Maple Syrup Is The Secret Ingredient Your Salad Has Been Missing All Along

One of the biggest mistakes you can make with salads is underestimating the dressing. Without it, all you will have is a bowl of leafy greens, vegetables, and fruits, disjointedly piled up. Simply sticking to the same few ingredients when you're crafting a great dressing hardly helps, either. Every once in a while, it needs a secret ingredient, something that makes the familiar flavor thread more exciting, and that's what maple syrup is for. It sweetens lattes. It dazzles waffles. And it can make a memorable twist for your favorite salad.

Salad dressing is far from one of the most unconventional ways to use maple syrup, but it will surprise you regardless. The sweet depth is as comforting as it is sophisticated, with a caramel-like richness that rounds out every rough edge in your dressing. It mellows mustard's sharpness, adds vibrancy to plain mayo, softens an accidental saltiness, and if you've got a vinegar that's too acidic for its own good, maple syrup will balance that tang out easily. The woodsy undertone comes in at the end, softly lingering in the aftertaste as you dig in for another forkful. It's a subtle complexity, the kind that becomes more enticing the longer it sits on your palate, and sometimes, that's all you need to level up your dressing game.

Think of your favorite dressing. There's a good chance a few tablespoons of maple syrup will make it better. It could be a mustard vinaigrette, often peppery and tangy, now also laced with a sweet smoothness. Maybe your go-to is a balsamic dressing, so complement the vinegar's sweet depth with that of maple syrup. A creamy version, with mayonnaise as a base, would also be marvelous when maple syrup joins in. Find vibrancy and a tangy heat in a homemade Catalina dressing, where Worcestershire sauce and wine vinegar join maple syrup. And if you don't want to think too much about adjusting the ratio, simply opt for 2 tablespoons of olive oil and vinegar each to match with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

Needless to say, these dressings are spectacular drizzled over just about any bowl of mixed greens, and then some. As fall barrels in, a maple-balsamic vinaigrette is just what you need for an apple harvest salad. Toss it with seasonal fruits like pears and apples, mixed greens such as kale and spinach, and candied nuts for good measure. Dried cranberries are another splendid addition, especially during Thanksgiving and the holidays. And nothing completes a hearty fall-style salad containing roasted fall veggies such as butternut squash or carrots, mixed with walnuts and feta cheese, all coated in a maple syrup, dijon mustard, and balsamic vinegar dressing. Even when the season doesn't call for it, maple syrup is still a great fit. In fact, it might just be the missing condiment you never knew your coleslaw needed.