Decorating Ideas for Green Salads

Green salads can be dressed up with decoratively cut vegetables.

Green salads are part of many meals and typically include a mixture of fresh greens, assorted vegetables and sometimes, meats. Typical garnishes such as nuts, seeds, croutons, and shredded cheese can make the salad presentation more attractive but there are other decorating options that will make your green salad memorable.

Frills and Chills

Many vegetables can be transformed into decorations with a well-sharpened knife and a bowl of ice water. Cut one end of celery ribs, small peeled carrots or the white end of scallions into small, thin strips to resemble the bristles of a brush, keeping them attached to the uncut portion. Place the vegetables in ice water to separate the pieces and make them 'bloom' into decorative salad garnishes.

Rings and Rolls

Vertically slice a raw carrot into 1/4-inch thick disks, then remove the dark-colored centers with a small paring knife to create rings. Fill the hole with small asparagus spears or blanched green beans so the carrot looks like a napkin ring around the vegetables. You can also just cut the carrots into disks and create a necklace around the perimeter of the salad bowl alternating carrots and pea pods. Roll a thinly sliced piece of cucumber around tiny julienned pieces of carrots and celery and tie them with strings made from green strips of scallion.

Vegetable Bowls

Carefully hollow out whole or halved tomatoes and green, yellow and red bell peppers so they resemble bowls. Fill them with cooked and chilled florets of broccoli and cauliflower trimmed to miniature sizes. Slice the tops off cherry tomatoes, remove the seeds and pulp and arrange little pieces of curl parsley in each one to look like tiny, lacy trees.

Flower Power

Cherry or grape tomatoes can be cut around the top edges to form a petal pattern. Use a razor-sharp knife to remove the skin from tomatoes in one continuous strip from top to bottom. Roll the skins tightly and nestle in a bed of lettuce to create roses. The same technique can be used to cut the flesh of turnips or white potatoes, which can then be tinted with food coloring to makes roses of assorted tints.

Cut Outs

To easily make salad decorations, buy a selection of miniature cookie cutters in simple geometric shapes or ones that reflect holiday characters or symbols. Slice firm vegetables of different colors, such as beets and sweet potatoes, into flat, wide strips, then cut patterns from them with the cutters. For more color, cut the shapes from white potatoes and brush them with assorted food tints.

References

• Salad Recipe: Tips for Decorating a Salad
• Fine Dinings: Garnishes