The Art of Salad Making

By Sarah Alinejad a recent ASU Nutrition Student

I’m not going to beat around the bush. This article is about salads. When I first started making salads, I didn’t think there was much to it besides cutting some lettuce and vegetables and tossing them in a bowl with salad dressing. Really, what else could there be?

Well, there could be a lot more, actually. So much more, that this salad-changing information will switch up the entire salad game and make it so you’ll actually want to eat them. Summer is right around the corner and that means there’s going to be plenty of seasonal produce available, which means exciting salads full of beautiful colors.

But, first, you need to know how to make a salad. It may seem simple, but maybe that’s the issue. They’re simple. Boring. Comparable to the color khaki. They just kinda make you wince and yearn for it to be anything else.

My bet is that you don’t actually know how to make a salad, so I’m going to tell you how. Making a great salad is an art and the trick is to treat every ingredient as if you’re eating it individually. These are tips for making any kind of salad, but I have added my all-time favorites below.

1. Don’t settle for solely butter lettuce. Chop up some romaine or chiffonade some spinach. Arugula and baby mixed greens are also a good option for a flavor variety. If you decide to do kale, massage and sauté it for a couple minutes before adding it in. Try all the types of greens and note which ones are your favorites. (Pro tip: the darker the leaf, the higher the vitamin content.)
2. They are so important. Chop some up and throw it on. Basil, dill, cilantro, green onion, and parsley are all great options.
3. Don’t be afraid of adding fruit! Fruit in salads are amazing and should be treated as such. Watermelon, strawberries, apples, pomegranate seeds, and oranges are refreshing and provide a contrasting flavor.
4. Raw veggies can be chopped into large chunks or tiny pieces. Some, like zucchini and carrots, can be spiraled or shredded, and others, like tomatoes, and bell peppers, sliced. Throw in some corn, green beans, radishes, or cucumbers. Get a good mix of veggies in there. It’s important to add some flavor to them, even if it’s just some lemon, salt, and black pepper.
5. You also have the option to add cooked veggies, like steamed broccoli, sautéed kale, or roasted potatoes. This is also a great chance to clean out the fridge and throw in any veggies that might need using up.
6. Add some legumes or a faux meat for a hearty, protein-packed salad. This could be lentils, white beans, edamame, chickpeas, tofu, or a some kind of plant-based meat alternative.
7. Add some toppings! A few croutons, nuts, seeds, or pickled onion add a whole new dimension to your salad. Avocados and olives are also a favorite addition.
8. Last but not least, dress your salad. But don’t drown it either. Add some dressing and toss (or shake, if you have a lid) and if you need to add some more, add a little more. Dressing should be added gradually, otherwise it’s easy to get carried away and you’ll be wishing you had more salad for your dressing.
9. Be creative! Try different salads and note your favorite flavors and ingredient combinations.

Stone Strawberry Salad

This is a salad created by my boyfriend that he shared with me when we first started dating. Now, it’s our go-to salad since we almost always have the ingredients in the house.

Ingredients:

Spring mix (use however much you’d like, but your greens should be a hefty part of any salad)

4-5 strawberries, sliced

1 green apple (or other stone fruits like pear, plum or apples), sliced

1 carrot, coined

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 Persian cucumbers, coined

1 avocado, sliced

1/4 walnuts (optional)

~2 tbsp Briana’s Poppyseed Dressing (I kinda cheated here—I haven’t found a  poppyseed dressing recipe quite comparable to Briana’s. I’m working on it.)

Directions

1. Wash all produce thoroughly.
2. Chop and slice the strawberries, green apples, carrot, and cucumber.
3. Throw the it in a bowl.
4. Add rinsed spring mix on top.
5. Slice avocado and add on top salad. Add walnuts (optional).
6. Dress and eat!

Summer Veggie Roll Salad with Peanut Dressing

Once I learned how to make fresh summer rolls, I became a little obsessed. I started doing it a lot because I loved eating these little rice rolls filled with crunchy veggies and dipped in a savory-sweet peanut sauce. I seriously couldn’t get enough of them. The problem with these summer rolls though, is the amount of prep work they are. There’s a lot of produce to chiffonade, julienne, and chop, not to mention the tedious work of wrapping it all into a paper-thin (no really, it’s rice paper) roll. So, I found a way to skip the labor intensive parts while still keeping all the flavors.

Salad ingredients:

1/4 head Boston lettuce, shredded

1/4 head romaine, shredded

1 cup spinach, shredded

1 carrot

1 bell pepper

1 Persian cucumber

1/4 bunch mint, shredded

1/4 bunch cilantro, shredded

1 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup peanuts (optional)

Directions

1. Wash all produce thoroughly.
2. Chop or slice carrot, bell pepper, and cucumber.
3. Chiffonade the Boston lettuce, romaine, spinach, mint, and cilantro.
4. Throw everything in a bowl together.
5. Slice avocado and add on top salad. Add peanuts (optional).
6. Dress and eat!

Peanut dressing ingredients:

2 tbsp peanut butter

3 tbsp Hoisin sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tbsp chili powder

warm water (for thinning)

Directions

1. Mix peanut butter, Hoisin, and 1 tbsp warm water. Stir thoroughly.
2. When the mixture starts to thin out, add garlic, brown sugar, and chili powder.
3. Use warm water 1 tbsp at a time as needed to make a thinner or thicker dressing (depending on your preference).
4. Add to salad.

Kale Cesar Salad

One of my favorite salads, inspired by Veggie Grill. Comforting, simple, and easy.

Ingredients:

1/2 head romaine lettuce

1/2 bunch kale, sautéed

2 strips Lightlife Smoky Tempeh Strips

2 Persian cucumbers

1 stalk celery

1 avocado

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

~2 tbsp Minimalist Baker Cesar dressing

Directions

1. Wash all produce thoroughly.
2. Chop and slice romaine, kale, celery, and cucumber.
3. Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil.
4. Add kale and salt. Allow to sauté for about 3-4 minutes.
5. When kale is partially wilted, remove from heat and set aside.
6. Reheat pan to medium heat and add tempeh. Allow each side to cook, about 3-4 minutes.
7. When tempeh is done, drain it on a towel and allow it to cool.
8. Once tempeh is cool, crumble it up for the salad topping.
9. Throw romaine, sautéed kale, cucumber, and tempeh in a bowl.
10. Slice avocado and add on top salad.
11. Dress and eat!

Crunchy Thai Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing

My own take on a Thai salad with some crunch. Trader Joe’s prepackaged salad got nothin’ on this.

Ingredients:

1 cup romaine, shredded

1 cup cabbage, shredded (purple is prettier but green is fine)

1/2 cup edamame (frozen is fine, but if you have fresh, that’s great too)

1 Persian cucumber, sliced

1 zucchini, spiraled

1 carrot, spiraled or shredded

1/4 cup cilantro, shredded

1/4 cup crunchy rice noodle

1 scallion, sliced

1 lime

Directions

1. Wash all produce thoroughly.
2. Chiffonade romaine and cilantro.
3. Slice cabbage (finely) and slice cucumber and scallion.
4. Spiral zucchini and carrot.
5. Throw everything in a bowl together.
6. Slice avocado and add on top salad. Add crunchy rice noodle.
7. Squeeze lime on salad and add scallions.
8. Dress and eat!

Thai peanut dressing ingredients:

2 tbsp peanut butter

3 tbsp Hoisin sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tbsp chili powder

1 lime, juiced

warm water (for thinning)

Directions

1. Mix peanut butter, Hoisin, sesame oil and 1 tbsp warm water. Stir thoroughly.
2. When the mixture starts to thin out, add garlic, brown sugar, and chili powder and lime juice.
3. Use warm water 1 tbsp at a time as needed to make a thinner or thicker dressing (depending on your preference).
4. Add to salad.

These are just a few of my go-to’s. They’re some of the easier and more simple ones, but I (almost) always have the ingredients around. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water and without fail, I always feel good afterward. Content but not stuffed and bursting with energy. I admit it took me some time to accept salads, but when I sat down and got the chance to know them, I realized they weren’t so bad after all. The word ‘salad’ itself just sounds boring because we’ve only ever had boring salads, but all they need is a little understanding and encouragement. Salads will be whatever you make them, so start experimenting with new flavors, colors, fruits, veggies, herbs, and greens. Chances are you’ll discover something incredible. It’s time to do a little Pavlovian reconditioning and give our new and improved salads the credit they deserve.