How To Pair Honeycomb With Your Salad For A Gourmet Experience

Most popular salads are savory, like the classic Caesar or Cobb, but there's no reason your homemade salads don't deserve a sweet component to give them an edge. We're not talking about fruit; we're talking about honeycomb: That golden, hexagonal-structured masterpiece produced by bees, which you can find in many supermarkets nowadays. Unlike honey from a jar, honeycomb has a distinct look and texture that can take various foods to the next level, and Jane Olivia, a nutrition-based holistic private chef, gave us her best tips on incorporating it into salads for a totally gourmet experience.

If you've never had honeycomb, you might be wondering what, exactly, it tastes like, and why it's worth adding to a salad. According to Olivia, "Honeycomb adds a clean, floral sweetness that's more complex than a traditional drizzle of honey." Along with being more complex, honeycomb is also healthier than processed honey because it's raw. Far more nutrients remain in raw honey, so the health benefits are plentiful, making it an optimal salad topping.

Before stocking up on it, though, keep in mind that honeycomb shouldn't be treated as a main salad ingredient. "I like to break it into small, bite-sized pieces and top the salad with it right before serving," Olivia says. Going for fresh honeycomb at room temperature can help with this, as it will be easier to break apart. You can also trim harder edges to avoid any textural woes, Olivia says. Adding small pieces can bring a whole new textural component to the salad as a whole, and it will also prevent any abrupt, overpowering bites. "[It] contrasts nicely with the crispy greens, crunchy nuts, and salty cheese. It instantly elevates a salad and makes it feel special," she explains.

We're always in the mood for a little hint of sweetness, but when it comes to salads, you'll want to be particular about which ingredients you pair honeycomb with; after all, nobody wants a Niçoise salad with a honeycomb topping. Thankfully, there are plenty of common salad ingredients that pair excellently with it. In terms of greens, "Honeycomb pairs beautifully with slightly bitter or peppery greens like frisée, arugula, or radicchio because they balance the sweetness," Olivia says. For cheeses, she prefers creamy or salty varieties like goat cheese, feta, or shaved pecorino. The contrast between tangy and sweet adds a level of flavor you just can't get on a typical house salad.

In addition to flavor contrast, Olivia also likes to add ingredients that contrast with the soft yet chewy honeycomb. "I recommend a crunchy element like toasted pistachios, almonds, or walnuts," she says. It's a general understanding that nuts pair well with honey — why else would honey-roasted nuts exist? Adding them to a salad with honeycomb allows them to shine both texturally and flavor-wise. Plus, a handful of nuts will add a bit of extra protein to your salad as well.

If you choose to add a dressing, Olivia recommends keeping it on the lighter side. "You want the dressing to complement the honeycomb, not compete with it," she says. To do this, she recommends going with something simple like a lemon vinaigrette, a champagne vinegar dressing, or a simple olive oil and citrus combo. If you go with a bottled salad dressing, try to avoid ones with added sweeteners. Honeycomb might not be the center of your salad, but you shouldn't let anything dull its unique sweetness.