Hearty Main-Course Salads

You bet it can! But we’re not talking about a sad pile of leaves here: an entree salad should have heft, whether from animal protein like chicken or fish, or vegetarian options like canned beans or lean cheese. Think about all the components you’d usually expect in a meal, and each can probably be translated to salad form. A side of bread becomes crunchy croutons, a handful of nuts or seeds morphs into tahini dressing or a spiced pecan sprinkle, and a cheese course transforms into lacy frico crumbles strewn over your greens. Even steak has a place in main-course salads—check out the recipe lesson on Steak Salad with Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette.

For any dish to come alive you need a balance of fat, acid, and salt, and if your salads are tasting flat chances are you’re falling short on the latter two. When it comes to a dressing make sure you’re tasting and seasoning before adding it to your salad; it should taste quite tart and slightly too salty, which will translate to perfectly seasoned once it’s coating all the ingredients in the bowl. Once you’ve perfected your vinaigrette, think about other ways to incorporate brightness into the mix: pickled vegetables or fruit add a bright, sharp note and can cut through the richness of creamy dressings and ingredients like cheese or avocado. Try quick pickled onions, giardiniera, or the pickled cauliflower in the recipe lesson for Hearty Green Salad in this class.

Understandable! But so many of the components can be made ahead (or whipped up super-quickly) so when it’s dinner time all you have to do is assemble and serve. Our Make-Ahead Vinaigrette stays bright and balanced for up to a week in the fridge; proteins like our Poached Chicken Breasts can be cooled and refrigerated for a few days, and vegetarian proteins like canned beans and jarred feta cheese are things you can always have on hand. Making a big batch of grains, like farro or quinoa, at the beginning of the week means they’re ready to go when you are, and you can often make use of your microwave to zap ingredients that would usually be long-cooking—did you know you can “roast” beets in there? Check out the Salmon Salad recipe lesson in this class to learn how.

It sure is! When it comes to vegan salads, canned beans are your best friend, but that doesn’t mean just opening a can and slopping some legumes onto your plate; think of the beans as a blank canvas for different flavors and textures. You can marinate cannellini beans to infuse them with flavor, crisp up chickpeas in the oven and coat them with spices, or mash black beans, form them into patties, and fry them up in a skillet. For a satisfying vegetarian option, how about a seared piece of cheese? Yup, with certain types of cheese (like the halloumi we sear in this class) you can throw slices in a pan and brown them (or grill them) creating a satisfying, crisp, warm piece of protein for your salad.