Green Dinner Salads
A classic green dinner salad starts with some green leaves, of which are many varieties, such as lettuce, endive, spinach, rocket (arugula). Beyond that, the salad bowl is your canvas. There are endless ways to dress up the green dinner salad with color, texture and a few surprises; all it takes is some inspiration from your favorite ingredients. Does this Spark an idea?
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Caesar Salad
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Caesar salad combines extra crisp leaves with a smooth, savory dressing. Caesar salad starts with crispy, fresh romaine salad leaves. The rest of the magic is in the dressing. A traditional Caesar salad dressing is a rich, creamy blend of garlic, olive oil, lemon, soft boiled egg, Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies salt and pepper. Top the salad with some crunchy croutons and serve.
Nicoise Salad
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A nicoise salad is a colorful French creation, loaded with protein. Nicoise salad is named for it's place of birth, Nice (pronounced "niece") in France, and can be served as a small side salad or as a meal on its own. Start with a head of bright green lettuce and add tomatoes, green beans, boiled eggs, red onion, cucumber and black olives. Tuna is also added, either as a grilled steak or in chunks from a can. The dressing is a mix of olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon, garlic, salt and pepper.
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Baby Greens Salad
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Baby greens salad is a good spring time accompanyment to a meal. Mixed baby green salads can contain any combination of cos lettuce, baby spinach, rocket, endive, watercress, lamb's lettuce and lollo biondo leaves. Create a mix of poppy, sesame and sunflower seeds with finely chopped parsley, dill, chives, tarragon and basil; add this to the top of the salad. Make a simple dressing of olive oil, white wine or sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Italian Green Salad
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Italian green salad takes the classic caprese salad (tomato, basil, buffalo mozzarella) and makes it into a more substantial green salad. Start with baby spinach leaves and add halved cherry or grape tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella (or fresh boncconcini) and shredded basil. Dress with a simple mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
Orange and Avacado Green Salad
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Mix equal parts of spinach, watercress, rocket, orange segments (without the peel) and avocado. Top with toasted walnuts or almonds. For the dressing, combine equal parts olive oil, lemon juice and orange juice, and add walnut oil, Dijon mustard, orange zest, salt and pepper. This salad is loaded with vitamins and works best during the summer months when the citrus ingredients are in season.
Other Ingredients
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Let the produce aisle be your guide when choosing ingredients for your salad. The addition of proteins to any salad makes it more substantial and can turn the salad into a meal on it's own. Try grilled chicken, crispy bacon, smoked salmon, shrimp or strips of steak. Adding fruits to a salad gives it a summery feel, while packing in the vitamins and nutrients; use slices of apple, pear, strawberries, or a handful of mixed blueberries or dry cranberries. Virtually any cheese can be used in salad; pair soft, mild cheeses with sharp, tart dressings and salty aged cheeses on salads with sweet ingredients. For more texture, top a salad with cooked pasta, crispy fried noodles or any variety of nut. For extra color, use different varieties of peppers, candy-striped beets, radishes or edible varieties of flowers.
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