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Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?

When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness.

But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are exceptions, and in some cases, anticipating the addition of the dressing can sublimate the texture and flavours of your salad.

Let's take a look at these exceptions.

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Last modified on: November 29^th 2024

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Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?

Why add dressing at the last minute?

In general, dressing or sauce tends to soften salad leaves or crunchy bits.
By mixing them in too early, you risk losing the freshness and texture that make a salad so enjoyable to eat.
Croutons soften, vegetables become a little limp, in short, it's not great.

To avoid this, prepare your dressing in advance, but mix it into the salad just before serving.
This ensures that each ingredient retains its original texture, while being delicately coated with flavor.

Do I always have to do this?

No. On the contrary, for some salads, it's a good idea to season a little in advance.
Here are two cases where you can (and perhaps should) mix the dressing a little earlier:

Salads with potatoes: Potatoes, especially when still warm, absorb dressing very well, whether it's a light vinaigrette or a fragrant mayonnaise.
By mixing them ahead of time, they become more melt-in-the-mouth and infused with flavor. This transforms a simple potato salad into a real delight.

Salads with firm vegetables: Some vegetables, like red cabbage or raw beet for example, have a firm texture that early seasoning helps to tenderize slightly, making the salad more pleasant to chew while developing the flavors.

How to find the right balance?

Here are a few tips on when and how to mix your dressing:

For delicate salads: Salad greens, lamb's lettuce or arugula should be seasoned at the very last moment to preserve their freshness.
For mixed salads: If your salad contains croutons or dried fruit, add them after the dressing to keep them crunchy.
For firm vegetable or potato salads: Mix the dressing at least 30 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to soak in and the textures to soften.

A well-seasoned salad is a balance of flavors and textures, and the moment you add the dressing plays an essential role.
Follow the general rule to preserve crunch, but don't hesitate to get ahead of the game with potatoes or firm vegetables to enhance their flavor and tenderness.

To sum up: every salad has its own specificities. Test, adjust and find the perfect moment to season your own.

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