Level up your summer lunches using a chef’s easy and quick salad trick
Salads are often a popular choice for summer lunches (stock photo)(Image: Getty)
When the weather warms up, a quick salad is one of the easiest lunch options going. But if you’ve ever felt like your dressing doesn’t really ‘cling’ to the vegetables, or your bowl ends up tasting a bit flat, a trained chef says the fix could be sitting in your kitchen cupboard already.
It’s not a fancy ingredient or an expensive oil: it’s a salad spinner, and it could make a bigger difference than you think. Content creator and kitchen coach Julie Yoon says taking an extra minute to properly dry your leaves can transform your lunch, because dressing works best on greens that aren’t holding onto water.
Many people skip the spinner when they’re throwing together a quick lunch, but she argues it’s worth it if you want the maximum flavour from your dressing. In a previous blog, the chef shared: “When I make a salad, I make sure the washed lettuce or greens are really dry in order to allow the dressing to properly adhere to them. Most dressings are oil based right?
“You know the rule about oil and water. They don’t mix, so wet leaves will naturally make for a blander salad since the oil-based dressing will slide right off. Also, keep the washed and dried salad lettuce right in the spinner and store in the fridge until ready to eat. It acts as an instant lettuce crisper.”
The tip could be especially helpful for people preparing lunch during hot weather. The NHS heatwave advice recommends opting for cold food and drinks on days with high temperatures, to help prevent overheating.
Advice on the health service website says: “Have cold food and regular cold drinks. Drink extra fluids but avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes.” Salad is often a popular choice due to its high water content. It can also help people reach their five-a-day.
The NHS says: “Evidence shows there are significant health benefits to getting at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. That’s 5 portions of fruit and veg in total, not 5 portions of each. A portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g.
“The 5 A Day campaign is based on advice from the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.”