The Four Elements To a Perfect Salad

Do your salads suck? I truly believe there’s a reason that people hate salad so much, and that’s because people aren’t making them right. Salad really can be enjoyable. It’s all about having the right ingredients, which is why I developed a full proof salad formula that will make the perfect salad every single time.

Before I explain the four elements, you need to start with a bed of salad greens. These really can be anything you want. Arugula, spring mix, spinach, kale, romaine…pick your all-time favorite and add a handful or two to a bowl.

Once you have that, here’s what you are going to need. Ready?

Something sweet
Something savory
Something crunchy
Something creamy

Seems simple, right? Sweet, savory, crunchy, creamy. Good alliteration, easy to remember. But what in the heck does it mean? Let me show you.

Something sweet

I’m a big fan of the salty-and-sweet combo, so I like to find something to throw in my salad that gives it a touch of sweetness. A few of my favorites include:

Pomegranate seeds
Berries
Apple
Candied nuts
Roasted bell peppers
Roasted sweet potatoes

Something savory

I find that the savory portion of the salad always comes from whatever the main “event” is. This usually is the protein, but can look differently depending on what you want. This can be…

Chicken
Sliced prosciutto
Hard-boiled egg
Roasted squash
Roasted vegetables
Steak
Turkey
Bacon
Ham

Something crunchy

I love a good crunch in my salad, so the crunchy aspect is probably one of the most important elements of my salads. I like to use…

Roasted pepitas
Salted nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds)
Crushed tortilla chips
Roasted chickpeas
Cucumber
Croutons
Baked cheese bites

Something creamy

The creaminess brings it all together, in my opinion. And it usually adds some fattiness to your salad, which helps with your fullness overall. You can include…

Goat cheese
Shaved parmesan
Fresh mozzarella
Shredded cheddar
Feta
Ranch dressing
Green goddess
Sliced avocado

And don’t forget the dressing! Here are some of my favorite homemade salad dressings to make.

You get the picture. These were things I just thought of off the top of my head, but don’t feel limited to the list. Because sometimes you’ll find multiple elements colliding in one item! Candied nuts add sweetness and crunch, and roasted chickpeas are crunchy and savory.

As long as you can walk away with your bed of lettuce topped with all four of these elements in some capacity—sweet, savory, crunchy, creamy—you’ll find yourself with a perfect salad every time.

I’ll end this with some salad inspo for you…