The 4 components of a salad are the base, body, dressing and garnish.
The base of a salad is the greens or leaves that line the bottom of the salad.
The body is the meat, vegetables, or fruit.
The dressing is what coats the salad.
The garnish includes cheese, nuts, and herbs for the top of the salad.
Components of a Salad
Base of a Salad
The base of a salad is the greens that line the bottom of the salad.
You could make a salad with a couple different types of base, including red leaf lettuce and arugula.
- iceberg lettuce
- romaine lettuce
- red leaf lettuce
- cabbage
- spinach
- arugula
- red oak lettuce
Body of a Salad
The body of the salad sits on top of the base of the salad.
The body of a salad can be a mixture of cooked and uncooked ingredients such as meat, vegetables and fruit.
Typically salads have a few different body components in them such as strawberries, cucumber and avocado.
- bacon
- chicken
- shrimp
- eggs
- carrots
- celery
- grapes
- strawberries
- tomatoes
- avocado
- onions
- apples
Dressing a Salad
The dressing of a salad is the liquid that will be dispersed throughout to coat the body and base of the salad.
The dressing brings the salad together to make it taste refreshing.
Salad dressings can be acidic, sweet, salty, or creamy.
- vinaigrette
- ranch dressing
- Caesar dressing
- oil and vinegar
- Italian dressing
- honey balsamic dressing
Garnishing a Salad
The garnish of a salad is a food or herb that will go on the top of the salad for added decoration and color, and enhance the flavor of the salad.
A garnish for a salad includes cheese, nuts, dried fruits, spices, or herbs.
The garnish should be eye-catching and appeal to the person eating the salad.
Salad Garnish Ideas
- Fresh berries – blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
- Cheddar Cheese
- Blue Cheese
- Feta
- Parmesan crisps
- Olives
- Grapes
- Pomegranate seeds
- Onion crisps
- Wonton crisps
- Nuts
- Arugula
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Dried cranberries
- Dried raisins
- Strips of tortillas
- Crostini
- Sliced radish
- Grated carrots
- Grated bell peppers
- Sliced avocado
- Mint leaves
5 Types of salad
There are 5 types of salads including tosses, bound, vegetable fruit, and combination
Tossed
A tossed salad is a green salad or garden salad that is mixed together with vegetables and/or fruit, and dressing.
Tossed salads are typically made with iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, or red leaf lettuce.
Tossed salad examples
Bound
A bound salad is one that has a cooked ingredient in it, such as meat, eggs, pasta, or potatoes.
Bound salads can have cheese or vegetables included in them as well.
- pasta salad
- potato salad
- tuna salad
- macaroni salad
- chicken salad
- seafood salad
- Nicoise salad
Vegetable
A vegetable salad consists of raw or cooked vegetables.
Vegetable salads have some sort of cheese added to them such as feta, brie, or goat cheese.
Vegetable salads can have coleslaw or cabbage in them as a base.
Fruit
A fruit salad consists of a mixture of fruit with sweet or citrusy dressing.
Fruit salad Ingredient examples:
- apples
- strawberries
- bananas
- pineapple
- mango
- grapes
- peaches
- nectarines
- watermelon
- cantaloupe
- blueberries
- blackberries
- raspberries
Fruit salad dressing examples:
Fruit salads typically have mint as a garnish on top.
Combination
A combination salad is a mixture of the other 4 types of salads.
Combination salads are typically made of meat or cheese that have been added to vegetables in a tossed salad.
