Bobby Flay's Salad Dressing Technique Is 10x Better Than Yours

In the world of celebrity chefs, Bobby Flay has to be near the pinnacle of fame, hosting dozens of Food Network shows and receiving five Daytime Emmys. There are, however, some untold truths about Bobby Flay that you may not know. He was the first chef to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but that doesn't mean he's a mere "television chef." Flay has won more Iron Chef competitions than anyone else — definite proof of his legit culinary skill. He is also a welcome voice when it comes to doling out kitchen advice. In fact, Bobby Flay thinks everyone should know how to make these five dishes, one of which is a salad. Yet in true Flay fashion, his take on salad requires a very easy but unique technique for the dressing.

While working in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen in 2014, Bobby Flay said, "Never pour the vinaigrette right on the greens — that destroys them. Pour the dressing around the sides of the bowl, and then, using your hands, gently push the greens into the dressing to coat them." Once the salad is appropriately dressed, it can be transferred to a serving platter. With this technique, you'll get a nice, light coating on all of your salad ingredients without the need to mix the salad once it's in the serving bowl or already on your plate — which can bruise the greens or spread the salad and dressing to other elements on the dish where you might not want them.

Flay says there's no reason to overcoat your salad leaves because, "You want the greens glistening, not limp." With an overdressed salad, you won't enjoy the beautiful crunch of fresh veggies, and you'll be tasting dressing more than a well-composed dish. But, before you dress the salad, Chef Flay recommends seasoning the veggies with salt and pepper. "It draws out their flavors," he told Bon Appétit. 

Furthermore, in an interview with "Today," Flay advised seeking out the freshest ingredients when making salads, because they are mainly raw. "Also, using a combination of different ingredients that not only complement one another but provide different tastes and textures is equally important." He advocates for a simple chopped salad, which you don't have to be an Iron Chef to accomplish. You just need some chopped lettuce, whatever other crunchy veggies you'd like to add, maybe a cooked element, like chickpeas or beans, and a little Flay-approved preparation technique before it hits the plate.