The Perfect Green Salad
The Perfect Green Salad
To make the perfect green salad, start out by choosing the freshest healthiest ingredients as possible, preferably organically grown. Then follow the instructions meticulously. The amounts are not as important as the other details in the instructions.
Assemble all your tools: sharp knife, peeler, cutting board, salad spinner, large wooden salad serving bowl, several individual salad plates or bowls.
Assemble all your ingredients. Do not use all the ones listed. Pick one or a few from each category and save some of the other ingredients for variety for the next time.
Ingredients:
Greens: any fresh lettuce other than iceberg (romaine, ruby, endive, bibb)
Other greens: dandelion leaves, watercress, Chinese cabbage, spinach, parsley, beet greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, cabbage
Crunchy vegetables, sliced or chopped: tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, cucumber, radishes, carrots, onions, raw zucchini, frozen peas, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, raw zucchini, mushrooms, raw summer squash
Other: cooked chick peas, hulled sunflower seeds, shredded cheese, leftover cooked meats, poultry or fish, walnuts, almonds, raisins, apples, pineapple
Garnishes: sliced black olives, sliced avocados, chopped hard-cooked eggs, bits of bacon, alfalfa sprouts, chives, lemon wedges, sliced water chestnuts, croutons
Dressing ingredients: garlic cloves, dry herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, celery seed, rosemary; extra virgin olive oil; vinegar, lemon juice or lime juice; Tabasco, Worcestershire or dry mustard; do not mix these all together ahead of time!
Instructions:
Set individual salad plates or bowls in refrigerator to chill.
Rub garlic clove and other herbs into the wooden serving bowl.
Wash all greens and vegetables in cold water. Rinse and drain. Spin leafy greens in salad spinner to remove all water. Dry other vegetables thoroughly. Getting all the water off the vegetables is important. Store unused vegetables in plastic bags in refrigerator immediately.
If you haven’t already done so when assembling ingredients, peel, slice and chop vegetables as needed. Tear lettuce leaves by hand into bite-sized pieces.
Place washed, torn and spun leafy greens into the serving bowl. Add in desired varieties and amounts of other greens, crunchy vegetables and other items (other than garnishes or dressing ingredients).
No earlier than 10 minutes before serving add in 1-3 T. of olive oil (for a salad of 4 servings). Toss 15-30 times (longer for less oil) until all surfaces are covered with oil.
Then add in 1-3 T. of vinegar or citrus juice, and other desired flavorings for the dressing, including salt and pepper if desired.
Toss 10-12 times. Than add on top any garnishes that you want.
Preferably serve immediately on prechilled plates or bowls or put in refrigerator until serving time.