SENSIBLE SENSATIONAL SATIATING SALADS
Types of Salads
When it comes to the idea of salad, you may think about a light combination of greens served with an array of dressings or sauces to drizzle over top. Salad, however, can be composed of all sorts of different things and presented in a variety of ways.
Some salads are comprised of raw vegetables and some use cooked or warmed vegetables, some may be made with fruits while others may be made primarily of meat or seafood. The most common categories of salads are:
- Green Salad
- Fruit Salad
- Vegetable Salad
- Pasta Salad
- Bound Salad
- Composed Salad
- Deconstructed Salad
- Dessert Salad
A Green Salad, or green leaf salad, (garden salad), is most often composed of leafy vegetables such as lettuce varieties, spinach or arugula.
A Fruit Salad is comprised primarily of fruit. Many recipes may call for the addition of nuts, fruit juices, certain vegetables, yogurt, among other ingredients. One variation of a fruit salad is a Waldorf salad, which uses a mayonnaise-based sauce.
A Vegetable Salad is a mixture of raw green vegetables–such as different varieties of lettuce, along with other raw vegetables and often including a mixture of small pieces of raw or cooked food, (pasta, meat, fruit, eggs, and nuts) and usually combined with a dressing and served cold.
A Pasta Salad is a dish prepared with one or more types of pasta, usually chilled and usually tossed in a dressing.
A Bound Salad can be composed (arranged) or tossed (put in a bowl and mixed with a substantial dressing), and are often used as sandwich fillings. Tuna salad, pasta salad, chicken salad, egg salad and potato salad are all examples of a bound salad.
A Composed Salad is a salad arranged on a plate rather than tossed in a bowl.
A Deconstructed Salad is served in an unconventional, creative presentation. You combine whatever ingredients you like and think will ‘go together’ and arrange them on a platter or board for your guests to individually pick and mix as they choose.
Dessert Salads are sweet dishes made with jellos, whipped toppings, fruits, vegetables, mayonnaise, and various other ingredients.
Green Salads
Romaine Salad with Fresh Berries
The sweetness of the strawberries with the creaminess of the fresh mozzarella and the crunch of the almonds makes this a delightful accompaniment to a variety of main courses. It is particularly wonderful with Grilled Cod and Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1 head artisan romaine washed and cut
- 8-10 fresh strawberries halved or quartered
- 8-10 Bocconcini Fresh Mozzarella cheese balls, halved
- ¼ cup sliced toasted almonds
- Extra-Virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fresh basil chiffonade (finely cut basil)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Assemble all ingredients and sprinkle with your best balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Season as desired
Notes
Add whatever you like to this salad. Fresh slices of cucumber and a sprinkling of fresh blueberries work well.
Strawberry & Spinach Salad
This salad is so fresh and delicious! If you aren't a fan of Boursin cheese, you can substitute crumbled Feta.
Servings 6
Ingredients
Salad
- ¾ cup raw pecans
- ½ small red onion sliced very thinly
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1 lbs strawberries washed, hulled and quartered
- ¾ cup Boursin cheese
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup good balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tbsp honey
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a dry baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until they smell fragrant. Be careful not to toast them too long. Cool and roughly chop them on a cutting board.Place the sliced onions in a bowl and cover with cold water to mellow out the pungency. Let sit while you put the rest of the salad together.Whisk together the vinegar, oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper for the balsamic vinaigrette. Set aside.Place the spinach in a great big serving bowl. Add the strawberries and drained red onions. Drizzle about half of the vinaigrette and toss to coat the leaves. Add Boursin cheese and pecans. Drizzle with a little more dressing and serve immediately. (Serve extra dressing on the side.)
Fruit
Classic Waldorf Salad
This recipe is truly a classic. It is a staple on our Easter dinner menu. It is fresh and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Red Delicious apples cored and diced
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup celery diced
- ¼ cup broken walnuts
- ⅓ cup good mayonnaise
Instructions
- Toss apples with lemon juice.Add raisins, celery and walnuts.Add mayonnaise; mix well.
Pasta Salads
Italian Pasta Salad
This recipe is just a suggestion. Feel free to add or subtract whatever strikes your fancy. This salad is particularly great to take on a picnic because the flavors are delightful when the salad is served at room temperature or just under.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 lb Cavatappi cooked al dente, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 1-2 cups fresh broccoli cut into small florets
- 1 cup black olives halved, Kalamata works well also
- 1 orange bell pepper diced
- ½ small red onion diced
- ½ lb provolone cheese diced
- ¼-½ cup peperoncino peppers sliced
- ¼-½ lb salami (sliced into strips or cubed) optional
Dressing
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup Parmesan grated
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp fresh oregano chopped
- 1 tsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsp fresh basil chiffonade
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss to combine.Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad, tossing again to combine. Allow flavors to marry in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
This pasta salad is light and satisfying, full of mediterranean flavors.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp dried tarragon
- ½ tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Salad
- 1 3-lb rotisserie chicken diced
- ½ cup orzo
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 6-oz jar marinated artichoke hearts drained
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Combine ingredients for dressing and whisk to blend.In a medium bowl, toss chicken with ¼ of the dressing.Boil orzo in a large pot of well-salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool and drain well.Transfer orzo to a large bowl. Stir in remaining dressing and toss to coat. Add chicken, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives.
Bound
Smoked Turkey Salad
My husband has become quite accomplished at the art of smoking meats and his smoked turkey breast is fabulous for this recipe. If you can't find smoked turkey breast, roasted turkey meat will work just fine. (In fact, this is a "go-to" recipe for Thanksgiving turkey leftovers.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb smoked turkey breast cubed
- ½ cup good mayonnaise
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice or to taste
- 2 ribs celery thinly sliced
- ½ small red onion small dice
- ½ cup pecans toasted and coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh sage thinly sliced
- ½ kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Gently mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Serve on top of a bed of Romaine lettuce or use as a filling for wraps or sandwiches.
Curried Chicken Salad
This recipe does have a few steps, but the extra effort is worth it.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 10 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 small onion quartered
- 4 whole black pepper corns
- 5 cups water
Curry Dressing
- 1 cup good mayonnaise
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp mango chutney
- ¾ tsp white wine vinegar
- ½ cup seedless red grapes halved
Instructions
For the chicken
- In medium saucepan, combine chicken, salt, onion, peppercorns and water.Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and simmer until cooked through, (approximately 20 minutes). Chicken will become tough if cooked too quickly at too high of temperature.Allow chicken to cool while you prepare the dressing.
Curry Salad
- Combine mayonnaise, curry powder, chutney and vinegar.When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred and chop into small pieces and add to dressing with red grapes. Mix together well and serve on bread of choice or atop of salad greens.
Dressing
Mustard Seed Ginger Dressing
This salad dressing recipe is from one of my favorite restaurants, The Mustard Seed Company, which started in my hometown, Missoula, Montana in 1978. It is light, flavorful and very versatile.
Ingredients
- ½ cup salad oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup onion diced
- ¼ cup celery diced
- 3 tbsp +1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp peeled fresh ginger minced or grated
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp ketchup
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together and serve over salad greens.
The Perfect Caesar Dressing
This dressing is creamy and not too strong. It goes together easily and will last in the refrigerator for more than a week.
Equipment
- small food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup good quality mayonnaise
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano freshly grated
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce into a medium bowl or small bowl of a food processor and whisk or process to combine. Stir in mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper until well incorporated. Adjust seasoning as desired and serve with lemon wedges.
Yogurt Dressing with Indian Spices
This recipe is from Susan from New Berlin, WI, who submitted it to a recipe contest with a popular spice company. She won first place with it at the Wisconsin State Fair in 2011 and once you taste it, you will understand why. Serve over mixed greens or any salad featuring mandarin or sliced oranges.
Ingredients
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ⅛ tsp powdered ginger
- ¼ tsp ground tumeric
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey
- juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and store, covered, in the refrigerator until serving time.
Zesty Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic peeled and crushed
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together and serve over your favorite greens.
Herbed French Dressing
Equipment
- Food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small shallot optional
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process for 30 seconds.
Notes
When using fresh herbs, onion, shallot or garlic, dressing will only keep for up to 4 days.
Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp Romano cheese
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp parsley flakes
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together and serve.
Composed
Jacques's French Potato Salad By Julia Child and Jacques Pépin
This salad is light and clean, full of fresh herbs. A wonderful accompaniment to all sorts of summer fare.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fingerling potatoes, baby potatoes or other small waxy potatoes
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup ¼-inch slices of scallions green and white parts
- ½ cup sweet onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic mashed and coarsely chopped (1½ tsp)
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 1½ tbsp Dijon-style mustard
- 2-3 tbsp chives chopped
- 2 tbsp (or more) fresh green or purple basil coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp (or more) fresh tarragon coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp (or more) parsley coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more if needed
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (coarse) plus more if needed
Garnish
- 6 large radicchio leaves from the outside of the head
- 1-2 hard-boiled eggs coarsely chopped
- fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes and put them, whole, in a saucepan with water to cover by ½-inch. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook the potatoes gently until they are just tender and can be pierced with a sharp knife. Drain immediately and let cool slightly. (Scrape the skin from the cooked potatoes, if. you want, as soon as they can be handled. For a decorative look with fingerlings, scrape off only a band of skin, about ½-inch thick, all around the long sides of the potato.)
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small sauté pan. When hot, add the scallions and the onion, toss to coat well, and cook for about a minute over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, toss to mix, and cook for just a few moments, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Slice the potatoes while still warm, cutting them crosswise into ½-inch sections. Put the pieces in a large mixing bowl, pour the wine and 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil over them, and toss gently to distribute. Add the warm vegetables from the pan, mustard, chives, chopped herbs, salt and pepper, and gently fold all together, mixing well but not crushing the potatoes. Taste the salad and add more seasoning as you like.
- Serve the potatoes warm (no colder than room temperature). Arrange the large radicchio leaves, if you have them, in a close circle on the serving platter, with their curved insides up, to a form a rough bowl. Spoon the potato salad inside the leaves. Sprinkle chopped egg around the edges, and parsley over the top.
Mexican Chicken Salad
I modified this recipe from an Atkins recipe. In the original recipe, you can substitute baked Atkins tortillas for the blue tortilla chips.
Ingredients
Salad
- 10 oz grilled chicken breast cooled
- 8 cups mixed greens
- ½ cup red bell pepper roughly chopped
- ½ cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup red onion finely chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- ⅓ cup fresh tomato coarsely chopped
Dressing
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp grated lime zest
- 1 tsp fresh garlic chopped
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Salad
- In a large bowl, toss greens with red pepper, beans, onion, cilantro and dressing.Cut avocado into thin slices and toss with 2 tbsp lime juice. Place tossed salad on a plater. Top with chicken, chopped tomato and avocado slices. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve with a big bowl of tortilla chips. (I like Trader Joe's Blue Tortilla Chips with this.)
Dressing
- Whisk or shake all dressing ingredients together.
Deconstructed
Lettuce Wraps
If you are familiar with PF Changs, you have probably been introduced to this version of an Asian salad which you eat with your fingers. I make this often and it is always a winner, whether I serve it for lunch, as an appetizer or as part of a dinner menu. ENJOY!
Ingredients
Cooking Sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dry sherry
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Chicken
- 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast minced
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp dry sherry
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp water
- 1 tsp oil
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 5 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp peeled, fresh ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 green onions minced
- small dried chilies optional
- 1 8-oz can bamboo shoots minced
- 1 8-oz can water chestnuts minced
- 1 pkg Chinese cellophane rice noodles fried in oil for a minute or two (until they puff up)
- freshly grated carrot
Salad
- Bibb or Romain lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients for cooking sauce in bowl and set aside.In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch, sherry, water, soy sauce, salt, pepper and chicken. Stir to coat chicken thoroughly. Stir in 1 tsp oil and let sit 15 minutes to marinate. Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tbsp oil then add chicken and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside and add 2 Tbsp oil to wok or skillet and add ginger, garlic, chilies (if using) ad onion; stir fry about a minute. Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry. Return chicken to wok and add cooking sauce. Cook until thickened.Break cooked noodles and spread evenly down a large serving tray. Pour chicken mixture down the center, on top of the noodles and sprinkle with grated carrot down the center. Arrange the lettuce leaves down both sides of the tray and serve with plenty of napkins.
Vegetable
Broccoli, Bacon and Dried Cranberry Salad
This salad is so versatile and it's crunchy, sweet, tangy and creamy qualities have you coming back for more.
Ingredients
- 6 slices chopped lean bacon cooked and drained
- 6 cups broccoli florets cut into bit-size pieces
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese coarsely grated
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries craisins
- ⅓ cup toasted walnuts or pecans roughly chopped
- ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
Dressing
- ¾ cup sour cream may substitute plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp good mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp honey
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine salad ingredients together.Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl until well combined and pour over salad. Mix well and allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Dessert
Celebration Fruit Salad
This could be considered a fruit salad, but because it has miniature marshmallows, I am calling it a dessert salad. This was the "traditional celebration salad" in my family when I was a child. This is my mother's recipe so the quantities are up for interpretation. I would start with one apple, one banana and 1 cup of mini-marshmallows and go from there. The recipe suggests strawberry jello, but for Christmas we would use red jello and green jello squares.
Ingredients
- Apples medium dice
- Bananas halved and 1" slice
- 6-10 maraschino cherries chopped
- miniature marshmallows
- small pkg Strawberry Jello may use other flavors
- Whipping cream
- sugar and vanilla to taste
Instructions
- Make Jello with ¼ cup less water than directions call for. Set in 8" square flat pan/dish.Peel and cup up fruit into bowl.Add marshmallows.Whip cream in a chilled bowl, sweeten to taste with sugar and vanilla. Fold into bowl with fruit.Cut Jello into small cubes about ½" square and fold into fruit mixture.
