I think most of us feel that we could eat more salads. But how do you make a delicious salad, one that will feel like a joy to eat, fill you up, and give you important nutrients to fuel your body?

The answer is a combination of five things: greens, protein, sweetness, crunchiness, and dressing. Here’s how to do it.

Greens

You need greens for a good salad! But you don’t have to stick with a regular Iceberg (unless you love it, of course). Some options include:

  • Rocket
  • Spinach
  • Lamb’s lettuce
  • Watercress
  • Romaine
  • Kale
  • Butterhead
  • Loose leaf
  • Chicory
  • Endive

Mixing and matching can be good for introducing different flavours. For example, pairing rocket with baby spinach leaves can help to soften the harshness of the former.

I also like to throw herbs in my salads sometimes – parsley and chives in particular.

Protein

Protein is important to create a ‘complete’ salad, which will keep you fuller for longer. Ingredients can include:

  • Chicken
  • Tuna
  • Bacon
  • Deli meat, like salami or chorizo
  • Ham – leftover shredded gammon, for example.

But you don’t just have to go for meat. You can also pick cheese:

  • Cheddar
  • Halloumi
  • Feta
  • Blue cheese
  • Goat’s cheese
  • Swiss cheese
  • Parmesan

Don’t overlook legumes, either. These are a surprisingly good source of protein and can be very cheap to use in meals, especially compared to meat. You could try:

  • Beans – butter beans, borlotti beans, and cannellini beans work well in a salad.
  • Lentils – puy lentils are delicious and can be bought pre-cooked.
  • Chickpeas – chickpeas are delicious in salads and can be pre-roasted in some olive oil, salt, and smoked paprika to create a crunchy, protein-rich addition to your salads.

Finally, don’t forget about tofu. Tofu is versatile and can be cooked in so many ways. In salads, crispy fried tofu can be delicious. It requires a bit of preparation, but you can use it in other meals, too.

Sweetness

Image: Maria Bortolotto

Sweetness can make a huge difference in terms of the flavour of your salad, and can go very well with the savoury/salty elements of the dish.

I would recommend:

  • Thinly sliced apples or pears
  • Pomegranate seeds
  • Watermelon (this combined with feta, cucumber and mint is a stunning salad)
  • Blueberries
  • Figs

You don’t need a large amount of fruit; just a small amount can make a big difference.

Crunchiness

Texture is important to make your salads feel fresh and less boring to eat. The obvious choice here is to load up on veggies, which is a super healthy choice. You can include raw veg, like:

  • Cucumber
  • Carrots
  • Peppers
  • Radishes
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Red cabbage
  • Red onion

You can also roast some veggies to mix in a salad. This does remove the crunchiness, but I thought I’d throw it in here because it’s such a nice way to add a bit of flavour and more vitamins. Sometimes I roast a tray of sweet potato cubes, in olive oil, salt, garlic, and smoked paprika; I can then mix these into my salad for another interesting texture change.

You can also add nuts and seeds to salads. This is another great way to introduce more nutrients into your diet. You can try:

  • Walnuts
  • Pecans
  • Cashews
  • Almonds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds

Dressing

Finally, the thing that ties it all together: the dressing! Freshly made salad dressings are worth the effort. You can make a larger amount and keep it in a glass jar in your fridge; this will keep for a few days, which is perfect for lunch prep.

Here are some dressings to try:

Lemon Dressing

(This is my favourite from Simply Recipes!)

  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove of garlic (grated or crushed)
  • ⅓ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Just mix it all together in a jar and you’re good to go!

Honey Mustard Dressing

This is a delicious dressing from BBC Good Food, with both sweetness and a tang from the Balsamic vinegar.

  • 1 tbsp French mustard
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Give this a good shake in a jar, and pour over salads whenever you need it.

Caeser Salad Dressing

This is a classic dressing from BBC Good Food.

  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 anchovies in oil
  • 15g parmesan, finely grated
  • 5 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

You will need to crush the garlic using a garlic press or a pestle and mortar, and then mash the anchovies. Stir this into the remaining ingredients until well mixed. This one doesn’t last long, so you’ll need to use it on the same day.

Bon appetit! 

Featured omage: Anna Pelzer, Unsplash

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