How to Toss a Salad
Choose a large bowl that is twice the size of your ingredients., Rinse and dry the lettuce well., Prepare your ingredients as specified in the recipe., Put the heaviest, bulkiest ingredients into the bowl first., Add the lettuce., Hold off on the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a large bowl that is twice the size of your ingredients.
This will give you enough room to move the salad around while tossing it.
Don't worry if it's not pretty; you can always move the salad to a nicer bowl or platter when you're done. -
Step 2: Rinse and dry the lettuce well.
Dressing will not stick to wet lettuce, so you'll have to make sure it is dry before you start tossing it.
Rinse the leaves with water, and then dry them in a salad spinner.
If you don't have a salad spinner, gently pat them dry with clean paper towels instead. , This might mean cutting or peeling the vegetables a certain way. , This includes things like tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers.
They will help spread the dressing around better if they are at the bottom.
They will also be less likely to bruise the lettuce.
Consider leaving some of the heavier ingredients for garnishing at the end.
If you are making a fruit salad, you can put everything in at once. , If this is a pasta salad, you can add the pasta at this point.
If you plan on adding herbs, save them until the very end. , If you are making the salad in advance, don't put the dressing in yet.
If you add the dressing in too soon, your salad will be soggy by the time you are ready to serve it., You will be adding the dressing bit by bit as you toss the salad.
This will keep you from using too much dressing.
It will also ensure that the dressing mixes into the salad evenly.
Too much dressing is not a good thing.
It will overpower the different flavors in the salad.
The dressing should just cover the lettuce, and not pool at the bottom. , If you don't mind getting dirty, you can also use your hands instead — just make sure that they are clean. , Lift some more salad from the bottom of the bowl, and bring it to the top a few more times. , Keep doing this until you have used up all your dressing for the recipe.
Plan on using about 2 to 4 tablespoons of dressing for every 4 cups of salad. , This will help their flavors really shine through. , Does it need more dressing? What about salt and pepper? , Don't let it sit too long, or the dressing will cause it to grow soggy. -
Step 3: Prepare your ingredients as specified in the recipe.
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Step 4: Put the heaviest
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Step 5: bulkiest ingredients into the bowl first.
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Step 6: Add the lettuce.
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Step 7: Hold off on the dressing until you are ready to serve the salad.
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Step 8: Pour a quarter of the dressing into the salad.
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Step 9: Use a pair of salad tongs to pick up some salad from the bottom of the bowl.
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Step 10: Drop the bits you just picked up on top of the salad.
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Step 11: Add a little bit more dressing
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Step 12: and toss the salad some more.
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Step 13: Add garnishes and herbs last.
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Step 14: Taste the salad and adjust it
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Step 15: if needed.
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Step 16: Serve the salad immediately.
Detailed Guide
This will give you enough room to move the salad around while tossing it.
Don't worry if it's not pretty; you can always move the salad to a nicer bowl or platter when you're done.
Dressing will not stick to wet lettuce, so you'll have to make sure it is dry before you start tossing it.
Rinse the leaves with water, and then dry them in a salad spinner.
If you don't have a salad spinner, gently pat them dry with clean paper towels instead. , This might mean cutting or peeling the vegetables a certain way. , This includes things like tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers.
They will help spread the dressing around better if they are at the bottom.
They will also be less likely to bruise the lettuce.
Consider leaving some of the heavier ingredients for garnishing at the end.
If you are making a fruit salad, you can put everything in at once. , If this is a pasta salad, you can add the pasta at this point.
If you plan on adding herbs, save them until the very end. , If you are making the salad in advance, don't put the dressing in yet.
If you add the dressing in too soon, your salad will be soggy by the time you are ready to serve it., You will be adding the dressing bit by bit as you toss the salad.
This will keep you from using too much dressing.
It will also ensure that the dressing mixes into the salad evenly.
Too much dressing is not a good thing.
It will overpower the different flavors in the salad.
The dressing should just cover the lettuce, and not pool at the bottom. , If you don't mind getting dirty, you can also use your hands instead — just make sure that they are clean. , Lift some more salad from the bottom of the bowl, and bring it to the top a few more times. , Keep doing this until you have used up all your dressing for the recipe.
Plan on using about 2 to 4 tablespoons of dressing for every 4 cups of salad. , This will help their flavors really shine through. , Does it need more dressing? What about salt and pepper? , Don't let it sit too long, or the dressing will cause it to grow soggy.
About the Author
Robert Coleman
Experienced content creator specializing in cooking guides and tutorials.
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