“Why do restaurant salads taste so good?”
I saw this question on Reddit and thought I’d break down the 7 reasons why restaurant salads are so good, and how you can achieve a similar, or better result at home.
Restaurant salads typically have a lot going on that home salads don’t. Except for Cesar salad, I’ve noticed most restaurant salads use a ton of ingredients.
Key ingredients & techniques that make restaurant salads so good:
- Pickled and briny ingredients
- Cheese
- Herb seasoning
- Toss the salad
- Add a final garnish
- Make your dressing from scratch
Pickled + briny ingredients = YUM
One special ingredient that is often in restaurant salads but hard to do at home – the subtle use of pickled ingredients or olives. It seems like almost all restaurant salads have olives (briny and fat), or some type of pickled ingredient, often finely sliced pickled onion.
Cheese it up!
There’s cheese. Haven’t you noticed there is almost always cheese in a restaurant salad? Feta, shredded parmesan, blue cheese, what else? This adds more fat and savoriness. Pow! Now imagine landing a glorious bite of cheese, lettuce, veggie, and one of those pickled or briny ingredients all in one bite?! Heaven.
Herb seasoning
Herb seasoning is so good. There is a reason Subway and Jersey Mike’s ask you if you want a dash of herbs. The same is true for restaurant salads, except they don’t ask for permission to add it. Most restaurant salads not only have salt and fresh cracked pepper, but they also have some type of dried herb blend mixed in – not so much that it’s overpowering but it’s often there.
Toss your salad
Restaurant salads are almost always tossed with dressing. This is a key reason why restaurant salads even taste better than salad bar salads. They’re tossed with all the ingredients (including cheese) and seasoning.
Add a final flavorful garnish before serving
BUT WAIT THERE’s more; Restaurants garnish salads with all those special ingredients listed above; olives, pickled onions, cheese, salt/pepper, etc., so from the first bite to the last bite you’re getting punched in the kisser with flavor.
At home, even if you’re doing most of this, it’s unlikely you’re tossing, plating, then adding a final garnish to your home or even a salad bar salad. You probably do what most of us do which is have the salad in a bowl and the table, and each person serves themselves – but even with tossed salad, there’s not that final layer of garnishment hitting the salads as if it was done by the chef.
Adding a final flourish of flavor will make your home salad pop. Making a homemade salad dressing is the final step that will take your salad to the next level.
How to make vinaigrette from scratch
Time needed: 8 minutes
I learned the classic recipe from my friend’s mom, Bjorke. It’s become a go-to tool for making fresh and exquisite salads.
- In a bowl, add the following ingredients:
- Three tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil
Ensure it’s not rancid! So many people in America (where I’m from), buy poor quality olive oil, store it poorly, and have become accustomed to the rancid/awful taste.
I’m a big fan of California olive oil because they face strict quality regulations. Some olive oils from abroad are actually rancid, but then heated to kill the the rancid flavor. Finally they’re sold to unsuspecting consumers. WTF. (Source) - One tablespoon of vinegar of your choice
I love cheapo white vinegar, but balsamic, white wine and others will work great too.
- Minced garlic
Your call on quantity. One-two cloves does the trick for me, if you’re on a date, the raw garlic can lead to bad breath, FYI. 😉
- A dollop of mustard
I was taught this recipe with Dijon mustard, however, literally any mustard will do. The bite of Dijon or spicy mustards add a nice zing to the recipe, however.
- Freshly squeeze lemon juice
You can also substitute lime. From one wedge to the juice from a half lemon or lime. Slowly add the juice to taste.
- Wisk all of these ingredients together then start adding salt and pepper to taste
If you’re in the US. I highly recommend “Real Salt”, an ancient pink sea salt that’s mined in Utah. Fresh cracked pepper is great too.
- Toss that salad, then add just a touch of additional dressing to the top of the salad before serving. Voilà!
This recipe makes for profoundly good salad, but don’t take my word for it, try it! A restaurant quality salad is within you grasp if you follow the steps above.
Why should you listen to me? Don’t.