How to Make A Fantastic Salad

Okay so, let’s face it: making a salad isn’t all that hard. Right? But for the longest time whenever I would make a salad at home, I just never got it quite right. My salads always turned out pretty bland and I never felt full. Here are some tips that I’ve learned to make a freaking amazing salad right at home – quick and easy!

1. Use baby spinach. – Nate and I love baby spinach, so this might be more of personal preference thing. But the regular ol’ iceberg lettuce isn’t all that great for you anyway, so try to upgrade to something a little more nutritious with more flavor!

2. Add Variety. – I love sweet and salty foods so I really enjoy mixing in fruits, veggies, nuts, olives, etc. In the salad shown above I have included: strawberries, raspberry, blueberries, tomatoes, grapes, carrots, broccoli, avocado, green olives, almonds, colby cheese, and 4 pieces of pepperoni! You should typically add a protein of some sort – chicken, pork, steak, beans, etc. I didn’t this time.

3. Everything in Moderation. – Don’t skip your favorite toppings! I love cheese and pepperoni. These aren’t the healthiest things to add in but I make sure to only add just a few pieces of each to satisfy that craving. You could always substitute a stronger tasting cheese in order to use less of it for the same amount of flavor.

4. Use a healthy homemade dressing. – Store bought dressings have all kinds of added ingredients in them, especially ones that boast that they are fat free. I really enjoy whipping up a fresh homemade dressing to go on my salads! You’re probably thinking that sounds way too complicated but I promise it’s not! See my absolute favorite salad dressing recipes below:

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1. Mix one part red wine vinegar with 2 parts olive oil.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Voila.

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1. Mix one part balsamic vinegar with 2 parts olive oil.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Voila.

Those are pretty easy, right? I’m sure there are a million other healthy salad dressing recipes on the internet but these are flavorful, easy, and mix well with the variety of stuff I put on my salads! That little bit of bite from the vinaigrette mixes so perfectly!

Do you make salads at home? Do you have a favorite homemade dressing recipe or a favorite “topping”? I’d love to hear it!