1. Don’t dress your salad too early. 

Dress at the table when you are seated to stop the leaves getting droopy from “cooking” in the acidity of the dressing. 

2. Simple is best.

I’d rather you serve a couple of simple salads rather than load all your ingredients into one bowl. For example, setting down a tomato, mozzarella and basil salad alongside a purely green salad of iceberg, cucumber and avocado is far classier than tumbling them all in a bowl together. Use the simplest vinaigrette for the green salad simple as the avocado will bring the creaminess.

3. Salads aren’t just for summer. 

Pretty much any roasted root vegetables are great paired with a balsamic dressing, especially if red onions are part of the story. Witlof with parmesan and a balsamic dressing is another perfect winter salad. 

4. Salads aren’t just about leaves and veg. 

Contemplate adding fruit (but keep any dressing either tart or salty and never creamy) or carbs like barley, freekeh or brown rice. 

5. Match the salad to the protein. 

Keep the flavour profile the same. Serve a salad of dates, orange and mint with slow-roasted Middle Eastern lamb shoulder. A little orange blossom water, olive oil and salt will be the only dressing you’ll need.

6. Pasta salads are the devil’s work. ‘nuff said.

7. Contrast flavours in your salad. 

Add some chopped dates to contrast the saltiness of the feta in your ancient grains salad, or experiment with the sourness of a vinaigrette against a salad of tomatoes and plums.

8. Contrast textures, too.

Try adding some toasted pepitas to that pumpkin and rocket salad, or pops of pomegranate gems and creamy goat’s cheese to your next nutty grain salad.

9. Red oak and coral lettuce…

…were sent here from the depths of hell to punish us.