The Golden Ratio Salad (Printer-Friendly)

Vibrant salad blending greens, avocado, tomatoes, and feta for an eye-catching, flavorful dish.

# What You Need:

→ Greens

01 - 4 cups mixed baby greens (arugula, spinach, watercress)

→ Vegetables & Fruits

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 ripe avocado, sliced
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

→ Cheese & Nuts

07 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
08 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

→ Dressing

09 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 1 tsp honey
12 - 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Steps:

01 - Arrange mixed baby greens on a large serving platter, forming a subtle spiral or sweeping curve inspired by the Golden Ratio.
02 - Artfully layer cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, yellow bell pepper, cucumber, and pomegranate seeds along the spiral, starting with larger pieces at approximately 61.8% along the platter’s main axis, tapering outward.
03 - Sprinkle crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts over the salad, focusing slightly more at the focal point to enhance visual appeal.
04 - Whisk extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
05 - Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad just prior to serving to maintain the arrangement for dramatic presentation.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's proof that a salad can be a centerpiece, not an afterthought.
  • Every bite tastes like you actually tried, even though it comes together in twenty minutes.
02 -
  • Slice your vegetables just before assembly—this sounds fussy but it's the difference between a salad that looks alive and one that looks tired after ten minutes.
  • The spiral arrangement isn't actually about mathematics; it's a loose visual guide that makes plating intuitive rather than stressful.
03 -
  • Toast your pine nuts in a dry pan for two minutes right before assembly so they're warm and fragrant, not stale and flat.
  • Make your dressing first and taste it—this salad is simple, so every flavor element needs to be exactly right before it hits the plate.
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