The best salad ever

This is a simple guide of tips and tricks for making the perfect yet simple mixed salad. Use whatever greens, veggies and toppings you want, but let this guide make your salad taste restaurant worthy. This methodology was taken from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen.

Steps towards the perfect salad:

A wooden spoon is recommended because it absorbs and spreads the flavors throughout. Rub with an open clove of garlic before using.

1. Rinse, DRY, and chop up greens of your choice. I used sweet potato leaves, fresh spinach leaves, and kale. Other healthy greens I love to use include collards, swiss chard, lemon sorrel, romaine, etc. The darker = the more nutrients. Add into a large salad bowl.

2. Add washed and chopped veggies that are HARD. This includes, carrots (try them in assorted colors for extra color!- organic yellow, orange and purple), onions, celery, broccoli/cauliflower florets, bell peppers, radishes, beets, etc.

3. Add 1-3 tablespoons of any or a combination of these oils: peanut, safflower, olive. Mix well.

4. Add some herbs of your choice (about a small handful or less if fresh, less than that if dried). Choose from any combo of these, plus others you may have on hand: basil, thyme, oregano, dill, chives, mint, parsley and others.

5. Add 2-4 tablespoons of vinegar and/or fresh lemon or lime juice and toss well. Vinegar always should be added AFTER the oil, because oil only sticks to dry veggies and vinegar only sticks to greens and herbs once oil is added.

4. Add sliced or diced tomatoes and softer veggies, such as cucumbers and fruits such as apples, pears and strawberries if you like a little sweetness to your salad. I like to scrape cucumber in sections, leaving the skin in lines down the sides, creating a pattern on them once chopped up. Get creative with your presentation. Also try to add a variety of colored veggies for a beautiful salad.

5. Top with garnishments such as sprouts (my favorite!), dried fruit, grated veggies, croutons, cheese if you eat dairy, (pecan parmesan or nutritional yeast if you don't) etc. For an extra boost of plant based protein add nuts, seeds, sliced avocado or canned beans/chic peas (rinsed well and dried first).

6. Enjoy!

Here's some more examples of some mixed colorful salads I've made using these steps. Never be bored by the same old salad again! :)