The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss, Enjoy!: Recipes for Making Fabulous Salads Every Day

Schrijver, the TikTok creator behind @TheSaladLab, showcases her structured approach to salads in her debut collection of 109 recipes that encourage both organization and creativity. Schrijver’s recipes all follow the same three steps: “Start Out,” in which one assembles and preps ingredients; “Whisk,” in which one makes the dressing; and “Toss,” the final assembly stage. Classics, including Greek salad and tabbouleh, are followed by originals organized by theme. Seasonal options include a summer wedding salad featuring roasted vegetables, and Michelle Obama’s spring pea salad features in a short chapter of recipes taken from celebrities. Salads inspired by locations include an Arizona chopped salad in which smoked salmon, cranberries, and corn mimic the colors of an Arizona sunset. The playful “Everything Is a Salad” section features a lox and bagel salad with bagel croutons and a fish taco salad with cheesy tortilla croutons. Schrijver’s format is appealing but sometimes deceptively simple, with extra steps like chopping, dicing, peeling, and occasionally even cooking hiding out in the ingredients list. The Winter Wedge iceberg salad, for example, references four additional recipes that must be made in advance. Still, Schrijver provides plenty of useful tips (for example, readers can crisp salad greens by soaking them in ice water), variations, and ideas for substitutions throughout. Those looking to expand their salad options will find both a useful methodology and plenty of inspiration. (June)