AUTHOR: Lynnia Shanley
A good salad can be a meal on its own or the perfect side dish. But sometimes, small mistakes can turn it from a delight into a disaster. We've listed 10 small but critical errors that can ruin your salad, from bad lettuce choices to overdressing. Don't let these mistakes mess up your healthy meal; get to know them so you can avoid them.
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Less-than-perfect produce gets a bad reputation. Companies embracing ugly food prove it still tastes good! Not brown avocado, according to one gentleman. "Brown avocado or has brown in it tastes rank and bitter." They persisted, "It's even worse when they mash it into the salad." Brown anything doesn't sound appealing in a salad anyway.
2. Warm Lettuce
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Cold food should be chilled, and hot food piping. Warm food is on a different level. "I was served a salad at a restaurant once on a plate fresh out of the dishwasher, nice and hot to the touch," one person explains. "The lettuce was limp and warm, and a pool of moisture had accumulated. Yum!" continues the sarcastic eater. Number one rule: don't mix cold and hot food in the same bag or dish! Some dishes are intentionally warmed or cooked. As one contributor says, "Overcooked, unseasoned, or wilted greens? No thanks!" Agreed.
3. Rotten Greens
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Yuck! The main ingredient of a traditional salad is green! Have you ever experienced wilted or slimy pieces of lettuce or spinach? The whole point of a salad is to get that fresh crunch! Rotten greens are a full stop. Not only do they look bad, but they taste worst.
4. Olives
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You either hate them or love them. Olives are a common salad topping, especially in Greek and Mediterranean recipes. While there are a variety of olives to use, the overpowering flavor is a turn-off for many salad eaters. Are you olive or non-olive?
5. Salad To Dressing Ratio
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You know the beautifully prepped salad that you brought to work for lunch? You get your salad during break time, and it's soggy and limp. It's been chilling in the fridge for hours, sopping in salad dressing and ick! "A salad not being properly tossed ruins a good salad," shared one commenter. "Too much or too little can destroy a perfectly made salad," they continued. I suggest less is better or request the dressing on the side. You can always add more if you still need it.
6. Pieces That Are Too Big
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Imagine you are on a date and ordering a light and healthy salad. It comes to the table, and every leaf and element is not chopped up and oversized. It gets messy, spills off the plate, and you spend more time cutting up the salad than enjoying it. Wedge salad, anyone?
7. Anchovies
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This ingredient only shows up sometimes. Anchovies are a salty add-on for salads but are not popular with this foodie group. More specifically, one woman painted just how bad of an experience anchovies can bring. "It's bad if the plate is too small for the salad, and I accidentally end up catapulting anchovies at someone while trying to slice a leaf," describes one fancy diner. Hold the anchovies, please.
8. Nontraditional Condiments
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It sounds a bit too weird, but there is a suspicious amount of people who fancy a tomato-flavored dressing on their greens — ketchup. Join me as I scrunch up my nose at this combination. One female called it "traumatizing," and I can't say I disagree. While some creamy dressings may include certain condiments, like ketchup and, yes, mayonnaise, the standalone ingredients just don't cut it; save it for the burgers.
9. A Bug
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Or multiple! Ever wonder why a package of lettuce says, "Rinse before Using"? The smart advice will wash away hidden creatures stuck to the greens. Insects feed off of leafy greens and vegetables. It's only natural that they show up from the farm. No one wants to find or eat them on the table! Seeing tiny, lifeless insects in any food will ruin the experience!
10. Raisins
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Remember that little red snack box as a kid? Raisins have their place, but according to this group, that ain't in salads! "Raisins have no place amongst greens, cheeses, or other mixed vegetables," chimed one adamant woman. "If I wanted raisins in my salad, I would have ordered a fruit salad," she concluded. She's got a point!
11. Cilantro
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Yes, it's true that for some people, cilantro tastes like soap versus a herbaceous compliment. The herb can add bold flavor to Mexican-style dishes like taco salad. It is powerful if it is too much, but many would rather have their salad without it entirely. If cilantro tastes like soap, I suggest leaving it off.
Source: Reddit
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