10 Delicious and Surprising Salad Recipes

Raise the (salad) bar! With these crisp combos, it’s easy to add greens to every meal.
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1 of 12

Boston Lettuce Salad With Herbs and Toasted Almonds

Con Poulos

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2 of 12

Watercress Salad With Beets and Feta

Con Poulos

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3 of 12

Romaine Salad With Tomatoes and Bacon

Con Poulos

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4 of 12

Mesclun Salad With Chickpeas and Dried Cherries

Con Poulos

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5 of 12

Arugula Salad With Green Beans and Radishes

Con Poulos

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6 of 12

Spinach Salad With Avocado and Peppers

Con Poulos

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7 of 12

Greens with Quick Artichoke Vinaigrette

Marcus Nilsson

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8 of 12

Lettuce, Orange, and Pecan Salad

Maura McEvoy

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9 of 12

Spinach Salad With Warm Onions and Crispy Salami

Anna Williams

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10 of 12

Tender Greens With Champagne Vinaigrette

Marcus Nilsson

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11 of 12

Three Steps to a Perfect Salad

Melanie Acevedo

1. Clean and dry greens well. The best way to do this is to break out your salad spinner and use this technique: Fill it with cold water, add greens to the basket (figure on 1½ cups of greens per person for a first course or a side salad), and swish around. Lift out the basket (and greens), dump the water, and repeat until the water is grit-free. Spin the greens until thoroughly dry (in batches, if necessary). Excess moisture dilutes the dressing.

2. Dress greens just before serving. Do it too soon and the leaves will wilt. Toss in just a little dressing at a time (if you’re using homemade and it has solidified in the refrigerator, run the jar under hot water before pouring it in). The greens should be nicely coated. If the dressing is pooling in the bowl, you’ve gone too far.

3. Add delicate ingredients last. Place items like sliced avocado and hard-boiled eggs gently on top of a dressed salad. If tossed, they may fall apart.


 

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