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Week 6: A bright, fresh antidote to the bland, boring salad

By Jennifer Farley

I've always been able to spot a bad salad. You know the type — wilted romaine or chilly iceberg lettuce accompanied by mealy tomatoes, shredded carrots, stale croutons and thick, bottled dressing. Mmmm!

One evening, my parents took teenage me out to dinner, and I had the most incredible salad at our neighborhood Italian restaurant. It had mixed greens, fresh strawberries, toasted slivered almonds and disks of warm, fried goat cheese. The combination of bitter, sweet, crunch and earthy tartness was harmonious ... and addictive.

It was everything, really. I fell so completely in love with that salad that I started ordering it as takeout in lieu of my usual pizza. Two fried goat cheese salads to go, please. Anything else? Nope!

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It took years before I was able to master something so simple, yet so satisfying, at home. I knew what I liked, but getting it all into a bowl in front of me felt like a giant leap.

As it turns out, creating a great salad isn't difficult; it simply requires an understanding of a few key concepts such as flavor, texture and color.

Today, we're going to touch on these salad essentials and make a simple vinaigrette. The beauty of learning taste and flavor balance is that eventually you won't even need a recipe to throw together a wonderful salad. (But don't worry. We've got one for you, anyway.)

<Scroll ahead to see the recipe for Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette>

What should go into your salad? Here are the basic components:

The Base: This is typically some sort of leafy green, but it doesn't need to be. It could also be a whole grain (quinoa, for example), which is what you're seeing at salad chains such as Sweetgreen and Chop't these days.
The Body: These are the main ingredients of the salad, like meat, eggs, beans and vegetables.
The Garnish: This is where you add extra color and texture using ingredients such as nuts, shaved or crumbled cheese, dried fruits or crunchy salts.
The Dressing: Salads almost always have some sort of vinaigrette or dressing to bring everything together.

Taste and flavor balance

Last week we discussed the five basic tastes: salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami. But these only partially contribute to the way we experience flavors. Smell, texture and temperature are also important factors. Those disks of warm goat cheese? They're a perfect example of temperature enhancing the flavor experience.

With that in mind, let's look at some potential salad ingredients categorized by taste. The liquids listed below could be used in a dressing or vinaigrette. (Note: The sour element in a salad is often taken care of with the vinaigrette.)

Bitter: Bitter greens (such as arugula and radicchio), radishes, grapefruit

Sour: Dried cranberries, pickled vegetables, lemon juice

Salty: Olives, salty cheeses (such as feta and Roquefort), bacon

Sweet: Fruit, balsamic vinegar, candied nuts, maple syrup

Umami: Parmesan, roasted tomatoes or mushrooms, pancetta

Texture

After taste, texture goes a long way toward creating a well-balanced salad. Crunchy nuts, crisp vegetables and creamy cheeses all play against one another to create a pleasant sensation every time we take a bite.

Each ingredient has its own texture (even "mushy" is a texture). The key is simply to create variety.

Try to balance textures in the same way you're balancing flavors. When there are soft elements in your salad, consider adding something crunchy (nuts, croutons, seeds). When the salad is full of crisp vegetables, a rich cheese or some avocado slices might be just the ticket to create balance.

Quick tips

Pick through your greens and vegetables and discard anything that looks tired.
Always use good-quality cheese in your salads. The flavor is much better when you grate, shave or crumble the cheese yourself before serving.
Always season your salad with a bit of salt and pepper before adding dressing.
Toasted or roasted nuts taste better than raw ones. They have a richer flavor and crunchier texture. You can often buy roasted nuts, or you can toast them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 3 to 7 minutes, shaking the pan periodically. The nuts are ready when they smell fragrant and have darkened slightly.
Wait until right before serving to dress the salad. Over time, liquids will cause greens and fresh herbs to wilt. They'll also dull crunchy textures and muddy individual flavors.
For a beautiful presentation, try to use ingredients with contrasting colors. For example, dark green arugula, deep red cranberries, crumbled white feta, golden pine nuts and a drizzle of nearly black balsamic.

COMBINATIONS TO TRY

You've got the formula, now let's put it to use. Here are a few of my favorite flavor combinations to get you started.

Baby spinach, radishes, sweet corn, cucumber, tomatoes, feta
Quinoa, dried cranberries, apples, roasted butternut squash, toasted pumpkin seeds
Arugula, roasted beets, avocado, goat cheese, toasted walnuts

Vinaigrettes

Once you've learned how to prepare your own vinaigrette, you'll never want to purchase bottled dressing again. Trust me.

A typical vinaigrette ratio is one part vinegar mixed with three parts oil. Some vinegars you might consider using include balsamic, red wine, white wine and apple cider. Extra-virgin olive oil is commonly used.

What to avoid

Distilled white vinegar: it's too astringent (that sharp, dry taste that can overwhelm your palate)
Oils with a strong flavor, such as sesame or hazelnut: They'll overpower the flavors in your salad (unless you're only using a small amount along with a milder-tasting oil)

What you can add

Mustard, honey or maple syrup
Fresh or dried herbs, garlic or shallot
For a creamy dressing: sour cream, mayonnaise, yogurt or tahini

You can mix your vinaigrette or dressing using a blender or whisk, or by shaking it vigorously in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, which is my favorite method – and it's by far the most fun!

A vinaigrette is an emulsion, or a mixture of two liquids that do not naturally mix. This means that the oil and vinegar will eventually separate, regardless of how well you blend them. That's perfectly normal and does not mean the vinaigrette is no longer usable. Simply shake your vinaigrette to emulsify it again before using.

Tip: Refrigerate leftover vinaigrette for up to 4 days. To bring the vinaigrette to room temperature, run the container under warm water for about 30 seconds, or until any solidified oil has melted.

Wondering how much dressing to use on a salad? This is a personal preference, but a good rule of thumb is to go light at first, adding a small amount at a time, until the greens are evenly coated and glossy...

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Makes 1 cup (enough for 8 to 10 servings)

HANDS-ON TIME: 5 minutes
EQUIPMENT: Chef's knife, cutting board, measuring spoons, liquid measuring cup, jar with a tight-fitting lid

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons packed light or dark brown sugar

Combine the oil, vinegars, garlic, salt, pepper and brown sugar in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Seal and shake vigorously to combine the ingredients, about 10 seconds. Taste, and adjust the salt and/or pepper, as needed.

If you're serving the salad right away, dress it with some of the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Taste, and add more vinaigrette, as needed. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Shake to re-emulsify before using.