A salad can be described as any dish (warm or cold) that contains small pieces of a variety of foods held together by a flavourful sauce, known as a dressing. The first salads, back in the days of the Roman Empire, were aptly named Herba Salata.
Herba, meaning greens, or any vegetation foraged from the wild
Salata, from the root word ‘sal’, meaning salt
In those early days, this would be translated as a fresh green leaf, a tomato, or a radish, sprinkled with a little bit of salt …
We have certainly come a long way since then. But one thing remains – we still consider salads to be a ‘back to nature’ experience – probably due to the fact that most of our salad ingredients are simply made with fresh vegetables or fruit.
Salads offer the ultimate in creativity and adventure. A salad bowl is basically an empty stage, ready to be filled with actors and supporting actors from all parts of the garden, the orchard, the ocean, and the forest. Auditions are open to all food groups.
Salads can perform at any meal
Sometimes salads are the whole meal
Sometimes salads just make the meal complete
and sometimes salads taste like dessert
To create a unique and flavourful salad, all you basically need is a bowlful of some thoughtfully selected foods and a dressing that contains an acid and an oil. That’s it… There is so much room for creativity and experimentation. 100 salad recipes is just the beginning of what can be created and enjoyed.
Here is a summary of some of the unlimited possibilities that can go into salad creation and experimentation:
Salad Ingredients:
Greens: Never before has it been so easy to find a variety of greens to use in salads. Not only can you purchase individual heads of various lettuces, or bunches of spinach or watercress, the market and the supermarket have dozens of pre-washed and bagged salad blends.
Greens can be thought of in two ways: Taste and Texture
Taste can be thought of in two ways: Mild or Peppery/Bitter
Texture can be thoughts of in two ways: Soft /Buttery or Crunchy/Crisp
Some common mild greens include: Boston or bibb lettuce, romaine lettuce, mache, loose leaf lettuces, and spinach leaves.
Some common peppery or bitter greens include: Arugula, radicchio, endive, and watercress.
Some salads will require just one green; many salads suggest a combination of greens, not only for taste but for texture as well.
Other Vegetables: There seems to be no end to the variety of other vegetables that suit a salad. Here are some of the most common and the most readily available:
| asparagus | beets | avocados |
| carrots | broccoli | corn |
| fennel | celery | mushrooms |
| cucumber | beans, green/yellow | squash |
| radishes | tomatoes | cauliflower |
| red onions, green onions, chives | peas, snow peas, snap peas |
potatoes/sweet potatoes |
| peppers, all colours | cabbage (green, red, or nappa) | corn |
Fruits: Fruit adds a beautiful dimension of flavour and texture to any salad. Fruits can be fresh, dried, or canned. Here are some fruit ideas for salads:
Fresh Fruit:
| apples | mango | papaya |
| nectarines | pineapple | strawberries |
| blueberries | raspberries | blackberries |
| peaches | pears | watermelon |
| grapes | pomegranates | oranges |
| grapefruit | cantaloupe | honeydew |
| kiwi | cherries |
Dried Fruit:
| raisins | cranberries | cherries |
| blueberries | pineapple | mango |
| papaya | apricots | figs |
| dates |
Canned Fruit:
| pineapple | mandarin oranges | peaches |
| pears |
Fresh Herbs: Whether they are left whole or roughly chopped to be a part of the salad ingredients; or finely chopped to be a part of the dressing, fresh herbs are perfect …and essential …for a memorable salad.
Some common delicious fresh herbs are: Basil, oregano, tarragon, flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, mint, and dill.
Extra Salad Ingredients: These extras can make a salad quite unique in both flavour and texture. They can also direct the function of the salad. For example, the addition of a protein source or adding a grain or pasta allows for a salad to function as an entire meal and not just a side-dish. Here are some typical extras:
Meat/Fish/Eggs:
| Grilled chicken | Grilled prawns or scallops | Grilled salmon |
| Hard-Boiled eggsPork Tenderloin | Crisp bacon/pancetta bits | Deli meats like soppressata, salami, Chorizo sausage |
Nuts and Seeds (toasted and cooled):
| walnuts | pecans | hazelnuts |
| peanuts | cashews | macadamia nuts |
| pistachios | pumpkin seeds | sunflower seeds |
| sesame seeds |
Dairy:
| feta cheese | blue cheese/gorgonzola | cheddar/mozzarella |
| pecorino or asiago | parmesan shavings | fresh mozzarella |
Beans/Legumes: Cooked and cooled beans and legumes provide character and power to a salad that will be used more as a complete meal. You can choose to cook from ‘scratch’ , or use the canned (drained and rinsed) choices. Here are some ideas:
| lentils | garbanzo beans (chick peas) |
black beans |
| cannellini beans | kidney beans | white/navy beans |
| black-eyed peas |
Grains, Rice and Pasta: These extras provide substance to a salad. And because they just soak up the dressing, this translates into a big flavour possibility. For cooking grains and rice, follow the same procedure as cooking pasta ….bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt; cook for a specified period of time (rice should be ‘well-cooked’; pasta should be ‘al dente’); drain, and give it a quick rinse of cold water. Here are some suggestions:
| wild rice | basmati rice | quinoa |
| couscouslong grain white or brown ricepearl barley
|
short-cut pasta, such as fusilli, orecchiette, orzo, rotelle | long-cut pasta (for noodle salads), such as linguine; lo mein noodles |
‘Other’ extras:
| olives | sun-dried tomatoes | roasted peppers |
As you can see, there are no limits to what can be put in a salad.
And now … the tie that binds … the dressing.
Salad Dressing
The only thing that is really required to know about a dressing is that is needs to have a little bit of acid and a little bit of oil. That’s it … the rest can be made up as you go along. The basic formula for acid/oil is 1 part acid to 3 parts oil. ..but even that can be changed-up to suit your purposes (but it is a good idea to keep this ratio in mind as you get creative). It cannot be stressed enough regarding the quality of the oils and vinegars that are used. This is truly essential and should be a priority when making a salad. Some of the best salads I’ve ever made or enjoyed have simply been dressed with a drizzle of excellent olive oil and a splash of top-quality vinegar.
Salad dressings fall into two basic categories: A Vinaigrette – simply an acid and an oil; or a Creamy Dressing – the acid/oil may be in the form of yogurt, buttermilk, mayonnaise, or sour cream.
Because oil and acid don’t often like to ‘stay together’, an emulsifier is often used …mustard being the classic one.
Dressings sometimes need a hint of sweetness to assist with taste and balance. Honey is the classic sweetener, but there are others with which to experiment.
And, of course, salt (sea salt is perfect for salads) and freshly ground pepper complete the project.
A Basic Vinaigrette would be: 2 tablespoons of vinegar (apple cider, white wine, sherry, white or dark balsamic) + 1 minced shallot (or a clove of garlic) + 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard; whisk in 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil or grapeseed oil; and then add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
A Basic Creamy Dressing would be: 1 minced garlic clove + 1 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider, white wine, sherry, white or dark balsamic) + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise + 1/3 cup sour cream, or plain yogurt, or buttermilk + 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil or tarragon) + sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Here are some ideas for changing up the oils, acids, sweeteners, and other ‘extras’:
Oil/Fat:
| extra-virgin olive oil | Greek olive oil | vegetable or grapeseed oil |
| nut oils (walnut, pecan) | roasted sesame oil | warm bacon drippings |
| mayonnaise | sour cream | pesto |
| peanut butter | pureed feta, gorgonzola, or blue cheese |
Acid:
| Citrus juices – lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit | sherry or champagne vinegar |
balsamic vinegar (white or dark) |
| rice vinegar | apple cider vinegar | white wine/red wine vinegar |
| fruit vinegars – pear, raspberry, orange | buttermilk | Greek yogourt |
| sour cream |
Sweeteners:
| honey | maple syrup | granulated or brown sugar |
| apple or berry jelly | orange marmalade | pomegranate molasses |
| a touch of vanilla extract | reduced raspberry, or balsamic vinegar | hot pepper jelly or mint jelly |
Other flavourful extras:
| mustard – regular Dijon or coarse-grained Dijon | Worcestershire sauce | horseradish |
| fresh or roasted garlic | shallots | herbs and spices |
| sun-dried tomatoes | sriracha sauce/sambal oelek | curry paste or powder |
| hoisin sauce | soy sauce |
A Note about Salt and Pepper:
Salt could be described as the most important cooking ingredient in our kitchens. So, consequently you want to go top-drawer. Salt has the unique ability to pull all of the flavours of all of the ingredients together in an amazing way. Therefore, salt – particularly for a salad, should be unprocessed, additive-free, and unrefined. Sea salt is a great example.
Freshly ground peppercorns deliver the best flavour to a dish. Having a good-quality pepper mill is an invaluable kitchen essential.
A Note about Vinegars: There are so many different types of vinegar on the market. Have an excellent-quality apple cider, and red and white wine vinegar, as well as a balsamic and white balsamic on hand. In addition, an aged sherry vinegar is a great staple. And then, from time-to-time, pick up some other flavours of vinegars to add to your collection.
