamic vinagrete recipe I use from time to time. That looks fabulous!
Thanks for sharing! I have a ton of lettuce that I need to use up! I may try some of your tips for lunch today! I like to add avocado and grilled chicken too, when I have it! Dash Italian, black pepper and sea salt. Then I just toss whatever else I have in the fridge! Feta, mozzarella, parmesan, cold salmon, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, or whatever veggies I have.
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