Tahini has a very strong flavor, so it’s a good idea to start with a little bit and see how your salad tastes. You can always add more if you want a stronger flavor. Tahini is made of ground sesame seeds. Hummus gets a lot of its flavor from tahini. You could also try using a couple spoonfuls of hummus as a creamy dressing if you have some handy.
You could also try mashing the avocado if you want it to coat the salad ingredients even more.
Olive tapenade can be made out of all types of olives, so you can choose a variety that you like. For example, if you want a stronger flavor you could use kalamata olive tapenade. If you want a milder flavor you could try black olive tapenade.
Olive oil and balsamic vinegar form the base of many different salad dressings. You can pretty much add any other wet or dry toppings and seasonings to this base to create quick homemade dressings. Olive oil can actually make your salad more healthy because it is a healthy fat and your body needs fats to absorb the most nutrients from your salad’s ingredients.
You could also use another citrus fruit like a lime or an orange instead of a lemon. Feel free to experiment!
Coconut is another type of healthy fat that can add an energy boost to your salad.
Greek yogurt is also full of protein, healthy probiotics, and other vitamins, so your salad will get an extra nutritional boost.
This could be a good option if your salad contains other “Southwesty” ingredients, such as beans and corn.
The fresher and better the ingredients, the better your salad will taste. If you have a local farmer’s market nearby, this is a great place to get your salad’s base ingredients.
Other fruits you can try for adding sweetness and interesting flavors to your salads are raspberries, blackberries, plums, nectarines, grapes, and oranges.
For the best flavor, use fresh-ground pepper. You can also try using special salts like sea salt flakes.
Mint and basil go well together in summery salads. Try combining these herbs with a splash of lemon or another citrus fruit to create a really bold summer flavor. Be careful not to overdo it with strong dried spices. Sprinkle on a little bit at a time and taste your salad as you go until you find the flavor you want.
For example, you could crumble blue cheese onto a salad as an alternative to using a blue cheese salad dressing or you could use feta cheese for a Greek-style salad.
Remember that you can combine different kinds of dry ingredients for big flavor boosts. For example, walnuts and blue cheese go really nicely together.
Hard-boiled egg will add protein to your salad and make it more filling. If you want a salad to be the main course, adding some grated or chopped hard-boiled egg can be the way to go.
Other ideas for seeds and whole grains you can use are flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, farro, and cracked wheat.
