Eight ways to elevate your salad days
We’ve all been served disappointing salads – a small pile of limp leaves with a bit of unripe tomato and a splat of salad cream. Is it because salads (generally) aren’t cooked that they often get the same attention as the rest of the meal? A little TLC for your summer salad creations works wonders!
Angel Food founder Alice Shopland is known as the salad queen in her house – here’s her roundup of favorite tips for gorgeous tasty salads.
1.Start with a Big Bowl:
Opt for a wide, shallow bowl to allow for easy tossing without losing ingredients.
The large surface area showcases the variety of textures and colours in the salad.
2. Adventurous Base:
Explore beyond iceberg lettuce and incorporate various greens like spinach, cabbage, New Zealand spinach, cos, or baby cos.
Add leafy herbs for extra flavour, colour and texture.
Cut tougher leaves like cabbage very very finely so they’re a pleasure to eat, not hard work!
If you like the slight aniseed flavour, try fresh fennel (bulb and leaves) for colour and crunch and flavour.
3. Surprise and Delight:
Focus on the visual appeal of the salad.
Add unique toppings like dried cranberries, black sesame seeds, chili sauce, seaweed, or edible flower petals.
4. Dress it Up:
Vinaigrette that’s too acid can distract from the actual salad; use less vinegar and more seasonings (and add some water to get the volume you want without overdoing the oil or vinegar).
Experiment with ingredients like fruit juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, or olive brine to enhance flavours.
Try this tahini dressing: the base is equal parts tahini and hot water, seasoned with salt and lemon juice or cider vinegar, then you can add other seasonings as you fancy.
5. Think About the Layers:
Place larger pieces at the bottom and toss with dressing before adding smaller pieces on top, to prevent them from getting lost or bruised.
6. Think Beyond Raw:
Include cooked vegetables like roast potatoes, pumpkin, black beans, steamed broccoli, or frozen edamame to add substance and variety.
Cubes of plant-based feta or cheddar make great flavour pops.
7. Top it with Crunch:
Be creative with crunchy, salty toppers such as croutons, crispy fried shallots (from the Asian supermarket), toasted nuts and seeds, or pita crisps.
8. Check the Seasoning:
After dressing the salad, taste and add more oomph – salt, acid, sweetness, chilli – as required for well-balanced flavour. A dressing that is tasty by itself may not seem flavoursome enough once it is dispersed over a whole salad.
By the way - the phrase “salad days” was first penned by William Shakespeare, and meant a time of carefree innocence, idealism and pleasure associated with youth. These days it refers to a heyday, when we’re at the peak of our abilities, and not necessarily youthful.
