Prepare Salads

and Dressing
COOKERY NC II
Varieties and Ingredients of Salads
Salad – a cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned
with oil, vinegar, or other dressing and sometimes accompanied by meat, fish, or other
ingredients. The color, texture, and flavor of each salad ingredients should compliment
those of others and the dressing should compliment all the ingredients.
Salad Greens – salad greens are not necessary green, some are red, yellow, and white
or brown; they are leafy vegetables.
Tools for Making Quick Salads
• Chef Knives – good quality knives with sharp, sturdy
stainless steel blades and with handles that securely
attached and that feel comfortable in your hand.
• Cutting/Chopping Board – choices of cutting board are the
wooden or blocks and acrylic cutting board. When preparing
a recipe that contains both meat (poultry or seafood) and
vegetables requiring cutting, use one board exclusively for
the vegetables and one exclusively for the meat to avoid
cross-contamination.
• Peelers – is a kitchen tool consisting of a slotted metal blade
attach to a handle, that is used to remove the outer skin or
peel of certain vegetables, frequently potatoes and carrots
and fruit such as apples and pears.
Tools for Making Quick Salads
• Citrus Zester – a kitchen zester are exclusively used
for citrus fruits to get long, thin strips of zest.
They're small with just a few round holes that you
scrape along the fruit.
• Grater/Shredder – is usually used for shredding
and shaving foods to garnish, out add in pots and
pans as the food cooks. In most cases, it's most
popularly used for grating hard and soft cheese.
• Mixing Bowls – round bowls of varying sizes that
are used for combining food ingredients when
preparing recipes. Mixing bowls can either made of
plastic, ceramic, glass, copper, and stainless steel.
But for making salads use bowls made of sturdy,
heavy glass wares or ceramic, so as not to react
with the acidic ingredients.
Tools for Making Quick Salads
• Grill Pan – used for salad topping to be broiled
or grilled. Grill pans can be used for many
different recipes and are typically used to
prepare steak, vegetables, chicken, shrimp,
and fish.
• Salad Spinner – a salad spinner, also known as
a salad tosser, is a kitchen tool used to wash
and remove excess water from salad greens. It
uses centrifugal force to separate the water
from the leaves, enabling salad dressing to
stick to the leaves without dilution.
• Salad Servers – with big salad bowls and
servers, having enough surfaces to really
grasp the ingredients of salad no matter how
slippery and thus making tossing easier.
Examples of Green Salad
❖Lettuces – there are 4 main types of lettuces
• Romaine Lettuce – (or cos), which forms tall and loose oblong heads. Romaine lettuce is
crispy and fresh and perfectly mild-mannered. Romaine is the go-to for Caesar salad.
• Crisphead Lettuce – which grows in tight heads that resemble cabbage. Iceberg lettuce is
the most common crisphead lettuce variety. It look like a green cabbage, but it’s worlds
away in texture and flavor. It’s mild and refreshing, like biting into crunchy water.
• Butterhead Lettuce – which grows in soft, thick-leaved heads. The two most commonly
sold varieties of butterhead lettuce, characterized by its soft leaves and loosely formed
heads, are Boston lettuce and Bibb lettuce. Both are tender with a sweet and almost buttery,
fresh flavor. Boston lettuce is usually larger than bibb, and a little sweeter and milder.
• Looseleaf Lettuce – or leaf lettuce, which grows in a loose rosette of tender leaves off the
stem rather than forming a tight head. It’s got thinner, more tender leaves that ruffle and
frill in gorgeous ways. The frilly edges of a green leaf lettuce are what you’ll most often see
peeking out of a burger or sandwich. Commonly known leaf lettuce is the Lolla Rosa which
is reddish brown and Lollo Verde which is green colored.
Examples of Green Salad
Four Main Lettuces

Romaine Lettuce Crisphead Lettuce

Butterhead Lettuce Looseleaf Lettuce

Examples of Green Salad
❖Spinach – is a leafy green vegetable that
originated in Persia. It belongs to the
amaranth family and is related to beets
and quinoa. What's more, it's considered
very healthy, as it's loaded with nutrients
and antioxidants.
❖Sprouts – are the germinated seed of a
vegetable, young plants on their way to
full growth.
❖Cruciferous Vegetables – are a diverse
group that includes broccoli, cauliflower,
cabbage, kale, bok choy, arugula, Brussels
sprouts, collards, watercress and radishes.
The 4 Components of a Salad are the Base, Body,
Dressing and Garnish.
1. The base of a salad is the greens or leaves that line the bottom of the salad.
You could make a salad with a couple different types of base, including
different colors of cabbage. iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, cabbage,
spinach, red oak lettuce, etc.
2. The body is the meat, vegetables, or fruit. The body of the salad sits on top
of the base of the salad. The body of a salad are the main contents of the
salad including meat, vegetables, and fruit. Usually salads have a few
different types of food that complete the body of the salad. You could use a
protein, a couple different types of vegetables for the body of the salad.
Bacon, chicken, shrimp, eggs, carrots, celery, grapes, strawberries,
tomatoes, avocado, onions, apples, etc.
The 4 Components of a Salad are the Base, Body,
Dressing and Garnish.
3. The dressing is what coats the salad. The dressing of a salad is the liquid
that will be dispersed throughout to coat the body of the salad. The
dressing brings the salad together to make it taste refreshing. Salad
dressings can be acidic, sweet, salty, or creamy. Vinaigrette, mayonnaise,
ranch dressing, caesar dressing.
4. The garnish includes cheese, nuts, and herbs for the top of the 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. The
garnish should be eye-catching and appeal to the person eating the salad. A
garnish for a salad includes cheese, nuts, dried fruits, spices, or herbs.
Classification of Salad
• Green Salad - It must be fresh, • Bound salads - These are mixture of foods that are
clean, crisp and cold and well held together or bound with a dressing usually a
drained. Moisture and air are thick dressing like mayonnaise. The term bound is
necessary to keep greens crisp. most often used for traditional mixtures of cooked
protein, starch and vegetables items with
mayonnaise like chicken salad, tuna salad, egg
salad and potato salad.
Classification of Salad
• Vegetable, Grain Legumes and Pasta Salads - These • Fruit Salad - It contain fruits as
are salads whose main ingredients are vegetables their main ingredients, like
other than lettuce or other leafy greens. Starchy appetizer salads or dessert salads.
items such as grains, pastas and dried legumes can
also form the body of a salad. Raw or cooked
vegetables are usually added to the starch items to
enhance the color, flavor and nutritional balance
of the salad. Protein items such as poultry, meat,
seafood and cheese maybe added to vegetables
and starch salads.
Classification of Salad
• Composed Salads - These are made by • Gelatin Salads - These are made with
arranging two or more elements attractively sweetened prepared mixes with
on a plate. They are called composed artificial color and flavor. But some
because the components are arranged on the professional cook used to prepare
plate rather than being mixed together. They salads using unflavored gelatin relying
are elaborate and can be substantial in size, on fruit juices and other ingredients for
usually served as main courses or fruit flavor. These salad are commonly serve
courses rather than accompaniments or side as dessert.
dishes.
Classification of Salad
• Combination Salad – incorporates a combination of any of the other salad types. A
common example of this is the Chef’s Salad.
Salads can be used in five ways during the service
courses:
• A starter salad, served as an appetizer to the main meal, is smaller in portion and
consists of light, fresh, crisp ingredients to stimulate the appetite.
• Serve an accompaniment salad, or side salad, with the main course of the meal,
and make it light and flavorful, but not too rich.
• Main course salads are large enough to serve as a full meal and may contain
protein ingredients, such as meat, poultry, seafood, egg, beans, or cheese.
• The intermezzo salad is intended to be a palate cleanser after a rich dinner and
before dessert.
• Dessert salads are usually sweet and often contain fruits, sweetened gelatin, nuts,
cream, and whipped cream. Waldorf salad is a popular dessert salad. It is a mixed
fruit salad with nuts and a mild dressing.
Common Salads
• Chef’s Salad – as the name suggests, this salad is created by the chef from whatever
ingredients he or she has at hand, so it's not unusual to find Chef Salads that reflect
the menu of the restaurant where they are served. Chef’s Salad is a main dish salad
(it also is a combination salad). It can vary, but is usually lettuce with ham, turkey,
cheese, boiled eggs, tomatoes and cucumber. A choice of dressing is usually offered.
• Side Salad – is very common on menus. It is generally lettuce with carrot,
cucumber and tomato and a choice of dressing.
• Caesar Salad – is romaine lettuce with croutons. It is dressed with Caesar dressing.
The dressing is flavored with lemon, Parmesan, garlic and anchovies.
• Cobb Salad – is mixed greens (iceberg or romaine, endive and watercress) with
chicken, bacon, avocado, tomato, boiled egg, chives and blue cheese. It is dressed
with a red-wine vinaigrette. It was invented at the Brown Derby restaurant in
Hollywood.
Varieties of Salad Dressings
Salad Dressing – is a sauce for salads. Used on virtually all leafy salads, dressings may also
be used in making salads of beans (such as three bean salad), noodle or pasta salads and
antipasti, and forms of potato salad. Salad dressings can be drizzled over a salad, added and
tossed with the ingredients, offered on the side, or served as a dip, as with crudités or
chicken wings.
❖DRESSING COMPONENTS:
French Dressing – vinaigrette dressing made from oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Vinaigrettes – are very old traditional dressing for greens.
Different oils and vinegars will give different flavors to vinaigrettes:
• Italian vinaigrettes will use extra virgin olive oil.
• Canola, sunflower, safflower, soybean and peanut oil will have milder flavor in a dressing.
• Peanut oil and soybean oil must be disclosed on menus because peanuts and soy are
common allergens.
• Canola oil is considered healthy because it contains omega-3 fatty acids.
Varieties of Salad Dressings
❖DRESSING COMPONENTS:
Vinegars:
• Strong vinegars are white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Cider vinegar is actually
made from apples.
• Mild vinegars include rice and rice wine vinegars and balsamic vinegar.
• Balsamic vinegar is Italian in origin. It is aged for long periods in barrels to give it a
distinct dark color and sweeter flavor.
• White wine and red wine vinegars are popular vinegars for salad dressings in
America.
• Sherry vinegar is made from sherry and is traditional in Spain.
• Vinegars can also be flavored with herbs like tarragon or even garlic and onion or hot
peppers.
Varieties of Salad Dressings
Procedures in Preparing Vinaigrette Dressing:
1. Choose an Oil and Vinegar that complements
each other as well the food that they will dress.
2. Combine the vinegar seasoning and any other
flavorings in a bowl.
3. Whisk the oil gradually.
4. Allow the finished dressing to rest a few hour at
room temperature before using so that the
flavor can blend.
5. Whisk again before use.
Varieties of Salad Dressings
The 4 primary salad dressings are:
1. Vinaigrette dressing in its simplest form is
made of oil and vinegar. Vinaigrettes are lighter,
thinner dressings often used on more delicate
ingredients, such as greens and vegetables.

2. Compared to the suspension mixture of regular

vinaigrettes, emulsified vinaigrettes have gone
through the emulsion process. An emulsion is a
mixture of ingredients that permanently stays
together, unlike a suspension that eventually
separates. Common emulsifier are egg yolks,
mayonnaise, mustard and honey.
Varieties of Salad Dressings
The 4 primary salad dressings are:
3. Mayonnaise-based dressings are
typically creamy dressings, such as
Russian, thousand island, and blue cheese.

4. Mayonnaise is the most stable and

thickest emulsified dressing. It contains a
higher ratio of oil to vinegar and a greater
quantity of egg yolks than is required for
emulsified vinaigrette.