Every salad recipe on the site, in one place. Nine so far: four are the ones you already know by name, done properly, and five are newer plates worth the extra ten minutes. Each one is built around a dressing you make yourself, and every dressing recipe is in the collection here.
A salad is mostly assembly, so these are about the few decisions that actually matter: dry leaves, the right cut, a dressing with enough body to cling, and knowing when to toss and when to serve in rows.
The Classics
The four that show up on steakhouse and deli menus. Nothing here has needed to change in decades.
- Caesar Salad, with a real anchovy and egg yolk dressing
- Cobb Salad, chicken, bacon, egg and blue cheese in neat rows, ranch on the side
- Wedge Salad, a cold quarter of iceberg under blue cheese dressing and bacon
- Italian Chopped Salad, salami, provolone and chickpeas in a sharp Italian dressing
Modern Creations
Five plates that use a little heat or a knife skill to turn a salad into something you would order out.
- Roasted Beet and Whipped Goat Cheese Salad, with balsamic vinaigrette
- Charred Broccoli and Farro Salad, a warm grain bowl in honey mustard dressing
- Little Gem, Radish and Herb Salad, herbs by the handful, creamy honeycomb lemon dressing
- Grilled Romaine and Sweet Corn Salad, charred on the grill, roasted red pepper garlic dressing
- Chopped Reuben Salad, the sandwich in a bowl with Thousand Island
The Part That Matters: Dry Leaves
Water on the lettuce is what ruins most home salads. It dilutes the dressing the second it touches, and it slides the dressing straight to the bottom of the bowl. Wash the leaves early, spin them hard, then roll them loosely in a clean towel and chill them while you prep everything else. Cold, dry leaves also stay rigid, so the salad has snap.
Toss or Serve in Rows
Composed salads like the Cobb and the beet salad go out in rows or sections, dressed lightly or with the dressing on the side, so the components stay distinct and nothing weeps into the greens. Chopped salads like the Italian and the Reuben get everything cut to one size and tossed hard, because the sturdy ingredients can take it and often improve after sitting. Match the method to the salad.
More Recipe Guides
Salad Dressings, Appetizers, Side Dishes, Soups and Chowders, Sauces and Condiments, Marinades, and the full recipe collection.
Who Is Writing This
Chef Alan Guerin spent 35 years in professional kitchens, from fine dining rooms to hotels and catering, and earned the Four Diamond distinction six times. He built Wine Drop Cookery to put that experience into plain guides anyone can cook from. More about Chef Alan.