The 4 elements salad, as the title say; is a general rule to my salads; the dressing and it’s conception have the 4 elements, which is in my opinion makes the ultimate salads. The rule for the salad itself is; a nutty touch, a juicy touch, a colorful touch and, the last but not the least, a salty creamy smooth touch. In this case more precisely the color element is the crunchy yellow pepper, then the usual tomatoes for the juicy part , some walnuts to get those proteins and crunch factor, and a delicious herb crusted goat cheese for the creamy and salty end.
The dressing is also a “4 elements rule”, which are oil, vinegar, sweetener and emulsifier (mustard). With the “4 elements rule” you’ll never fail a salad dressing again. Often those supermarkets premade salad dressing aren’t an healthy choice, packed with sodium, too fatty or filled with stabilizers and additives of all kinds, which are related to Crohn disease and Colitis. Fat is necessary to absorb the nutrients from the veggies in the salad, some oils are healthier than others, of course, monounsaturated oils like extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil are the best options. Especially, olive oil is filled with heart protective attributes, and I believe the secret to longevity.
So let’s make this 4 elements salad!
4 elements salad rule
Ingredient
The dressing
- 2 part of oil (olive oil or canola)
- 1 part of vinegar of your choice (depending on the acidity level of the vinegar the quantities will change)
- 1 part juice of your choice (orange, pineapple, apple,) or half a part of sweetener (maple syrup or honey)
- 1 tsp of mustard of your choice (I always have 3 or 4 types of mustard in the fridge, my favorites are grains mustard and white wine mustard, but if your vinegar is super acidic then I suggest a sweet mustard to balance the acidity)
The salad
- Lettuce of your choice (the base)
- a colorful veggie element (yellow pepper in this case)
- a juicy element (the tomatoes in this case but could be any fruits)
- a crunchy nutty element (in this case walnuts, could be simple sunflower seed, sesame, almonds, etc.)
- a creamy, salty element (the cheese of your choice, in this case a herb crusted goat cheese)
So this is my secret to a successful, tasty salads, the 4 elements rule. Hope you’ll enjoy!
The FoodOlic recipes 
I love this post. It totally reminds me of myself and my salad ways. Some people laugh at me for having a “method” for my salads, but it just works out so well. Mine’s a little different than yours (I’m a sucker for fruits in my salad along with the nuts and the soft/salty cheese) but I’m totally going to give yours a shot.
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Yes fruits are the juicy element, just have to exchange with the tomatoes. The salad method is clearly including fruits;) It’s simply an example in the picture.
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This is a great idea – having a “method” for salads makes it easy to pull one together from whatever you have on hand! A great skill to have!
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Yes! I’m not the only salad nerd! I won’t make any compromise when it comes to mix and matching textures in salads. The balance you describe–nutty, juicy, colorful, salty and creamy–is, in my opinion, what turns a ho-hum salad into a memorable dish. Your formula is a winner!
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