Iโm nearly 30 and, although I can whip up cooked meals with ease and confidence, I have nearly zero intuition when it comes to making a satisfying leafy salad. As a vegan, Iโve been subjected to many a sad, cold salad as the only vegan option at a restaurant, which has led me to kind of resent them, honestly. However, when I eat a lot of veggies, my skin is clearer, and I donโt get acid reflux before sleeping, so Iโm going to try to take care of myself by learning โsalad theoryโ.
By the end of this, I want to be able to:
- Understand how to create satisfying salads (tackling this today)
- Be able to discern why a specific salad works or doesnโt + identify what I could add to make it more satisfying
- Develop enough โsalad intuitionโ to confidently throw together salads from the dregs of my fridge as easily as Iโm able to cook
- Develop a core corpus of go-to salad recipes I actually crave and enjoy eating
Salad Formula
Starting off with a YouTube search, I found Nisha of Rainbow Plant Lifeโs video: My Formula for Fantastic Salads | healthy + vegan, which also comes in a free PDF version if you prefer to read or have a printout. Iโve summarize some of it in this blog post with many additions and suggestions from friends.
๐ฅฌ Make a salad base
Leafy greens like lettuce and kale are obvious (and should be seasoned directly with salt & pepper), but Nisha suggests making these more interesting by
- adding grains like farro, rice (brown or wild), barley
- adding lentils or beans
- omitting leafy veg entirely in favor of lentils, grains, fresh herbs, or blanched/marinated veg (ex: asparagus, green beans)
- mixing greens for contrast (soft greens like spinach with crunchier greens like napa cabbage)
๐ฅ Top with Textures
Consider the following textures for inspiration and interest:
- Crunchy - toasted nuts or seeds (or a blend like this spiced super seed salad topper), croutons, carrots, everything but the bagel seasoning
- Crispy - raw veg like cucumbers, snap peas, apple, red onion slices
- Creamy - avocado, dressing, roasted kabocha
- Chewy - dried fruits, roasted chickpeas, rice, farro, barley, roasted root veg, potato
- Misc - roasted corn, olives, grapes, fresh berries, pickled veg, marinated extra firm tofu, leftover instant noodle flavor packet
๐ง Pair dressings with greens
- For tough, hearty greens like raw kale or shaved brussel sprouts, Nisha recommends a creamy dressing with lemon.
- For tender or peppery greens like spinach or arugula, make a vinaigrette.
Four-Part Salad Dressing Formula
The most helpful guide I found was from Denise of AdultFoodAllergies.com:
- ๐ฅ Base - EVOO, sesame oil, chopped tomatoes, yogurt, mayo, silken tofu, avocado, cashew cream
- ๐ Acid - vinegar (red wine, rice wine, balsamic, apple cider), citrus (lemon, lime, orange), pickle juice
- ๐ Emulsifier - mustards, maple syrup, jam or fruit preserve, tahini, tomato paste
- ๐ถ Spice/Flavor - pepper, salt, sugar (dates), chili powders, grated or powdered garlic or ginger, fresh herbs (dill, parsley, cilantro, mint, scallions), dried herbs (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil), hot sauces, soy sauces
โ The Golden Ratio (Base:Acid)
- Conventional wisdom suggest a 3:1 ratio of Base to Acid
- Denise plays with a 1:2 ratio because she prefers her dressing โscreamingโ (acidic) Aside from this ratio, it seems like the exact measurements of dressing stuff is all to-taste, which works for me.
๐ค To return to dressing pairings, a creamy dressing might look like avocado + lemon, red wine vinegar + dijon mustard + black pepper, salt, grated garlic, fresh parsley. A vinaigrette for fresh spinach could be: EVOO, red wine vinegar, mustard, grated garlic, sugar, S&P, red pepper, and dried herbs. Without actually going into the kitchen to test, I canโt be sure those are decent dressings, but I feel like Iโm getting the hang of this? Iโll test one of them tomorrow if Iโm feeling better (currently fighting off a sinus infection) and can get to the grocery store. I am tempted to get a microplane, but there are plenty of salads I can make without one to start. If I end up wanting one later, Serious Eatsโs recommended this one.
๐ฅ A brief note on hot salads / cooked veg: they are entirely valid, but Iโm more comfortable cooking, so I wanted to focus on the raw, cold side of salads first. In researching this topic though, I did get a strong recommendation for this Warm Kale and Chickpea Salad by Bondi Harvest. Iโd also love to become more proficient at Chinese stir-fried veg because itโs so easy to add in some cheap tofu for a filling meal. Lucas Sin created a great technique video , which I will follow and veganize where needed. Hereโs a brief summary for completeness:
- Leafy greens - processed and cleaned
- Seasoning - salt, sugar, MSG
- Aromatics - garlic OR ginger
- not both usually to help showcase the greens
- smash garlic if you donโt want people to eat it, but just have the flavor
- Ripping hot pan - shimmering oil
If anyone has any other recommendations for salad recipes or resources, Iโm all ears, so please drop links in my guestbook or hit me up on Mastodon. Thanks in advance!