It has taken a decade of exploration for me to understand why an assortment of vegetables served cold with a dressing, holds such an emotional charge. I don’t remember initiating our relationship but I do remember when I chose to start seeing salad on a regular basis.
Worried about creating, and maintaining an identity as the thin one. I spent my teenage years forcing a connection to salad as a virtue signal to myself, as a way of affirming my personal choices. I wanted to be perceived as healthy (ie desirable), but the truth is I was serving myself an unhealthy helping of negative self-talk.
Necessity may be the mother to many inventions, but she is also the grandmother to curiosity and growth. I began shifting away from going through the motions of eating salad when I became a farmhand and suddenly found myself being partially paid in lettuce.
I busied myself with absorbing coworker’s dressing recipes, and tips on how to layer leafy greens. All the while I was completely unaware that I was recording over my internal tape deck labeled “salad’s greatest hits”. By developing relationships with people and connecting over salad techniques, I was able to change my internal tape and hear positivity when I consumed salad.
This, dear reader, is what I am inviting you to explore today. You don’t need to grow your own food to pause and notice what is on your salad soundtrack. This week I encourage you to invest time in bringing your awareness to the tracks on your tape deck. It may take more than one try, you may need to make (or order) a salad alone so that you can hear yourself.
Self-inquiry and understanding our personal food stories is the key to renegotiating how we relate to what we eat. I am now equipped to enjoy and find nourishment in a salad on a regular basis, but it took practice. I would love to hear from you and support you in your food journey. What is on your salad soundtrack?
Realizing that salad construction is a skill changed my life. With this nugget of information, I was able to offer myself kindness as I leaned into developing a new skill. This granted me permission to be vulnerable and open to the learning process. After years of shaking up combinations in mason jars, I have come to understand that there is one big decision and three main components to making salad dressing.
Sweet or Savory
Depending on your desires, a salad dressing will have a sweet or savory lean. On the sweet side, we have peanut sauce, honey mustard, and a strawberry or orange vinaigrette. On team savory, we welcome miso with ginger and sesame, classic italian, and a creamy caesar dressing.
Deciding where your dressing sits on the sweet/savory spectrum will help guide you toward choosing ingredients that support your desired outcome. If you prefer to make dressings from recipes, I encourage you to begin noticing where those dressings sit on the sweet/savory spectrum and what ingredients help it get there.
The Pillars
Fat
The most commonly used fat in my salad dressings is extra virgin olive oil, but I do sometimes make mayo, cashew, or nut-based dressings. When considering the fat base to your dressing do take a moment to think about your completed salad and any sources of fat that may be present. Will you be adding avocado, hard-boiled eggs, or serving it beside a fatty fish fillet? If the answer is yes, avoid rich fats such as nuts or dairy.
When in doubt, keep it simple. A good olive oil, parmesan, lemon, and a crack of pepper may be all you need!
Acid
Your source of acid is what gives your salad dressing a spark. The most common sources of acid are citrus and vinegar. Depending on the recipe, you may use the same acidic ingredient in both a sweet or savory dressing. I find it is helpful to have rough labels for whether or not an ingredient is sweet or savory, but these parameters are simply guidelines.
For sweet dressings, you may use red or white balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or a medley of citrus juice. For savory dressings reach for white vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar, lemon, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.
A common ratio is three parts oil to one part acid. Start out light, you can always add more. You may also consider adding a tablespoon of hot water to smooth the edge of your dressing and wake up the aromatics.
Aromatics
This is where you impart flavor and bring together your ingredients into a dressing. Aromatics in a sweet dressing may include honey, orange or grapefruit juice, shallots, chives or chive blossoms, yellow mustard, lemon thyme, or sweet pickled ginger. For savory dressings, you may pull in black or white pepper, chili oil, an herb medley, tamari, sesame, dijon mustard, stone-ground mustard, or anchovies.
When pulling in aromatics, be intentional with your salt. If you are serving a salad garnished with salty cheese such as feta, or your salad is to serve as a repose to a rich meal, undersalt your dressing. Your palate and your belly will thank you.
One more thing…
It is common for homemade salad dressing to separate and firm up in the refrigerator. This is because most home-crafted dressings lack emulsifiers. If this happens to your dressing know that it is fine. Remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before you intend to use it. Shake vigorously before serving.