7 Tips For A Great Salad 

Grilled Salmon And Mixed Greens Salad

In our household, salad isn’t just something served on the side, it’s a meal! After years of trying hundreds of various recipes, I’ve learned that a truly great salad doesn’t just come from a head of lettuce. It’s time to get creative.

Here are my 7 tips for preparing a great salad:

1. Use a variety of fresh lettuce, with different shapes and colors.

2. Include a protein such as fish, chicken, chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped thick, smoked bacon or prosciutto (tofu if you prefer meatless salads).

3. Add another vegetable or two—avocado chunks, red peppers, red onions, cucumbers, etc.

4. Add in nuts—we love both slivered almonds and praline sugared pecans.

5. Include fruit—dried cranberries or fresh strawberries and cherries are superb!

6. Garnish with cheese—shaved manchego, Parmigiano or clumps of gorgonzola/blue cheese or goat cheese.

7. Drizzle on a wonderful vinaigrette (homemade is best).

These are just the foundation of a superb mixed salad, and if you go by this list of ingredients, you can make adjustments for your own taste preferences.

With these demanding rules in mind, you can adjust according to what’s in your kitchen. In this case, here is a grilled salmon recipe.

Grilled Salmon and Mixed Greens Salad

Ingredients

• 1 salmon filet, grilled
• 2 cups mixed greens lettuce
• ¼ red grapefruit, sectioned and cut in half
• ½ avocado, cubed
• ¼ dried cranberries
• ¼ cup praline pecans
• 2 Tbsp. shaved Manchego cheese
• Vinaigrette of choice

Instructions

• Grill salmon.
• While salmon is grilling, place a nice bed of lettuce on salad plates.
• Place grapefruit and salmon on top of lettuce.
• Sprinkle dried cranberries, praline pecans, and shaved cheese all over the salad.
• Drizzle vinaigrette of choice on top of salad.

Roz has more to say about salad fixings:

https://www.italianbellavita.com/2015/01/7-tips-great-salad-grilled-salmon-mixed-greens-salad/