Simple Salads Part 3: The Salad

Once the greens are washed and dried and the dressing is made it’s time to figure out what you want to put in your salad.

In Beirut, fresh tomatoes, green pepper, and cucumbers are a must. The cucumbers here are mostly the tiny variety that we call Persian cucumbers in the States. They are perfect for salads because they aren’t too watery, don’t have to be peeled, and are very tasty. The tomatoes are flavorful and very fresh, as are the green peppers.

Of course salad is adaptable. You can add any raw vegetable, grilled meat, fresh or canned tuna, etc. The sky is the limit. But too many options, of course, can be overwhelming, and not everybody lives in a climate that offers delicious produce year-round, so here are some of my other favorite combinations:

Lettuce, grated carrots, and sunflower seeds

Lettuce, sliced red pepper, and walnuts

Lettuce, crumbled goat cheese, and blackberries

California Chickpea Salad: I often serve this as a meal in the summer. To make it I drain a can of chickpeas and mix them in a small bowl with a couple of teaspoons of dressing, chopped parsley and scallions. In another bowl I combine lettuce, tomato sections, green pepper, and cucumber, add the chickpea mixture, alfalfa sprouts, crumbled blue cheese, and more dressing. It’s a hearty salad but not heavy, which is perfect for the summer.

In my house, we usually have our salad after the meal, though many people eat salad as an appetizer. Either way, is always a good idea to toss the salad with dressing right before you serve it. If you want to have the salad ready to go beforehand, simply put all of the additions except the greens into the bottom of the bowl and pile the lettuce on top. Put the dressing on when you are ready to eat salad.