We’re loving crisp, comforting salads now. (Yes, comfort-salad is a thing.) But what makes a good salad great? We asked Whitney Cardozo, owner of Chez Foushee in Richmond, Virginia, to give up her secrets for making a restaurant-worthy salad at home. Hint: it’s not a bowl of lettuce with a blob of dressing on top. Not sure where to start? Chef Whitney shared easy tips on how to organize your kitchen.
Katie Couric Media: What makes an inspired salad? Our home-made versions often feel boring.
Whitney Cardozo: A truly great salad includes 5 elements: Greens and dressing are the foundation, of course. But for flavor and texture, you’ll want to add sweetness, creaminess, and crunchiness. Go with what you’re craving:
Greens: Bibb, Boston, red or green leaf, arugula, or romaine
Sweetness: Nuts, dried cranberries or cherries, little tomatoes
Creaminess: Avocado or cheese (burrata, fresh Goat Cheese, or Feta)
Crunchiness: Apples, carrots, yellow or red peppers, Marcona almonds
Dressing: Home-made vinaigrette (oil, vinegar, mustard, fresh lemon juice)
You say pouring dressing over the greens is a bad idea. Why?
It’s all about tossing by hand – drop the tongs. It’s disappointing to get a salad with a big glob of dressing on top because there’s a better way: Place salad ingredients in a mixing bowl, then tilt the bowl to drizzle the dressing down the side before tossing everything with (gloved) hands to coat. It’s worth hand-tossing in the bowl to spread the flavors evenly throughout the salad before serving.
Salads take a lot of prep work. Any tips to simplify all that washing and chopping?
Putting a salad together isn’t so daunting when you take a little time to prep and store ingredients ahead. You can get a week’s worth of salad fixings from a sheet pan of roasted vegetables. Try sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, beets, carrots, little potatoes, turnips, and add some broccoli, cauliflower, and onion. Toss vegetables with olive oil, season with salt & pepper, herbs, garlic, or chilis and roast at 400 degrees on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. While the veggies roast, wash and cut hardier toppings like peppers, squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and radishes then store in airtight containers and label them. Keep pre-cooked proteins like bacon, chicken breast, and eggs — boiled or poached — ready in containers, too.
Airtight storage is the key to crisp greens and toppings. For lettuce, I like a little variety. Cut out the core, trim bottoms of the leaves, wash and dry greens using a salad spinner, then store with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. When everything is prepped and easily visible in your refrigerator, you can throw a great salad together in no time.
Let’s talk dressing. Store-bought salad dressings are often packed with sugar and sodium, but making our own seems complicated.
It’s so easy and healthy to make your own dressing. And you’ll avoid the additives. Start with 1-part vinegar to 3-parts olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Give it a little thickness by adding an emulsifier like honey, maple syrup, or mustard to taste. Add some herbs for pow and store in a mason jar. This will keep a week or longer in the refrigerator. The Special French Vinaigrette recipe (*see below) is a great template to get started. For variety, try champagne vinegar for a milder flavor or apple cider vinegar to make it sweet and tangy.
You say salad can be comfort food. How?
Salads will cross over to comfort food with the addition of warm, creamy, or cheesy ingredients. You can drizzle a warm bacon dressing or put a warm, poached egg on top of the greens (poach these ahead and gently warm in a few inches of simmering water to take the chill off before adding to the salad). The soft yolk becomes part of the dressing and makes the lettuce delicious. A creamy blue or goat cheese adds to the comfort factor. One of our favorite comfort salads is this Warm Seared Brussels Sprouts Salad (*see below).
What are two salad recipes people can try this weekend?
These are two of our favorites: One is warm and one has a salty sweetness.
#1 Seared Brussels Sprouts Salad (1 serving)*
bacon blue cheese, candied pecans, red onion, fresh mint, red wine vinaigrette
Ingredients:
¼ pound of Brussels sprouts
½ cup Boston or bibb lettuce
2 tablespoons candied pecans or salted pecans
¼ cup crumbled chunky blue cheese
¼ cup of thinly sliced red onion
few mint leaves chopped or ripped
¼ cup tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pieces of bacon roughly chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
In saucepan on medium low heat combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, red onions, salt & pepper, bacon, blue cheese, and pecans. Slowly warm until blue cheese starts to melt and ingredients bubble a little. While it heats place lettuce like a cup on a plate. When Brussels sprout mixture is nice and warm remove from heat and stir in mint. Place mixture on lettuce and pour warm vinaigrette over and eat
#2 Market Salad with Chicken
arugula, toasted almonds, cranberries, goat cheese crumble, & special French vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1 to 2 cups of arugula
2 tablespoons toasted almonds
2 tablespoons of dried cranberries
¼ cup goat cheese crumbled or any cheese grated
2 Chicken breasts (about 1#)
Directions:
In a mixing bowl that is big enough to toss your ingredients, place the arugula, and dried cranberries drizzle the dressing and toss unit ingredients are coated to your liking. Place the dressed mixture on a plate and garnish with the cheese and almonds. (if adding chicken place sliced chicken on top)
Sautéed Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Give the pan a swirl to evenly distribute the oil just before adding the chicken breast. Cook each side 5 -7 minutes depending on the thickness of breast. When ready add butter as you flip the chicken. Give the pan another swirl to distribute the butter & oil evenly. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165*.
Special French Vinaigrette* (makes about 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix vinegar & Dijon
Whisking in oil add salt & pepper to taste
Whitney Cardozo is a Chef-Owner of Chez Foushee, a French restaurant in Richmond, VA now delivering three-course fine dining experiences to customers’ doors. A multi-hyphenate chef with an MFA, M.Ed., Whitney is passionate about increasing the number of women in the industry and loves working with her all-female kitchen staff.
