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Great Ways to Add Life to Your Salads

Putting a salad on the table is not a bad thing to do. Salads are especially important in a vegetarian diet. Salads are a great way to eat a tasty variety of vegetables with dinner. Salads are colorful and nutritious. With the endless combinations of vegetables you can make, I hope that you aren't bored with salads. You may however be bored with putting the same old dressing on the table with the salad every night. It doesn't matter how creative you are with vegetable combinations. If you dress your salads with the same old dressings time and time again, they will all taste the same. When it's time to get some variety into your salad routine, it's time to break out of the salad dressing mold. Here are some fun things to do to dress up your vegetables.

Really, Dress Them Up

Believe it or not, you are not limited to the salad dressings available on the shelf at the store. You also do not have to eat the contents of an entire bottle of dressing before moving on to another kind. Making your own salad dressing is a fun way to keep your salads interesting. Green salads and composed vegetable salads both go well with more than one style of dressing. To make vinegar based dressings, get some flavored vinegars. Try plum, maple, balsamic and red wine vinegars to start. Take equal parts oil and vinegar and then add flavorings. Mustard and honey are both good emulsifiers. Which one you use will depend on whether your dressing is sweet or savory. Try flavoring your dressings with fresh or roasted garlic, scallions, spices, fruits and nuts. You may also wish to try a creamy dressing. These dressings are very easy to make. All it takes is some combination of buttermilk, sour cream and mayonnaise. You can pick the ratios based on your own preferences for the flavor and consistency in your dressing. Fantastic additions for creamy dressings include roasted garlic, crumbled cheeses and all kinds of peppercorns. When you make your own dressings you get to compliment your meal with flavors. You can also make as much or as little as you want to use before moving on to another dressing.

Meatless Toppers

Dressings are not the only way to give your salad pizzazz. Add all kinds of toppings in addition to your mixed vegetables. If you are in the habit of making salads into meals and you don't want to eat meat, there are still plenty of options for you. When topping your salads, keep in mind texture and flavor combinations. If you add nuts, you probably don't need croutons. If you add fruit, you probably will want to add a flavorful cheese. Dried fruits are fantastic for adding to your salads. They burst with flavor and add great nutrition and a fun chew. Eggs are a good source of protein as an addition to your salad, but use them carefully. They are best when combined with tomatoes and other bright vegetables rather than cheeses and nuts.

Salads are great for a dinner starter or as a meal by themselves. If you are bored with your salads, try dressing them up a little. Have fun mixing all kinds of new salads.