The easy way to add a spicy touch to your salads

One of the best things about salads is that they can hit every note on the flavor spectrum with just a little bit of customization. Tomatoes work when you’re looking for something sweet and juicy. Add more greens when you want your salad to be a little earthier and crunchier. But what if it’s a burst of brightness and acidity you’re looking for? You have plenty of great choices, but the simplicity (and effectiveness) of an ingredient makes it a chef’s favorite – literally. According to Chef Megan McCarthy, Edible Garden Chef at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, founder of Healthy Eating 101, and Have A Plant® Ambassador for the Foundation for Fresh Produce: “When you’re looking for a touch of vibrancy, fresh lemon zest is a must. !”

Lemon zest is what we call the yellow outer layer of the peel of a lemon. This is where the fragrant essential oils of lemon are concentrated, and it’s exactly what we need to give our salads a facelift. Getting this zest is easy: just take a microplane or fine grater and gently pass it over the surface of the lemon. The key word here is sweet, because you want to avoid the white layer underneath (called pith), which can add unwanted bitterness.

Once you’ve collected your zest, you can simply scatter it over your favorite salad as a garnish. Don’t have a recipe in mind yet? Well, it’s a good thing we have plenty of them on hand!

Read more: 36 delicious ways to use leftover rice

Salads in which your zest will shine

As the days get colder, try your hand at making a chicory and walnut salad. Bitter chicory and peppery arugula, when flavored with garlic paste and toasted walnuts, become a hearty winter salad that is both satisfying and sophisticated. Although our original recipe calls for orange juice and zest, feel free to experiment with lemon instead. Want to taste summer in the middle of December? Get some fresh tomatoes and make a tomato salad with gremolata. It’s an Italian blend of finely chopped parsley, garlic and, you guessed it, lemon zest. Sprinkle some into your tomato salad for an extra hit of herbs and citrus.

In case you want something a little heartier that doubles as a main dish, there’s always the Lemon Dill Chicken Orzo Salad. Toss orzo pasta with yogurt-marinated chicken breasts and a creamy lemon-yoghurt dressing. Garnish with fresh dill and zest, and you have one hell of a comfort food that will seem light and fresh any time of year.

It’s amazing how such a simple and inexpensive ingredient can transform simple salads into feasts of flavors, isn’t it? Try it next time you’re in the kitchen. Your next favorite salad recipe might just be a lemon!

Read the original article on the tasting table.