Be gentle with lettuce 
All varieties of lettuce bruise easily – so handle with care! Never squash leaves and be gentle when you wash and dry them. One method is to submerge the leaves in icy water, remove, then towel or spin dry. If you’re using a wholehead lettuce like iceburg, slice in half, cut a V in the core then chop across the head. Other varieties can be sliced with a knife or torn with fingers. Regardless, to avoid wilting, always cut and dress lettuce as close to serving as possible.
Serve up perfect avocado
Forget lemon juice or cold water – the only way to stop an avocado going brown in a salad is to peel and chop them right before serving. The easiest method is to cut the fruit in half, remove the stone and skin, and slice lengthways.
Say goodbye to onion tears
Spanish onion adds plenty of punch to a salad – but stinging eyes and onion tears are no fun for anyone. Put an end to watery eyes by chopping onions directly under a ventilation fan or freeze them first.
Adore your dressing
A salad is only as good as its dressing, so it pays to master the classics – vinaigrette, balsamic and mayonnaise-based. The mustard vinaigrette on this salad is note-perfect, or you could substitute some vinegar for lemon, orange or grapefruit juice for a citrus twist. This delicious balsamic sauceneeds only three ingredients and can be prepared days ahead. And make the mayonnaise in this creamy dressingfrom scratch, or simply swap in rich and smooth S&W Whole Egg Mayonnaise.
Sprinkle in some protein
Nuts and seeds add wonderful flavour and texture to a salad, and pack a nutritional punch. Walnuts, pepitas and pistachios work beautifully in salads that feature soft cheese or sweet fruits, while toasted almonds, cashews and sesame seeds are best suited to salads with an Asian influence. To toast, place in a dry pan on medium-high heat and toss until golden.
