The elements of a salad

What defines a salad? Is it merely a few ingredients tossed together in a bowl with a dressing, or is it more complex than that? My view is that a salad is a mixture of ingredients, individually prepared (as opposed to cooked together in a stew), that work in harmony with each other, either by being very similar in texture and colour or by opposing each other, for example crunch supporting smooth. Some salads are elegantly plated assemblages while others are casually tossed together.

To create harmony, you sometimes need to create a clash of some sort. Adding a contrasting flavour or texture to a mix can often highlight other ingredients in the same dish. In these recipes, you’ll discover, for example, the shock of a sweet roast grape that highlights sharp citrus notes, or fiery chilli used to enliven sweet mango.