Why You Should Add Salad Dressing To The Bowl First

Don't worry — you won't be eating the salad assembled like this, with the dressing coating the bowl, not the ingredients. Luckily, there's tossing involved! The idea still might sound a little backwards, but Joanne Gallagher, recipe creator and co-founder of the popular food blog, Inspired Taste, has it right.

"Spooning salad dressing into the bowl first, before adding greens and other ingredients, gives you more control over how the dressing coats every leaf," explains Gallagher. "By layering the ingredients directly on top and then tossing, you allow the dressing to touch all sides of the greens." Drizzling the dressing directly on top of salad — the only method most of us have ever known — will inevitably cause some greens to be graced with more dressing than others, even after tossing.

Gallagher points out that dressing the bowl first is especially useful when using homemade salad dressings (like a vinaigrette, the store-bought dressing you should always make at home) as they tend to be thicker and bolder tasting. "They need a little encouragement to mix, and benefit from direct contact with the greens," says Gallagher. And that direct contact pays off — the dressing is able to coat more surface area of the greens, which allows toppings to adhere better to them, too. Gallagher assures, "You'll get a well-coated, flavorful bite throughout the salad."

While you can use this method with any type of dressing, Joanne Gallagher notes that thicker dressings work best — think Caesar, homemade Italian, honey mustard, or those made with tahini. But the greens matter too. According to Gallagher, "This method is especially good for sturdy greens or chopped salads, since the dressing gets into all the pieces." These types of greens — such a kale, romaine, and collards — and heartier salads can hold up against thicker dressings while being tossed around.

Speaking of tossing, Gallagher suggests not skipping this step, as it ensures no salad leaves or toppings go undressed. "Spoon the dressing into the bottom of the bowl, then add your greens and other ingredients on top. Toss well from the bottom up, using tongs or your hands." Tongs work great for a dinner party, but if you're eating solo, you can use your hands for a better tossed salad. It's a small tweak, but Gallagher's method of flipping your salad routine upside down is a simple way to make homemade salads taste like they're from a restaurant.