Do you have a whole plateful of salad woes? If you find that your homemade salads just aren't as good as those in restaurants, perhaps the problem rests in the prep of the salad, the choice of ingredients, or the dressing itself. Integrate these 10 tricks into your salad-making routine, and we promise, you'll toss better homemade salads in no time.
At the mere mention the word "picnic," my ears perk up. So when I was flipping through Heather Christo's Generous Table and came across a menu plan for a lakeshore picnic, I knew I'd have to make at least one recipe from her spread. Add an early and bountiful cherry season to the mix — my local farmers market suddenly became overrun with them last week — and it was settled. Quinoa salad with cherries and feta would make it to my table, and soon.
Thankfully, Christo's palate is spot-on. Juicy cherries play off salty feta like old friends. Add grassy parsley, sharp minced shallot, and nutty toasted almonds to the mix, and the result is a hearty grain-based salad perfect for picnics, brown-bag lunches, or just because. As long as cherries keep finding their way into my farmers market tote, this delightful dish will be on my table.
Confession: I didn't eat salads until I was way into my teens. The reason? I never found them filling and was typically bored after a few bites. It wasn't until I tried a Cobb salad, filled with all sorts of hearty ingredients, that I changed my mind about leafy green meals.
The rainbow spread of toppings in a classic Cobb include bacon, tomato, egg, blue cheese, avocado, and shredded chicken, positioned neatly over a bed of romaine lettuce. While any dressing, from creamy blue cheese to balsamic vinaigrette, will complement the salad, my favorite way to eat it is with a tart red-wine vinaigrette, which helps cut through the rich flavors.
Ditch your bottled salad dressing and mixed greens routine, and be prepared to be inspired by these eight salad-centric cookbooks. With everything from hearty, meal-worthy salads to lighter but no less enticing options, you'll never consider salad a mere afterthought again. Keep reading to find the hunger-pang-inducing, produce-heavy cookbook for you.
If you've tried it all — resealable baggies, plastic containers from delis, and even mini shampoo bottles — but haven't yet found the best way to pack salad dressing for lunch, then try these three mini containers and bottles, made from plastic, silicone, and glass. They're guaranteed to be food-safe, durable, and, most importantly, spill-free.
Nalgene Leakproof Jars ($2) — The makers of the BPA-free plastic water bottles also make these mini leakproof jars with a screw lid that hold just enough salad dressing for lunch.
Combine thick batons of slab bacon, or lardons, runny-yolked poached eggs, a sprinkling of minced shallot, and frilly frisée, and it's no surprise that the resulting salad is salty, sharp, and satisfying. Even better, salade Lyonnaise, as it's known in France, is gloriously versatile. It can serve as an elegant yet easy first course to a classic French meal or satiate on its own with the addition of an extra poached egg and a smattering of croutons or a hunk of baguette to mop up any extra dressing.
For a splendid and not-too-fussy meal, start with the salad at hand and a glass of crisp white wine, and pair it with lemon and lavender roast chicken, moules à la marinière, or a bloody rare New York strip steak. Either way, make certain to try out this can't-miss recipe.
It goes without saying that leftovers can get stale and boring. In our new show Freshedovers, cooking expert Aida Mollenkamp demonstrates how to give your leftovers a much-needed makeover, starting with shredded roast chicken, which she transforms into a citrusy, bold Jamaican jerk chicken salad. Keep watching to find out how to give your chicken a Freshedover, then get the recipe.
With warmer temperatures becoming the norm, we're craving something refreshing. Thank goodness for the Waldorf salad, a lighter take on a salad that's chock-full of cold-weather produce like Gala apples and celery root.
We turned to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, home of the original salad, to learn how to make the perfect rendition of this salad. Keep reading for step-by-step directions.
I liked but never loved Greek salads until I tried them in Greece. At the height of Summer, even the red onions are so sweet and tame, I could eat chunks of them like apples. I never met a mealy nor sour tomato, just tomatoes so ripe they didn't even need a sprinkle of salt to draw out their perfect flavor. And the feta. Can we stop a second to describe the crumbly, umami-filled feta, sliced ever-so-thinly and sprinkled with the most fragrant oregano that I can't help but imagine the restaurants plucked it from their backyard bushes?
While it has been four years since my last visit to Greece, the memories linger vehemently. I've tried my best to re-create and somewhat American-ize the recipe, so you can enjoy the salad at home.
When building salads, it's far too easy to get stuck in a rut. You know what works, buy the same ingredients, and inevitably eat green leaf lettuce with black olives, sliced tomatoes, and shredded carrots everyday. However, with a little creativity and an open mind at the grocery store, you can enjoy a fabulous variety of healthful yet crave-worthy salads on a regular basis. To get inspired, take a walk around the produce section and be inspired by the vegetables and fruits you come across. Try a new lettuce or pick up a veggie you're unfamiliar with. Just remember: from crunchy to creamy to crispy, a good salad has an assortment of textures (and colors). Here are a few ways to shake things up in the salad department.
Filling Proteins
