1 Base

Naturally, the steps to build the perfect salad begin with the foundation. You might choose pasta, rice, noodles, or grains like couscous or quinoa as your base for a great salad. If you do, the key is to not overcook your chosen carb. No amount of other delicious ingredients is going to make up for soggy pasta, floppy noodles, or gelatinous rice. If you’re going more traditional and using leaves, you have so many choices. If you only want one lettuce, a crunchy one like romaine or iceberg is best. Otherwise, have a mix of soft, soft and crunchy, or baby leaves. (And yes – it is perfectly ok to use a bag of leaves from the supermarket!) You can find a great variety of fresh greens at Whole Foods Market.

2 Veggies

You don’t have to add vegetables but if you want to ramp up the healthiness or the satiety factor, they’re kind of obligatory. Plus, they add flavor and interest. Mix up shapes and colors as much as you like. There are so many options beyond the basics:

Dicing bell peppers, finely slicing onions, or cubing avocado … there are so many options. Don't forget to balance these with some flavorful extras to keep things exciting.

3 Protein

When it comes to the ways of making a salad for a main meal, protein is a must. You need protein in your diet and it’s totally up to you whether you choose plant-based or animal protein. Hard-boiled eggs, fish, chicken, and cheese are staple salad proteins, but the choice will depend on how many calories you’re looking for your salad to have (if that is of concern to you), as well as how filling you want it to be. If you're looking for more ideas, see our list of high-protein salad toppers.

4 Crunch

To me, a salad has to have crunch. It is the variety of textures that makes the difference between a good salad and a great salad. Adding the crunch is also a really easy way of packing in more nutrition. You might throw in some seeds (sunflower, toasted pine nuts), nuts (walnuts, almonds), or fruit such as apple slices, grapes, or pomegranate seeds. Check out Healthline’s guide to healthy salad ingredients for more nutritional tips.

5 Extras

Extras can take your salad to the next level. You might use dried fruits such as raisins, fresh fruit like figs or grapefruit segments or you can use fresh herbs, even beans like cannellini. Remember though, the steps to build the perfect salad do not include the instruction to “lob everything you like in.” You still want to make a mix that is delicious to eat. By all means experiment because there are infinite combinations. This is where you can really complement your fresh vegetables.

6 Dressing

Dressing a salad is crucial. It’s what brings all those flavors together in a delicious marriage. Again, there’s no end of choice. Make your own or use a bought one. Just don’t drown everything. If you’ve got strong flavors in the salad, use a light complementary dressing. If you’ve gone more on the bland side, a zingy dressing will lift it. If you’re not eating the salad right away, don’t put the dressing on until you’re ready to serve it. For some inspiration, try these homemade salad dressings.

7 Service

If you have followed the first 6 steps to build the perfect salad you shouldn’t have any problem with how it looks. Your salad will be bright, colorful and interesting – a temptation you just can’t wait to dig your fork into. Pile it high on a plate or serve it in a nice bowl and you’re good to go. And if you think of something to add a final flourish as a garnish, don’t hang back!

When you know the ways to make a salad that is delicious and full of nutrition, I defy anyone to say salads are boring! The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and creativity. Do you eat enough salads? Do you have a favorite recipe? I’d love to know if you made it up yourself or if it came from a recipe?