Try Some Fresh Ideas for Fanciful Exotic Salads For Everyone
If your salads are becoming a little mundane lately, we’ve got some good ideas on how to spruce up the greens you’re eating for good health. Check out these fanciful salads that boost your enthusiasm for eating right and enjoy the crunch of some good greens for the warmer months ahead.
Proteins Give Salads Robust Flavor
Most salads have the right basic ingredients; they just need a little kick now and then to make them truly scrumptious. One way to add a powerful punch to your salad is to include some protein, namely in the form of seafood, meats, beans, or other protein sources that make a meal out of your salad plate.
Try some salad shrimp, canned sockeye salmon or tuna in water (drained, of course). Maybe some black or refried beans for a Mexican twist will do. Grilled chicken strips or steak isn’t out of the question, and adds a smoky, savory flavor to the best of dressing you decide on.
Cheese is another good protein source for salads, and there’s no need to settle for standard shredded varieties you find in the supermarket, either. Toss in some pan-fried goat cheese with pine nuts for a double dose of protein power. Ricotta, Blue Cheese, and Feta cheese work similarly to offer robust flavor to the most basic salads you can think of.
Salad for Dessert?
Who says salads has to be the first course, instead of the last? Waldorf salad often includes a variety of fruits, including pineapple, cherries, dates, grapes, or apples. Ambrosia salad wouldn’t be the same with sliced oranges, blackberries, marshmallows, coconut, or maraschino cherries to make them sweet to eat.
Then there are true fruit salads that include anything from melons to berries, bananas, and cantaloupe, and a host of other fruits in between. Add some choice nuts like walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or almonds for an extra crunch that will blend well with a light vinaigrette or oil and vinegar dressing. A little cream cheese, whipped topping, or gelatin as a base works well too.
Go With Gourmet Greens
For a truly unique salad creation, you have to go deeper into the range of greens and exotic ingredients that will light up the eyes of guests who taste your best efforts.
Try mixing an eclectic green like endive or arugula with avocado, crabmeat, olives, and grapefruit, and don’t forget the hard-boiled eggs. Sprinkle a little nutmeg and cinnamon with some raisins and chopped apples and added a meat source like diced turkey. Go tropical with some mango, papaya, figs, or summer melons, adding the right compliment of spice like ginger, curry, or fresh mint.
Seeds and Sprouts: The Finishing Touch
No matter what you put in your salads, you’ll always want to have an eye-catching topping that completes a gourmet creation you can be proud of. The best choices are often seeds and sprouts, since they add texture and depth to all types of salads for all types of meals.
With seeds, you could go with unshelled sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, or sesame, milk thistle, or alfalfa seeds. With sprouts, you have mung bean sprouts, broccoli sprouts, and alfalfa, and there are even more exotic choices like radish and clover. These types of ingredients go well with vegan dishes like quinoa, tofu, tempeh, and jicama.
Fanciful salads are possible in any household, and can be as varied as our fertile imaginations. If we take the time to seek out unique ingredients and incorporate a little experimentation, our conventions and resistance will no longer limit the wonderful, healthy greens we can enjoy.
|