The Secret For A Tastier Salad Is A Cold Bowl
Whether you are an avid health nut or simply someone who enjoys wholesome food throughout the year, a good homemade salad is probably a go-to item on all your meal menus. The good thing about making salads at home is that it's an easy way to create a healthy and tasty dish fairly quickly. It is, however, possible that your homemade salads don't always match up in flavor and texture to the ones you eat at restaurants. One simple secret to achieving a tastier salad that you may not be aware of is using a cold bowl.
There are other tricks that are known to elevate salads made at home –- such as massaging tough greens for better salads and amping up salad dressings with some pureed fruits and vegetables – but this cold bowl trick is another really easy one you can now add to your repertoire of culinary secrets. It will ensure that your salad is loved by all.
How the cold bowl trick for salads works
The principle upon which this trick is based is a simple one. Food tastes better when it is served at the temperature people expect it to be. So, ice creams are best frozen, soups are best served hot (unless it's a cold soup!) and salads, as expected, are best when served cold. While fresh salads are generally cold, when they are transferred to a bowl that has been made specifically cool for the purpose, the salad's temperature is further reduced. This adds an extra freshness and crunch to the greens and veggies.
If your bowls are chilled beforehand, you can also save time in serving up the freshest possible salad. Just pop the bowl into the fridge for around 15 minutes before you plan to serve your salad. If you don't have that much time, a few minutes in the freezer will achieve similar results.
Other ways to elevate your salads
Apart from ensuring you serve your salad in a cold bowl, there are other tips you can rely on to make the tastiest salads at home. Some of these include making your own salad dressing starting with a basic vinaigrette made from one part vinegar and three parts oil, using a variety of leafy greens to ensure there is plenty of flavor and texture differentiation on your plate, being experimental with other ingredients like veggies, fruits and nuts, or even a bunch of herbs, and adding some measure of fat – such as cheeses, meats or avocados – to enhance the flavor further. And while all of those additions add flavor and texture to your salad, things like cold meats and cheeses also benefit from being served in chilled bowls.
Another interesting trick that is almost always used in restaurants is to use a very large mixing bowl. This ensures that when you mix the salad, every little leaf is coated in the salad dressing evenly. In fact, sometimes restaurant chefs even mix the salad in the largest bowl they own before transferring it to a chilled bowl in which they will serve the salad. It makes all the difference.