Salad Nights

Giving directions for improvising a salad from leftovers is a little like describing how to assemble a sandwich. (Hey, now there’s an idea for another time!) Instead, I’ll share my system for organizing whatever you might unearth from the fridge and pantry. Akin to Five Tricks for Building Better Bowls, only with different component categories and a couple of options for dressing and finishing.

Leafy: The so-called “base” doesn’t have to be traditional lettuce or salad greens, nor does it have to be either homogenous or voluminous. Consider chopped raw kale, escarole, Napa cabbage, or Asian greens like tatsoi or mizuna. Microgreens are a welcome addition. Or even a scoop of already-dressed slaw, which will disperse and evolve into something totally unlike its original self. Year-round I keep a spinner of salad greens washed and ready to roll in the top shelf of the fridge so there’s no excuse not to have salad.