From
vinaigrettes to Caesar, salad is a dish can either be a side dish or a main course
depending on what you add to the mix.
And
because there are so many ways you can make a salad, there are also just as
many ways you can get it wrong. Here are a few guidelines on how you can make
the right salad for any occasion:
- Wash
the vegetables first. This applies whether you bought
them at the wet market or at the supermarket. Running them through water and
giving them a generous shake in the colander (sealed with aluminum foil) will
get rid of any debris in your greens that could ruin the salad.
- Make the dressing. Dressings are surprisingly easy to prepare. For instance, homemade vinaigrette is simply made of a ratio comprised of three parts oil to one part vinegar. You can even mix in mustard and honey to taste.
Once you start doing this, you’ll find that even the dressing will taste so much better when you make it yourself.
- Season
your greens! What makes restaurant salads stand out is the
seasoning. Even with greens, pro chefs make it a point to introduce a
sprinkling of salt and pepper to enhance the flavor.
- Mix
up the said greens. Aside from the seasoning, adding a
little variety in your veggies elevates the salad’s overall flavor as well. Fresh
herbs also count as greens in their own right, such as cilantro, parsley, and
basil, so try giving them a shot when looking for some diversity.
- Don’t
fear the fat. Fat doesn’t have to be wholly unhealthy. In fact, in
the right amounts, it can greatly enhance the flavor of your vegetable dish.
The best part about them is that they don’t even have to come from meat –
avocado, toasted nuts, and chees are all excellent flavor enhancers for your
leafy greens.
- Add the dressing last. It’s easy to forget the dressing when preparing the right combination of vegetable for your salad, but it’s just as important.
While
you have the choice of simply leaving on the side, you can always add it in
beforehand and distribute it to coat your greens evenly. The trick to keep them
from wilting is by adding them only just before you eat, and by adding only a
little at a time.
The
good news is that vegetables are cheap and easy in Singapore, and you can make
just about any salad you want depending on the occasion.
You
can even add all types of meat or dressing in your salad if you want – nobody
said they had to be healthy!