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How To Make Your Best Accompaniment Salad (Tossed Salad)

January 18, 2021 By Lea Ann Brown 2 Comments

Learning how to make a good restaurant quality tossed salad, or Accompaniment Salad as we learned to call it in Culinary School, is a mark of a good cook. Turn your next tossed salad into one of quality that’s vibrant in color, well balanced, well dressed and remarkable in flavor and texture.

A perfect tossed salad in a wooden salad bowl.

What You Can Expect From This Recipe

You’ll learn how to make an accompaniment salad, step by step, a simple technique, so easy to do but a bit time consuming to explain.

When is a good salad ever out of style, or place? Never! It’s pure, it’s palate cleansing and full of nutrition.

Well-made, and dressed with care, it’s a thing of itself. No need to endlessly search for good green salad recipes, learning this solid method will turn out delicious tossed salad every time. It’s an essential skill for any home cook to know how to make a good salad.

Bonus Info: Below in the recipe card, you’ll find the standard Accompaniment Salad Dressing Recipe from Culinary School. A traditional simple vinaigrette that brings out and enhances the natural flavors of greens without disguising or over powering their delicate and fresh flavors.

But what makes a tossed salad a great salad? The characteristics of an accompaniment salad should consist of natural flavors that are heightened and not disguised. Not complex or difficult, but rather fresh, crisp and balanced.

You’ll also learn what to put into a tossed salad, and when. Example, it’s important to know when to add a porous mushroom, or a hard vegetable like a bell pepper. No one wants to bite into a soggy mushroom or mushy cheese.

Follow these secrets, then sit back and wait for your guests to ask you why it’s so good.

What Is The Definition Of An Accompaniment Salad?

An accompaniment salad is an official name for a tossed salad. A salad of fruit, or vegetables which is served alongside a main course for dinner. The flavors of this salad are to compliment the flavors of the meal.

What You Can Expect From This Recipe
- What Is The Definition Of An Accompaniment Salad?
Step by Step Instructions
Tips For Success
- Step 9: How To Properly Dress A Salad
Ingredients. What To Put in A Tossed Salad and When
Questions You May Have
- Some of Our Best Accompaniment Salad Recipes

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Choose Quality Salad Ingredients

Seek out the freshest lettuces and greens you can find. When choosing a head of lettuce for a tossed salad, turn it upside down and look at the bottom of the stalk where it has been cut. It should be fresh, green and with no discoloring. Leaves should be vibrant and free of dark and shriveled leaves.
Mix up lettuce varieties for texture and color. I like to start with Red Leaf for its showy beauty. Then look to add romaine, spinach, butter leaf, arugula and curly green leaf. This is only a start, but these are salad greens that are readily available. If you can find a good head of Frisee, grab it. It’s curly leaves a beautiful addition.

Secrets to making the best tossed salad.

Step 2: Give Those Greens A Good Washing

Lettuce washing is not difficult, but dedication is required to do the job right.

Separate the lettuce into individual leaves.
Rinse each leaf under cold running water and place the leaves in a large bowl.
Run the bowl as full with fresh water, swish the leaves around, then remove them to a colander to drain.

The secret to making the best tossed salad

Step 3: How To Wash Lettuce and Keep It Crisp?

Don’t let lettuce leaves soak in the water for long or you’ll rid them of vitamins, flavor and crispness.
This second rinsing step is important, as you’ll be surprised to find there will still be some dirt at the bottom of the bowl even after that initial cold water rinse.
After the final bath, run a blast of cold water over the leaves in the colander.
Let them drain while you prepare for step #3.

Drying lettuce leaves to make an accompaniment salad.

Step 4: Thoroughly Dry The Lettuce Leaves

Wet greens may be just alright, but dry leaves make a great salad greater. Why are wet leaves a less desirable? Wet leaves become soggy leaves. But most important, the moisture on the leaves will dilute the dressing when we apply it.

Dry each leaf carefully with paper towels
Or better yet, use a salad spinner. I’ve had several salad spinners, and OXO Good Grips is my spinner of choice.

Storing lettuce leaves in the refrigerator for an accompaniment salad.

Step 5: How To Store The Lettuce Properly

Tucking lettuce leaves into paper towels was one of the best tricks I learned about storing greens in Culinary School.

After the lettuce has been dried, lay out a length of paper towels or very clean cloth towels.
Lay the washed greens on top and either roll them jelly roll style or gently fold the towels over the top of the greens.
Place the covered greens in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them.
TIP: If you are planning to store them for a day, place the paper towel filled leaves in a sealed container or plastic bag.

How to put garlic in a salad bowl to make a tossed salad

Step 6: How To Properly Prepare A Tossed Salad

Start by adding Garlic To A Wooden Salad Bowl.

Some suggest merely rubbing your wooden salad bowl with a clove of garlic and then tossing the clove of garlic away. I call that wimpy.

Either fine chop or use a garlic press to add garlic to the salad bowl.
Rub the chopped garlic against the sides and bottom of the bowl and leave the pieces there until you’re ready to go.

Chilling salad plates to make an accompaniment salad.

Step 7: Chill Those Salad Plates

Chill salad plates in the refrigerator, or even better in the freezer. A salad on a chilled plate just tastes better. Try it!

Adding oil and garlic to a wooden salad bowl to make an accompaniment salad.

Step 8: Construction Time, How To Build A Tossed Salad

Don’t begin construction of the salad until a few minutes before serving. Of course, you can chop and slice any vegetables you’re adding in advance.

Remove the salad leaves from the refrigerator and tear them into bite sized pieces.
Add the lettuce pieces to that garlicky salad bowl on top of the olive oil.
Using tongs, salad tossers, or even your very clean hands, toss the greens until each leaf glistens beautifully with olive oil.

TIP: The olive oil seals in the leave’s moisture keeping each leaf crisp, the crispness that was achieved by following the previous steps.

Tips For Success

Purchase a good quality olive oil. An easy to find mass produced brand is Pompeian. Add four tablespoons of good fruity aromatic olive oil to that garlicky salad bowl. Looking to learn more about olive oils, I like this article from Food Network, Top 12 Best Olive Oils For Cooking.
Use a wooden salad bowl and rub chopped garlic over it’s interior surface before making your salad.

How to make the best tossed salad. Wooden Salad hands for tossing.

Step 9: How To Properly Dress A Salad

Right after you’ve coated the salad leaves with the oil, sprinkle the following over the salad greens:

Juice of ½ lemon, squeezed directly into the bowl, picking out seeds
½ teaspoon salt
Several grindings of black pepper
In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, and a dash of Tabasco Sauce (then add to salad)
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Toss the salad greens again vigorously, but gently to distribute the dressing ingredients.

At this time, add any vegetables, such as bell pepper, cucumbers, onions, etc. Toss until add-in ingredients have been well distributed among the lettuce leaves.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Grab those chilled salad plated from the refrigerator and plate that beautiful salad.

Ingredients. What To Put in A Tossed Salad and When

Looking to add more ingredients to your perfect tossed salad? Here’s a list of green salad ingredients, what you can add, and when you should add it.

Hard, crisp and non moist ingredients

Can be added with the lettuce with the first tossing, Step #8.

Celery
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Onion
And Cabbage for example.

Delicate and porous ingredients.

After the olive oil, at the same time you’re dressing the salad in Step #9.

Sliced fresh mushrooms
Firm cheeses
Chilled meats
Whole grapes
Raisins (I like to add soaked raisins)
Fresh apple
Radishes
Olives
Seeds or nuts would fall into this category.

Ingredients to add only at the end.

Right before serving would be delicate or crumbly items that will serve as a topping. Examples:

Hard boiled egg
Ripe avocado
Juicy fresh tomatoes
Soft cheeses and most fresh fruit

Questions You May Have

Are Wooden Salad Bowls Better?

I say yes! Not only for nostalgic appearance reasons, but also their ability to capture the fresh garlic flavor. A ceramic or glass bowl simply can’t do what a wooden bowl can do. Think wooden and think large. A wooden salad bowl needn’t cost you an arm and a leg. There are some absolutely beautiful showy bowls if you’re willing to spend. I found one that works quite nicely at Ikea for under $15.

Simply stated, a salad just looks better and presents better in a wooden salad bowl.

How Do You Clean A Wooden Salad Bowl?

To clean a wooden salad bowl, just use a mild dish soap, a sponge and rinse it well under under warm water. Important: dry the bowl thoroughly, as liquid is the enemy of wooden salad bowls. Never put a wooden salad bowl in the dishwasher. It will warp or crack.

Now that you’re a salad making expert you’re probably looking for more ideas to make your best tossed green salad recipe for your next meal. Try the technique on these mixed green salad recipes.

Some of Our Best Accompaniment Salad Recipes

And one of the most popular on my site for a salad with Mango Dressing.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Accompaniment salad in a wooden salad bowl.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

How To Make The Best Accompaniment Salad (recipe)

Looking for the best tossed salad recipe? A recipe and a method that turns a good salad into a great salad? Learn how to make a restaurant quality accompaniment salad step by step, one that's well balanced, well dressed and remarkable in flavor and texture.

Prep Time40

Total Time40

Course: Salads, Salad Dressings and Vinaigrettes

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 142kcal

Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

4-5 cups lettuce leaves mixed varieties
4 tablespoons olive oil good quality and fruity
½ lemon juiced
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper fresh grouned (several grindings)
1 clove garlic minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspooon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 dashes Tabasco Sauce
2-3 Tablespoons parsley fresh, fine chopped
1 red bell pepper cut into slivers
½ cup red onion cut into slivers
½ cup olives halved
¼ cup goat cheese small chunks
½ – 1 avocado chopped into small chunks
1 pinch oregano dried, for sprinkling at the end

Instructions

Chill salad plates in either refrigerator or freezer.
Wash, rinse and dry lettuce: Wash each leaf under cold running water. Then place leaves in a large bowl filled with lukewarm water. Swish the leaves around and immediately place them in a colander to drain.
Dry the leaves by wiping them with paper towels or using a salad spinner. Make sure to get as much as the moisture off as possible.
Place the dried leaves on paper towels. Roll the leaves up jelly roll style or fold the paper towels over the leaves. Place them in the refrigerator to store until you’re ready to construct the salad. If you want to store them a day in advance, place the paper towel stored leaves in a plastic bag.
Fine dice or press the garlic clove through a garlic press. Rub the garlic on the side of your salad bowl.
Add the olive oil to the bowl.
Remove the lettuce from the refrigerator and with your clean hands, tear into bite-sized pieces.
Place the torn lettuce leaves on top of the olive oil.
With clean hands, or salad tossers, toss the lettuce gently but vigerously until each leaf glistens with olive oil.
Squeeze on the juice of ½ lemon. Remove any seeds that landed in the bowl.
In a small bowl mix together the mustard, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Add the salt, Worcestershire sauce mixture, red bell pepper strips slivered red onion, olives and fresh parsley to the salad greens. Mix well.
Top with chunks of avocado and goat cheese. I also like to sprinkle on just a touch of dried oregano at the end. Serve immediately.

Notes

Tips for Success

Purchase a good quality olive oil. An easy to find mass produced brand is Pompeian. Add four tablespoons of good fruity aromatic olive oil to that garlicky salad bowl. Looking to learn more about olive oils, I like this article from Food Network, Top 12 Best Olive Oils For Cooking.

Use a wooden salad bowl and rub chopped garlic over it’s interior surface before making your salad.

Nutrition

How To Make A Professional Accompaniment Salad … It’s a skill to learn.

Baked Cheese and Chorizo Empanadas

January 16, 2021 By Lea Ann Brown 10 Comments

These empanadas de chorizo are baked rather than fried and this Argentinian specialty takes a Tex-Mex spin with a filling of chorizo, cheese, and roasted chile peppers. Adding cream cheese to empanada dough allows for elasticity and produces tender and flaky results. Give these chorizo empanadas a try.

About this Recipe and Why it Works

Making empanadas is really not as hard as it looks.

What are empanadas? Empanadas are crescent shaped pastries filled with a variety of ingredients. Empanadas are either fried or baked golden for a perfect handheld treat.

Fillings can include anything from seasoned beef, chicken, pork, seafood or vegetables and even pumpkin.

For this recipe, we’re baking chorizo empanadas.

One afternoon in Culinary School, we made around four hundred authentic Argentinean empanadas. We learned the technique of holding the filled empanada in one hand and using the other hand to twist the pasty into a beautiful braided border to seal the package. That braided border is called a repulgue.

There were about a dozen of us in an unsupervised assembly line and unfortunately I remember more about our conversations than I do the learning experience.

Once the empanadas were filled and sealed, they were handed over to Nathan who was manning the deep fryer for their traditional cooking method.

Some were burnt, some fell apart because they weren’t sealed properly, or overfilled, and some were greasy due to not keeping the deep fryer at proper temperature. It was somewhat of a mess.

It wasn’t until this past Fall, when our son had us over for happy hour, that my interest in making these at home became a quest. His girlfriend Julie served some of the most delicious chorizo empanadas I’ve ever had, and when she announced they were baked, I was all in.

Let’s take a look.

Ingredients for Making Baked Empanadas Dough

Mise en place. Always gather ingredients before starting any recipe. It will save you time and organize your mind.

Ingredients to make cream cheese empanada dough — Ingredients for Cream Cheese Empanada Dough

Cream Cheese: Full fat cream cheese not only adds an additional depth of flavor, but also brings elasticity to the dough, which in turn yields a tender flaky crust once baked.
Butter: My favorite “fat” for making pastry dough. It produces a beautiful all butter pie crust, as well as for this empanada dough. And it brings that buttery flavor that we all love.
Salt and Flour: The backbone of the dough.

Filling Ingredients Chorizo Empanadas

Cilantro: Fine chopped.
Grated Cheese: I chose a medium sharp cheddar cheese.
Chorizo: Purchased bulk packaged, rather than a tube of chorizo.
Spices: Oregano and Cumin
Chile Peppers: Roasted, peeled and chopped. I use either Hatch Chiles or Colorado Pueblo Chiles.
Olives: I chose black olives, chopped. They add a briny flavor note and additional texture.
Seasoning: Chopped garlic, salt and pepper, to taste.

Ingredient Swaps

Protein: Use ground beef, ground chicken or turkey in place of the chorizo. If using a lean protein, you’ll need to add a splash of oil to the pan before frying.
Cheese: Use any type of cheese for this recipe, as long as it’s a hard cheese that will grate well. Monterey Jack is a good choice here, or Muenster.
Chile Peppers: This recipe calls for Hatch chile peppers. If you don’t have a stash of roasted peppers in your freezer, substitute canned Hatch chiles. Roasted poblano peppers are a good choice here.
Olives: Next time I make these, I want to use chopped green olives in place of the black olives.

How to make Baked Empanada Dough

Mixing cream cheese dough to make empanadas — Step 1

Step 1: In a large bowl, add room temperature cream cheese, cold butter, flour and salt. Using a dough blender, start combining ingredients.

Shaggy mass dough stage for empanadas — Step 2

Step 2: Mix the dough until you achieve the “shaggy mass” stage. Dough will be crumbly but begins to clump together. This stage will easily form a ball.

Wrapping empanada dough in plastic wrap to rest in the refrigerator. — Step 3

Step 3: Press the cream cheese empanada dough together to form a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for thirty minutes or even overnight if you wish.

The Filling

How to cook chorizo filling for empanadas — Step 4

Step 4: In the meantime, prepare the filling for the empanadas. Simply brown chorizo and remove from heat. Drain excess grease, if needed, and stir in remaining ingredients.

It’s time to fill and seal chorizo empanadas.

Step 5. Roll the dough and fill the empanadas. Using a rolling pin and a floured surface, roll the dough to ⅛ inch thick. Cut the dough into circles. I used a 4-inch mini tart pan to cut my circles.
Step 6: Place a small amount of filling in the center. Make sure you have a clean margin of dough around the edge of the filling. Don’t overfill the empanadas, or you’ll end up with filling that leaks out during baking, or an empanada that breaks.

Step 7: Fold the dough over and using the back of a fork to press the edges together.

Empanadas made with cream cheese dough ready to bake — Step 8

Step 8: Place the sealed empanadas de chorizo on a sheet pan and brush with an egg and milk mixture. This will help them to turn that beautiful golden brown while baking.

FAQ’s, Empanadas de Chorizo

Use cold butter.

Keep that butter nice and cold before blending the empanada dough. If the butter is too warm, it will blend too quickly to achieve that shaggy mass stage.

How do I successfully roll baked empanada dough?

Using a floured surface and a rolling pin. Roll dough to ⅛ inch thick. And yes, use a ruler to measure the thickness. Consistency will result in even baking. Once you cut your circles, you’ll have left over dough. Carefully shape the scraps into a ball and roll out again.

What size should empanadas be?

I used a 4″ mini tart pan to cut my empanadas. They can be 4″, 5″ or 6″, whichever you prefer.

What should I use to cut the empanada dough?

A mini tart pan works well, or a bowl that doesn’t have a wide rim. You can also purchase empanada makers or empanada presses.

Can I make chorizo empanadas ahead of time?

Yes, and it’s actually a benefit for both the dough and the filling. Refrigerating the dough overnight will allow the dough to relax and lose its stretchiness. The filling will also be less runny and will be easier to manage when filling the empanadas.

Can I freeze empanadas?

Absolutely! They will keep in the freezer for about three months.

How to reheat empanadas:

If reheating frozen empanadas, let them thaw and then heat them on low on a sheet pan at 200 degrees until they’re nice and warm. Watch them carefully, you don’t want to cook them again, just warm them up. Using a microwave will compromise the flaky crispy texture of the baked empanada dough.

Pro Tip: Use Cold Butter. Keep that butter nice and cold before blending the empanada dough. If the butter is too warm, it will blend too quickly and you will not achieve that shaggy mass stage.

Recipe for Baked Chorizo Empanadas (Empanadas de Chorizo)

I hope you give this chorizo empanada recipe a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And scroll down and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.

And if you have a favorite empanadas de chorizo recipe, let me know. Now that I had such success with this recipe, I’m looking for more filling ideas for chorizo.

Dipping sauce for empanadas: Serve with either Tomato Salsa or Roasted Hatch Chile Sauce.

And if you love Mexican food as much as we do, check out my Mexican Food Category. You’ll find plenty of fun recipes, including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chili.

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Chorizo Empanadas ( Empanadas de Chorizo )

Adding cream cheese to empanada dough allows elasticity and produces tender and flaky results. These empanadas are baked rather than fried and this Argentinian specialty takes a Tex-Mex spin with a filling of chorizo, cheese, and roasted chile peppers.

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Resting Time30

Total Time1 50

Course: Appetizer Recipes

Cuisine: Southwestern Mexican

Servings: empanadas

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Lea Ann Brown