 A perfectly dressed salad is one in which every piece of lettuce is crisp and has a light coating of dressing. It’s important to handle your lettuces gently, as you never want them to become crushed or bruised. Always dress a salad right before you serve it, so it won’t have time to become soggy. |
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Step
1
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Pour a couple spoonfuls of dressing into the bottom of a large salad bowl. (By starting with a small amount of dressing and adding more as necessary, you can prevent overdressing.) |
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Step
2 |
Gently, add your lettuces to the bowl.
(If your lettuce is in the bowl already, then pour a couple spoonfuls of the dressing down the sides of the bowl — not on top of the lettuces. This way, when you toss the salad, the lettuces will pick up the dressing, but they won’t end up sopping in it.) |
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Step
3
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Gently toss the salad using your own clean hands...
...or a couple of large spoons. (Do not use tongs, as they can crush the lettuce, making it become soggy.) Gently scoop underneath the lettuces and lift them up, allowing the lettuces to brush softly along the insides of the bowl and sweep up the dressing. Continue, turning the bowl as necessary, until you have coated the leaves evenly. (Feel free to taste a piece of lettuce. If the salad seems too dry, pour a little more dressing down the sides of the bowl and continue to toss gently. Repeat as necessary until the lettuce has become adequately coated.) |
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Step
4 |
Season the salad lightly with sea salt...
...and freshly ground pepper...
...and toss gently and briefly to combine. Be sure to taste a piece of lettuce to see if the salad needs more salt or pepper, and, if necessary, adjust accordingly. |
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Step
5 |
Serve immediately. |
 Notes:
It’s also important to be delicate with lettuces when you’re serving a salad. Be careful not to crush your carefully dressed salad by clamping on it with tongs or other forceful salad tools.
Toss a salad only as much as necessary to get your lettuces evenly coated with dressing. There’s no need to overdo it, as this will only damage the lettuces.
1 medium head of lettuce (about 3/4 pounds) will typically serve 2 or 3 people. A large head of lettuce (about 1 pound), will typically serve 4 people. However, for entrée-sized salads, you can use a little more lettuce per person.
If sea salt is not available, feel free to use a little kosher salt instead.
Related Tips & Guides
How to Wash Lettuce
How to Dry and Store Lettuce
How To Season
Related Recipes
Basic Dijon Vinaigrette
Lemon Vinaigrette
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette |
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