Are you craving for a homemade salad which is nutritious as well as simple to make? Let us discuss on how to make a salad which will be enjoyed even by the picky eaters. It is not that difficult to toss up a meal at home.
Choosing lettuce and greens
Choose lettuce leaves and greens. The lettuce leaves should be tender. Wash them well. Romaine, red tipped lettuce, iceberg are some of the options. Tear them and then rinse them with cold water. Pat them dry. For greens, you can choose arugula, spinach, mustard greens. In a bowl mix these together.
Assembling vegetables
For an exotic flavor, use crunchy vegetables such as carrots, celery, and kohlrabi. Chop them into small pieces and toss them together. Add very thinly sliced carrots and squash or grate them finely so that you can digest easily. You can also add a zing to your raw greens by mixing pickled vegetables such as English cucumbers, radishes or julienned carrots.
Adding meat
To get a protein based meal, add chopped pieces of meat of your choice. For low-fat options choose turkey, chicken or any other meat. If you have any pre-cooked meat from leftover meals, dice them into tiny cubes and toss it.
Meat-free salad
For nonmeat lovers you may consider tofu, orzo or quinoa are some healthy options. Orzo is delicious pasta which can be adapted in salads quickly. Quinoa is loaded with proteins and is perfect for people who follow a gluten-free diet.
Incorporate flavor boosters through nuts
To achieve that crunchy taste, add some nuts instead of bread croutons. Pine nuts, pistachios, cashew nuts, roasted peanuts, almonds are an excellent way to enhance flavor. They are a good source of healthy oil, fiber, and protein. Sometimes they are candied for a sweet touch and sometimes salted to render a savory touch.
Salad dressing
Prepare an easy vinaigrette dressing with some oil, acid, and seasonings. Mix extra virgin olive oil, few drops of lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper. You may substitute olive oil with canola oil, avocado oil, peanut oil. However, in that case, you will miss out on the strong olive flavor. An excellent choice for acid is balsamic vinegar. Drizzle this on the bed of salad.
Personalize it
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Now add your favorite dressing. Serve your quick and easy meal. This is quite a healthy option. You may always personalize it by using different ingredients. The possibilities of customizing this salad are endless.
