A great salad can be achieved using a few simple tips.   It all comes down to your choice of greens, toppings, dressing and the amount of dressing.

Over the years, I have made a lot of salads (really, a lot).   With all of the experiments, I mixed several ingredients and flavors.   I have my favorites but it is really personal preference.  For instance: I enjoy a lot of vignettes, others may prefer something more creamy.

Greens

Consider your greens, don’t go for the Iceberg lettuce.   The watery tastelessness is just kind of boring.   I prefer a combination of greens, each one has it’s own character.

• Kale adds a nice flavor and a great texture.   Earthy and slightly spicy.
• Dandelion greens have an nutty, earthy flavor with a bit of bitterness.
• Arugula is little peppery with a touch of bitterness.
• Spring Mix is an amazing choice, a fantastic mix of greens.
• Butter Lettuce or Bibb Lettuce is easy to find, it makes a great base for a salad.
• Romaine lettuce is very versatile, not as plain as Iceberg but constant concern of E. Coli makes it difficult to enjoy.
• Red Leaf and Green Leaf Lettuces are my favorite.   Subtle flavors with a beautiful texture.
• Escarole has a slightly bitter flavor with hearty leaves, it goes really well with rich or fatty toppings.
• Spinach has a subtle earthy flavor, also one of my favorites. It make a great bed for warm ingredients.

The amount of dressing you use will also play a roll in the enjoyment of your salad.   The flavors of the toppings should not be covered up by the dressing.

Try adding a little Kale, it really compliments other greens. I like to chop Kale into small pieces.   This makes the tough leaves easier to chew. Remember to remove the rib, it is not tasty in a salad.

Try mixing a few greens for improved textures and flavors.

Dressing

Dress your salad before you add the toppings.   The secret to dressing, is to evenly coat the greens.   I know many people like a lot of dressing but trust me, try it this way a couple of times.   I like to add the dressing to the bottom of a mixing bowl and then add the greens on the top.   From here, you can use a few methods to coat the greens with the dressing.   I like to use two forks, one per hand.   Just toss the salad by pulling the greens from the bottom to the top.   Do this until the the greens have thin coating of dressing.

Tip: If there is still a lot of dressing on the bottom of bowl: transfer the greens to another bowl.   Do not transfer the leaves sitting in the pool of dressing.

I like to make dressings, you will find recipes on this site.   I will post more as I make them.

Toppings

You should be able to taste your toppings.   Let each topping flavor add their own quality by not coating it with dressing.   I like to put the toppings on the salad after it is dressed.

I love to use: nuts, seeds, dried fruit, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables for toppings.   My toppings are usually chose based on what I have on hand and the dressing I am craving.   My favorites are roasted pumpkin seeds, blueberries, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, raisins and chickpeas.

Experiment yourself

Add 2 tbsp vinaigrette dressing to the bottom of a large bowl.
Add 2 cups of Green or Red Leaf lettuces.
Add 1/4 cup chopped Kale.
Add 1/4 cup Arugula.

Use two forks to pull the greens from the bottom of the bowl to the top.
Do this constantly for 30 – 60 seconds.

Top with:
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds.
1 tbsp sunflower seeds.
1 tbsp crushed pecans.
1 tbsp raisins.