Salad You’re Actually Excited to Eat!

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Do you want to know how to make salad taste good?

Most all of the time, when my husband and I go out to eat, we usually avoid ordering an entrée salad. The reason for this is because 95% of the time we end up looking at each other and saying, “We could have made better”. And the sad part is we just paid a lot of money for a salad that was sub-par and we could have made it for a fraction of the cost at home.

Why is it that so many salads miss the mark?

I think the reason that salads get such a bad rep is that when most people think of a salad, what usually comes to mind is rabbit food, lettuce, a handful of watery vegetables and if you’re lucky, a couple of croutons coated in unnaturally orange dressing.

Okay, maybe not everyone thinks this way when they think of a salad, but I will tell you this much, in my house, we take salads seriously.

Benefits of eating more salads

• Salads are a great way to get the good stuff in, and help move the bad stuff out (ahem, get your digestive system working). Think of all the greens and fiber as scrub brushes sweeping the trash right out of your intestines
• They are inexpensive to make
• They are a great way to use up odds and ends in your refrigerator (yay, less food waste!)
• They’re super healthy and nutrient-dense
• And yes, they are delicious too.

At least they can be.

I want to let you know the system we have for building epic salads, including a few of my go-to salad dressing recipes (plus a few of my favorite bloggers’ recipes).

I promise you that after reading this, you will not be caught hanging around with any boring salads ever again, my friend.

How to make a salad taste good: here are the must-have pieces to the epic salad puzzle. Don’t skip any categories, trust me. I have left a thing or two out from time to time, and the salad absolutely falls flat.

Leaves

Obviously in a salad you’re going to need some leaves. However, skip the iceburg. Go for something a little heartier. Something a little more “green”. Pick one of the following:

• kale
• arugula
• spring mix
• romaine
• spinach
• mesclun
• butterhead lettuce

Vegetables

Here is your opportunity to be a food waste hero! Rescue those veggies that are on their way out. The following are just a few of the options you could throw on your salad:

• carrots
• celery
• bell peppers
• pepperoncini
• broccoli
• cucumbers
• tomatoes (well, their technically a fruit, but I’m putting them here…)
• mushrooms
• radishes
• green onion
• red onion
• sprouts

Fruit

Easily my kiddos favorite part of a salad. And yes, they eat salad too!

• berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
• apples
• grapes
• raisins
• clementine slices
• cherries
• watermelon cubes

Protein

This is a super important piece of the salad puzzle if you want to stay full for more than a second. Whether you eat meat or you don’t, there are always protein options!

• beef
• chicken
• fish
• pork
• sausage
• homemade beans
• hardboiled eggs
• fried eggs
• any protein leftover from last night

Fat

Fat is the other important category that is going to make a big difference in whether you stay satiated or not. Don’t skip the fat!

• Olives
• Avocado
• Feta
• Goat cheese

Texture Boosters

I love crunch on my salads, so I always add something crunchy, but adding some quinoa on top of my salad has been known to happen from time to time as well.

• nuts (roasted almonds and pecans are my favorites)
• seeds (raw pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are my favorites)
• crushed up corn tortilla chips (I love saving the crumbly pieces left over at the bottom of the bag for salad topping)
• crushed crispy bacon
• homemade croutons
• roasted chickpeas
• quinoa
• wild rice

Dressings

Dressings are a key component in how to make a salad taste good. Here are my tried and true go-to dressings that I use daily.

Vinaigrette 3 Ways

For balsamic, use balsamic vinegar. This is more of a bold, creamy, and slightly sweet dressing. It goes great with any salads that have fruit on it, and as you read about, all of mine do! This is the one I made probably 75% of the time.

For an apple cider vinaigrette, use acv in place of vinegar. This is lighter, and slightly tangy.

For a white wine vinaigrette, use white wine vinegar. This vinaigrette is much more mild and mellow. Great for more delicate flavored salads.

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 T grainy mustard
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1 t minced garlic (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

lemon and garlic dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1-2 t honey
• 1/2 t chopped garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

For all dressings, combine in a mason jar and use a hand blender to incorporate ingredients into a smooth consistency. I store my dressings in a mason jar with this lid.

Bonus dressing:

When we make taco salad, I usually top the salad with my favorite salad and a swirl around the bowl of olive oil.

Check out a few of these salad dressings from some of my favorite bloggers:

• Easy Green Goddess Dressing
• Dump Ranch: an amazing dairy-free (but not vegan, it has eggs) ranch dressing. So good!
• Basil Lime Vinaigrette
• Blue Cheese Dressing

Please let me how you make your salad taste good in the comments below!! What are your must-have salad toppers? I am always looking for new combinations!

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