5 Delicious Gourmet Salads Perfect for a Quick Lunch
Healthy food is a trend right now as many people choose to keep their bodies strong and healthy. Many people have found online communities on the topic, especially now that the internet is freely available to anyone. If you plan to start eating healthy, you’d find that salads are one of the best recommendations these communities tend to offer.
Not all salads are created equal, and not all of them are purely vegan. If you love to eat meat, some salads have them, and if you don’t want to eat meat, there are also options for you.
When it comes to eating salad, everyone is welcome to experience the dish, and what better way to eat than eating a gourmet salad?
What are Gourmet Salads?
To start, salads are various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, and tomatoes, and are usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or a type of dressing. Some salads are accompanied with some variations of meat, such as chicken or pork.
Salads are a delight to make and eat because they are easy to assemble and delicious to eat. Gourmet salads, however, are salads that have been refined in terms of taste, quality of ingredients, and presentation.
All renowned chefs worldwide know gourmet art in their years of experience and studies. The type of salads they make are appetizing to look at and delicious as well. These salads are also planned to be balanced meals.
1. Rocket Salad
If you are looking for a gluten-free and vegetarian salad, Rocket Salad is a fine choice for you. This salad is also a common dish you would see in restaurant menus, so this is readily available.
Wild rocket, also known as arugula, rucola, and the Italian cress, is a peppery green leaf with a distinct taste and originated from the Mediterranean. It makes for a healthy dish when assembled into a salad as it has a lot of calcium and zinc, much more than kale.
Rocket salad is most often accompanied with balsamic dressing and shaved parmesan. It is also often seasoned with salt and pepper.
2. Mediterranean Salad
The Mediterranean salad is another gluten-free and vegetarian salad that delivers an appetizing taste and is made of various types of vegetables, cheeses, and seasonings.
Many chefs and cooks have different interpretations of the Mediterranean salad. But basically, it is composed of greens, such as arugula and lettuce, as well as onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, and dressing, like balsamic dressing or Greek vinaigrette. Sometimes, this salad is accompanied with other vegetables as well, like olives and chickpeas.
Some people make the salad vegan just by removing the cheese from the equation. Some people also add in meat such as chicken, pork, shrimp, or salmon to add some protein in. The Mediterranean Salad is very customisable to your taste and lifestyle.
3. Caesar Salad
One of the most well-known salads in the world, Caesar salad is a green salad with lots of variations. The dish was invented by an Italian chef by the name of Caesar Cardini and was said to be made in a hurried effort to deliver a dish after the kitchen supplies depleted.
While it has many different varieties, it is commonly composed of lettuce, olive oil, crushed garlic, salt, Dijon mustard, black pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, eggs, Parmesan cheese, and croutons.
Some variations of this dish include adding ingredients in such as bacon or grilled chicken or omitting ingredients such as anchovies and eggs. Some variations also replace ingredients for another. For example, lettuce is replaced with a variant of greens. Either way, Caesar salad is a staple dish in the gourmet world and is here to stay.
4. Chicken Milano Salad
Chicken Milano salad is a gluten-free salad for chicken lovers out there who want to try eating salads. This salad is mainly composed of chicken meat and accompanied with greens such as rockets or lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and variations of dressings such as balsamic dressing and sour cream.
Oftentimes, the salad is eaten alongside bread or added in with pasta like fettuccini. If preferred, one could add in basil as a way to give the dish a more refined taste. The salad could also be seasoned with pepper and salt of varying degrees depending on the preference of the consumer.
Chicken Milano salad is not as easy to make as other salads as you have to prepare the chicken meat beforehand, but making it is still a rewarding endeavour if you like chicken. It is a well-balanced meal perfect to be eaten to start your day off. The meat supplies protein while the greens provide zinc and calcium.
5. Spinaci Salata
Spinaci Salata, also known as the Spinach Salad, is another gluten-free salad which has spinach as its main ingredient. Just like the other salads, Spinaci Salata has tons of variations, but it is most commonly assembled with tomatoes, eggs, and cheese, along with a dressing like balsamic dressing. It can be added with meat to have some protein in the mix, such as bacon or chorizo.
This gourmet salad’s main ingredient is healthy and rich in nutrients. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C. It is also a good source of iron and magnesium. Additionally, spinach helps in maintaining the bones healthy.
Eating spinach is said to maintain good eye health, reduce oxidative stress, help prevent cancer, and reduce blood pressure levels. The Spinach Salad is a healthy dish to have and is definitely a must-try for everyone at least once a week.
Where to Start?
If you want to try out these gourmet salads immediately after looking at them, you can try making them yourself. However, if you are not good at cooking, you can always head on to Cucina Dolce. You’ll be spoilt for choice as more salad options await every time you dine with us.
For more details and information, you can call us at 03 9772 9091 or send Fred an email to fred@cucinadolce.com.au.
