How to Make a Green Salad

When you make a green salad, the most important thing is to dry the leaves completely before tossing. You don't want extra water to dilute your dressing.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Beets Tops
• Carrots
• Croutons
• Endive
• Escarole
• Lettuce
• Mustards Greens
• Nuts
• Olives
• Onions
• Red And Green Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Watercress
• Salad Bowls
• Salad Plates
• Salad Spinners
• Salda Utensils

1. Select crisp, fresh greens with no bruised spots on leaves or streaks of brown near roots.
2. Use a variety of greens. Vary dark with light, and crisp with tender.
3. Remove broken or damaged outer leaves.
4. Wash and drain the greens thoroughly. Use a salad spinner to dry the greens quickly, or you can wrap the greens in a towel.
5. Make sure the greens are cold and dry before making your salad.
6. Gently tear the greens into bite-size pieces.
7. Make sure your additional ingredients, if you use any, go well with each other. You don't need to add anything else if your greens are interesting enough! Possible additions include sliced radishes, chopped scallions, sliced carrots, crumbled bacon, cut-up apples or pears, or whatever suits your fancy and your greens. Usually just a few additions are best.
8. Add dressing at the last minute. Use just enough to coat the leaves lightly, and toss gently.
9. Garnish with toasted nuts, croutons, tomato wedges or sliced olives.

Tips & Warnings

• Try red and green leaf lettuce; bronze lettuce; Romaine, Boston and Bibb lettuce; curly endive and escarole; spinach; watercress; dandelion; and beet or mustard tops. Many supermarkets now sell "spring mix" or "mesclun," a premixed batch of interesting greens. (If you buy this, make sure it's fresh, and only buy what you will eat, as it's expensive.)
• Strip Belgian endive into whole leaves, or cut and pull apart onion-fashion.
• Store greens in a plastic bag or container in the refrigerator to ensure crispness.