How to Create the Perfect Salad: The JC’s Formula
When it comes to making the perfect salad, we think there’s a formula to making a salad dish that truly stands out. While salads may take considerably less time to prepare than conventional meals, this formula will help get you on the right track to creating something with just as much “wow” factor that the whole family will love.
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Start with the base
Every salad needs a great base to act as the bedrock of all the flavours and textures soon to follow. With this is mind, you’ll need to start off with leafy greens that won’t over power your added toppings. Why not get the ball rolling with loose spinach leaves, iceberg lettuce or a mesclun salad mix to provide a base that’s 100% nutritious and ready to be dressed with some amazing additions.
Find something salty
The next step is in adding something salty to your bed of leaves in order to add flavour to the dish. A great way to make sure you’re not adding too much salt is by lightly dressing the salad with a salty sauce of your choice or even adding pieces of cheese with a dash of olive oil, ensuring the salad doesn’t go dry and still has a flavour kick. You may also find a great alternative in J.C’s Salted Mixed Nuts or cured meats like prosciutto or bacon bits.
Add something sweet
If you’ve ever watched a fancy chef create a world class dish, you’ll know that there’s always an emphasis on balancing sweet and salty. We reckon this works too in making a world class salad. A great sweet addition would be to include fruits. Thinly sliced J.C’s Figs are always a great choice to add freshness to the salad without being overwhelmingly sweet. You may also want to try green grapes which have a bit of tart sweetness or even apples for that added crunchy texture.
Add something soft
The next ingredient to add to the mix is something soft. We’ve already mentioned cheese in the ‘salty section’ so why not kill two birds with one stone by adding a soft and salty brie cheese to your salad. You can also opt for chunked tuna or seared salmon to get that added protein into your meal, or even avocado which is also rich in essential fatty acids for brain health.
Add something crunchy
The piece de resistance of any well thought out dish. We reckon there’s nothing more wonderful than biting into a portion of salad and experiencing the perfect crunch. A good crunch will create dynamic texture to your dish. A particular favourite we often use to achieve this are our Walnuts or Almonds. Not only are these nuts an excellent alternative to harder nuts, but walnuts are full of omega-3’s and antioxidants that are great for your overall health. If you’re after something with a stronger bite opt for Dry Roasted Almonds or use Pine Nuts for an even softer crunch. We always recommend lightly roasting nuts for enhanced aroma and flavour!
Consider a splash of colour
With all the textures and flavours mastered, why not add to the aesthetic of your salad to wow your guests? Ensure that you’re using the freshest ingredients to capture the vibrancy of each component and plan out what items would look visually pleasing next to each other.
Shop with us for healthy ingredients
To bring all of these amazing recipe ideas to life, shop online with J.C.’s Quality Foods. We pride ourselves on supporting Aussie households and will always be there to meet your need for delicious and healthy products. Contact our friendly team to find out more.
Don’t forget to tag us on social media if you create any of our nutty recipes. We’d love to see them!