If you have been following my posts the last couple weeks, you know I have been on a bit of a soup kick lately. Well, where there is soup……….there is bound to be a SALAD somewhere! So, in order to honor the traditional menu partner to soup, today I am going to teach you my tricks of the trade for making an awesome B.A.S., which is short for BIG ASS SALAD.
If you would rather watch me put the salad together live (and tell you the story of how I almost cut my thumb off with the mandolin slicer), check out the video below from our community Facebook group.
So, there aren’t too many (or any, really) rules when constructing your B.A.S., but below I am going to outline the guidelines I use to put them together, as well as some of the pro-tips for helping your B.A.S. stay fresh as long as possible!
Step 1: Soak your veggies
Soaking your veggies (and fruit) for 10-20 minutes in a salt or vinegar bath will help remove any residual pesticides and herbicides used on your produce. If you think that eating organic makes you ineligible for this, think again! Compared to the 900 different varieties of chemicals used by conventional farmers, organic farmers are allowed to use 25 of these synthetic pesitcides. So, even organic farmers use pesticides on their crops, just different ones and in very regulated amounts. You can buy great veggie washes by companies like Rebel Greens or using a simple 10% salt solution.
Step 2: Arrange your veggies
When making a Big Ass Salad, it is important to consider what you want to include. For instance, this week’s Big Ass Salad included:
Baby spinach
Spring mix
Romaine hearts
Radishes
Celery
Carrots
Cucumber
Remember, there is no “right” way to put your salad together, anything goes (for the most part), get creative with different colors and types of veggies each week. More on that topic in an upcoming post!
Use a 9×13 pan or another large storage container to arrange your salad, layering in each type of veggie you choose to include.
Step 3: Preserve your veggies
There is nothing worse than making a salad, only to have it going bad within a few days. Here are a few of the strategies I use to get my salad to stay fresher, longer!
1. Spin your salad dry! Use a salad spinner to remove the excess moisture from the greens.
2. Hand-shred your lettuce, or use a salad knife. Using a metal blade will cause your greens to oxidize and turn brown.
3. Place a damp paper towel over top of the lettuce before placing the lid on the container. You can use the same method if storing in a ziploc bag.
Getting into the habit of making a big ass salad each week will be a huge help in your meal prep process. You can keep your big ass salad in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and is an easy way to put together an easy, last-minute meal by adding a healthy fat and protein source. For instance, add some rotisserie chicken and some sliced avocado to your salad with a little salsa for a yummy southwest-inspired salad.