A simple Chefs trick

can make even the simplest most basic salad SHINE.

Sure, salads can be quite boring, but an amazing one can be mind-altering and makes you want to go back for more. There are times I'm sure that have crossed your mind like, "Wow, I didn't know that lettuce could taste like that, so crisp, so juicy and full of natural sweetness". A powerful salad can come from its simplicity.

That does not mean effortless.

When it comes to making a great salad, knowing which items to suppress is as important as knowing which ones to pull.

If you can make the simplest things shine, then it bodes well for everything else

Each leaf has its own integrity, flavor, and composition. Which is why it is important when you're making a salad to try the different leaves as you go. Careful consideration is essential to finding the right dressing. By mixing and matching, you can really curate the kind of flavor and texture profiles that you are looking for.

Try washing the vegetables and let them chill in wide containers in the fridge so they are not piled on top of one another. This way they can dry effectively and become extra crunchy and chill when you serve them. This is a simple but powerful extra step to elevate your salads at home. So after washing and drying your greens, just pop them in the fridge and cover them with a tea towel, keep them chilled until right before you're ready to dress them. While they dry, you can continue prepping the rest of dinner. By the time everything has cooked, your salad leaves will be crispier than crisp and cooler than cool.

On dressing: The keyword here is slicked, not drowned. One of the most common errors home cooks make with salad is by overdressing it. (As someone who has overdone their salads before, trust me) you will just end up with a pile of soggy greens.

Unless you know your salad chef directly, or make salads yourself — a skill worth mastering — it can be hard to know what you're going to get!