The most important thing to remember when learning how to make salads is that they don't have to be dull. A variety of different fruits and vegetables can be combined to make any kind of salad your heart desires.
Greens
Cherry Side Tables
Leafy vegetables are a great source of fiber and will add bulk to your meal without adding a lot of additional calories. Most salads start with a base of lettuce, which comes in different types such as iceberg, romaine, spinach and escarole. Just by varying your greens you can bestow a different flavor and look to a salad. You can find more vitamins and fewer calories in darker greens, so they are an ideal base for a healthy salad.
Speaking of greens, if you garden, you might be surprised at the number of edible greens not normally considered "food". The leaves, usually the young leaves of beans, peas, broccoli, beets, cucumber and corn, plus onions, okra, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, and of course, turnips are all edible and perfect to salads.
Fruits and Vegetables
In learning how to make salads incorporating fruits and vegetables don't let yourself be limited by the recipe. Add the fruits and vegetables that you most enjoy. Common vegetables used in salads are:
Tomatoes Onions Artichokes Cucumbers Broccoli Asparagus Carrots Zucchini
The list goes on and on. Nearly any vegetable can be thrown into a salad to add taste, color and texture.
Varieties of fruits provide a delicious burst of flavor and are rich sources of vitamins and antioxidants. The sweetness of fruits added to a salad can help to reduce or eliminate the use of high calorie salad dressings for those of you looking to watch your caloric intake. These fruits work well in any salad:
Mandarin orange segments Apple slices Raisins Blueberries Raspberries Blackberries
You can mix and match your favorite fruits and vegetables to make every salad unique.
Protein
To make a salad a meal instead of a side dish, add proteins such as strips of grilled or fried chicken, ham, turkey, sliced hard-boiled eggs, tuna, cooked shrimp, or cheese. Eventually, you will learn how to make salads out of nearly anything in your refrigerator.
Arugula Salad with Avocado Citrus Vinaigrette
To get you started learning how to make salads, this is a great recipe:
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced 1/4 cup chopped red onion 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 leaf fresh mint, chopped 1 leaf fresh basil, chopped 2 1/2 cups baby arugula leaves 2 ounces kalamata olives, pitted and halved 2 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cut into strips 2 tablespoons freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, or to taste
In a blender, pulse avocado, red onion, lime and grapefruit juices, rice wine vinegar, black pepper and sea salt until smooth. Drizzle in olive oil and honey; then add cilantro, mint and basil leaves until only small flecks remain.
In a small bowl, toss arugula, kalamata olives, and cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with shaved parmesan cheese, and pour vinaigrette evenly over salad, tossing before serving.
Salads are a great way to make sure you are getting the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables making them can be easy. You can follow a recipe or you can make up your own. Once you learn how to make salads, you will wonder how you ever got by without them!
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