How To Make A Basic Salad At Home

This may sound ridiculous, but as someone who was raised on a steady diet of pre-packaged prepared foods, I'll be honest with you: I had no idea how to make a salad for the longest time. My efforts were, shall we say, "unsuccessful." It took me a while, and a lot of trial and error, before I mastered the art of making a simple salad that I enjoyed eating.

 

And if the sales of those pre-packaged all-in-one salad kits are any indication, I'm not the only one!

 

Most likely, this will be lettuce. You might be tempted to buy one of those bags of pre-cut, pre-washed lettuce. I won't judge! But I will say that I personally prefer to buy a head of Bibb, Red, or Green lettuce. The texture is more tender, and they are usually less bitter than the pre-packaged stuff.

 

Ask yourself, what do you enjoy at the salad bar? Personally I like to top my salads with shredded carrot (I shred it with a cheese grater), shredded cheese (ditto), and a handful of cherry tomatoes in season. Go nuts here - anything that strikes your fancy is worth a shot. 

 

If you need inspiration, find a salad bar and note the stuff that looks good to you. 

 

I like to add something crunchy and salty as a final later. This can be sesame seeds, croutons, or one of those nifty salad toppings they sell now. 

 

Cruise the dressing aisle and pick out something you will like. For now, avoid the stuff you think you SHOULD like. Along those lines, I recommend against lite or low-fat dressings. In my experience, it's not worth it.

 

The only non-obvious part of assembling your salad is preparing the lettuce. Tear off 3-5 leaves from the base, and give them a nice rinse under cold water. Pat or shake them dry, then stack them atop each other on your cutting board.

 

Slice the stack of leaves lengthwise at least once. Maybe 2-3 slices, if the leaves are very broad. 

 

Now rotate them (or rotate your cutting board) and cut across in the other direction. Your goal is to make strips of lettuce that are about an inch wide, and no more than 2-3 inches long. Any bigger, and they get clumsy to handle and difficult to eat.

 

Now top that bad boy and get to crunchin'!