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📍Introduction
A balanced salad has about six to eight ingredients - for example, two lettuces, two veggies, one dressing, and 1-2 toppings. A salad with too few components can be a bit meh (especially if it’s a main course salad). Too many ingredients become a jumble of flavors that can be overwhelming & confusing. Also, your chance of mixing ingredients that don’t mesh well together (e.g., cranberries and anchovies) increases.
The Four Layers of a Balanced Salad:
* 1 - Base (Lettuce/Greens) (pick 1-2):
* Soft: butter, spinach, arugula
* Crunchy: kale, romaine, cabbage, iceberg
* 2 - Body (Vegetables) (pick 1-3):
* Soft root: sweet potatoes, butternut squash, beets (roasted), onions
* Tender veg: tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms
* Crunchy root: carrots, radishes, beets (raw)
* Crunchy veg: cucumbers, fennel, celery, peppers
* 3 - Dressing (base + flavorings):
* Oil: Olive oil, walnut, avocado, sesame
* Acid/vinegar: lemon, balsamic, white/red/champagne/rice, apple cider
* Creamy: yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, tahini, peanut butter
* Seasoning: salt (e.g., kosher, flakes) & pepper (white, peppercorn)
* Allium: shallot, garlic, chives, onion
* 4 - Toppings (pick 0-2):
* Crunchy: croutons, breadcrumbs, nuts, seeds, sprouts
* Salty: olives, parmesan, feta
* Creamy: cheese, avocado
* Umami: olives, parmesan, tahini, anchovies
* Sweet: sun-dried tomatoes, pears, apples, oranges, dried fruit
* Protein: beans (e.g., lentils, chickpeas, black), eggs (e.g., poached/medium boiled), tofu, chicken, tinned or smoked fish, salmon, shrimp, steak
* Starch: sweet potatoes, potatoes, pasta, quinoa, brown rice, farro, barley
📓 Notes, Tips & Tricks:
* Some veggies are best cooked (e.g., asparagus, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, edamame, peas, string beans)
* Cut round veggies & fruits (e.g., tomatoes, grapes) in half if you have time - this makes spearing them with a fork easier
* If you have a mandoline or grater, put it to work! Some veggies are a bit overpowering in taste or feel if not cut thin (e.g., radish, carrot, fennel, onions, celery, zucchini)
* Stick with 1-2 proteins max to avoid overkill
* Add soft, flaky items (e.g., tofu, fish) at the end to ensure they hold together
* Chop or tear large pieces of protein for easier eating (e.g., poached/roasted chicken)
📓 Salad Toppings Reference Guide
🎓 Further Study
* 📺 The Big Salad (Seinfeld)
* A Composed Salad Is a Meal Unto Itself [NYTimes]
* Seasonal Winter Salads [Serious Eats]
* 37 Best Salad Recipes [Love & Lemons]
* 22 Filling Vegetarian Salads That Are Standalone Meals [NYTimes]
* Satisfying Main Course Salads [NYTimes]
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