HOMEMADE SALADS FOR LUNCH RECIPES

A classic green salad—one featuring crisp lettuces and a few raw, seasonal vegetables, tossed with a barely-there vinaigrette—instantly elevates any meal. The trick to serving a properly dressed, but not wilting, salad is in the technique in which you build the salad, starting with the dressing, in a large wooden salad bowl. (We’re partial to this satiny black walnut one from Andrew Pearce, but any wooden bowl broad enough for you to toss and mix in without fly-aways will do.) Begin with the acids: For balance, use at least two vinegars or citrus juices. Then add a drizzle of honey or a pinch of sugar—the sweetness will help to balance the acids’ bite. Finally, rapidly incorporate the oil (for best flavor, use a mix, such as grapeseed plus a good olive oil or a nut oil, such as walnut) to form an emulsion. A properly emulsified vinaigrette will suspend the acid and seasonings in the oil, coating each leaf of lettuce without weighing it down. Toss just before serving, keeping the lettuces separate by crossing tongs in bowl over vegetables until ready to eat.

Provided by Mary-Frances Heck

Categories     Salads

Total Time 10 minutes

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 12

• Ingredients

When a friend shared this salad recipe, it had a fancy French name. Our children can never remember it, so they say, "Mom, please make 'that good salad.'" Now our friends and neighbors request it for potluck dinners. It really is one of the best salad recipes. —Betty Lamb, Orem, Utah

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Lunch

Total Time 20 minutes

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Yield 14 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 12

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : Calories 193 calories, FatContent 17g fat (4g saturated fat), CholesterolContent 13mg cholesterol, SodiumContent 257mg sodium, CarbohydrateContent 5g carbohydrate (1g sugars, FiberContent 1g fiber), ProteinContent 6g protein.