To think that a salad is to eat "grass" (or lettuce and other green leaves) is to ignore the full potential of this dish that can be both a starter, a garnish or a main dish.
Pasta, potatoes, legumes, rice and even fruits are great allies
to enhance the flavor and color of this fresh, healthy and light meal that is perfect for summer.
The salad can be cold, warm or hot, include meat or pasta, raw or cooked, vegan or vegetarian, enriched with crunchy textures... And of course it is
not enough to repeat the combination of vinegar and oil ad nauseam
: you always have to be well seasoned with some formula that gives it personality.
To encourage creativity and avoid the "I have nothing in the fridge", look
at the list of key ingredients that will highlight your preparations
, according to preferences.
Salads with roasted vegetables
Roasted vegetable salad, by Paco Almeida
Adding slices of grilled or baked eggplant, zucchini, carrot, pumpkin, or sweet potato, for example, makes it possible to make a warm dish.
Mixing them with a cushion of green leaves makes a great salad.
Look at the step by step of the
pasta salad and roasted vegetables
Look at the step by step of the
roasted vegetable salad
salads with fruits
Strawberry and avocado salad recipe.
Photo: @nutriciondossantos
Do you dare to eat them in salty dishes?
The best fruits to incorporate are those with juice, the freshest.
Most go very well with arugula and even with the bitterness of radicheta.
By providing a sweet touch of its own, it is not recommended to combine the fruit with a preparation where the vegetable also adds sweetness, such as beets or caramelized onions.
Try these combinations: strawberries and avocado;
peach and spinach;
grapefruit or blueberries and arugula: apple and hearts of palm;
pear and blue cheese.
Look at the step by step of the
strawberry and avocado salad
Look at the step by step of the
peach and spinach salad
Look at the step by step of the
Waldorf salad
Look at the step by step of the
warm pear salad
Watch the step by step of the
peach, arugula and feta cheese salad
Watch the step by step of the
watermelon, cucumber and feta cheese salad
salads with pasta
Salads with cold pasta.
Photo: Fernando de la Orden
Short pasta, such as penne or fusilli, are indicated.
So that unnecessary stickiness is not generated, they should be
cooked al dente
and when removing them from the boiling water, pass them through a bath of ice water.
In this way its cooking is cut and the shape and texture of the pasta is maintained.
They provide carbohydrates, which generates a greater feeling of satiety when eating them.
Look at the step by step of the
Club Salad salad
Look at the step by step of the
Mediterranean pasta salad
Watch the step by step of the
asparagus and orechiette salad
Look at the step by step of the
caprese salad
Look at the step by step of the
vegetable salad and cold pasta
Look at the step by step of the
low calorie pasta salad
Salads with vegetables, meats and cold cuts
Caprese salad recipe.
To the chosen vegetables
you can add strips of chicken, pork or grilled beef
.
Also, sliced cold cuts and even offal such as crispy sweetbreads or slices of chorizo.
Important fact: for us to call them "salads" vegetables must predominate.
Look at the step by step of the
Caesar salad in a basket
Watch the step by step of the
asparagus and ham salad
Look at the step by step of the
salad with gizzards
Look at the step by step of the
chicken and pumpkin salad
Look at the step by step of the
potato and salmon salad
Look at the step by step of the
potato and bacon salad
salads with legumes
Legumes can be used in stews or salads.
They provide a lot of fiber, satiety and are a source of vegetable protein.
Besides,
they are cheap and very versatile.
Use lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas, among others.
It is advisable to leave them to soak overnight before cooking.
On the other hand, if you buy and cook them, this step is not necessary.
Look at the step by step of the
salad with lentils
Look at the step by step of the
beetroot and bean salad
Watch the step by step of the
spinach salad with tandoori chickpeas
Salads with rice, quinoa, croutons and other ingredients
Salad with cous cous, from Benaim
Who has not eaten a salad with rice?
That little pot that was left over turns into a salad flower in a jiffy.
The integral provides fiber, while among the white grains, the parboils are recommended, which do not contain much starch.
If a type of rice other than those mentioned is used, it is necessary to wash it under running water to remove excess starch.
And then, cut the cooking with ice water.
There are also pseudocereals, flower seeds with nutritional properties similar to those of cereals.
There are several types, the best known being quinoa,
amaranth and buckwheat
.
They are great in salads, as well as cous cous which, in addition to being rich, is prepared in a few minutes.
Look at the step by step of the
israeli salad
Look at the step by step of the
Florentine salad
Look at the step by step of the
brown rice salad
Look at the step by step of the
tabbouleh salad
Look at the step by step of the
quinoa salad
Look at the step by step of the
quinoa and egg salad
Look at the step by step of the
tuna rice salad
Classic vinaigrette recipe.
Photo: Shutterstock
Dressings: keys to enhance the flavor of salads
The
dressings
are responsible for uniting the ingredients and enhancing their flavor.
A good vinaigrette completes the dish, but you can also add honey, lemon zest, mustard, fresh or dried herbs, spicy herbs, natural yogurt, lightened white cheese, cream... and even homemade croutons.
The limit is the sky…of what we have in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Look at all the salad recipes from Clarín Recipes
Doubts or comments?
Write to us at
recetas@clarin.com
or follow me on Instagram at @gimecocina.
look also
Avocado: how to store it so it doesn't turn black and the benefits of consuming one a day
Basil: the best pesto recipes and how to store it so that it is always fresh