The Type Of Cheese To Add To Your Salad To Optimize Every Forkful

When you think of whipping up a salad, the first things that probably come to mind are which greens and vegetables you're going to use as its base. Then there are the toppings to consider: proteins, legumes, perhaps a grain like rice or quinoa. And, of course, the type of dressing. You know that each of these components can completely transform your dish, adding its own unique stamp of flavor and texture. But the one you might have not put as much thought into is one of the most important (at least in our opinion) salad ingredients: the cheese.

If you're a fan of cheese, you likely never make a salad without it. However, if you're just throwing in chunks or cubes of whatever type of cheese you find in your fridge, you're probably missing out. Although they're commonly found in salads, chunky varieties like blue cheese or feta aren't exactly the best choice. If you want to optimize your salad toppings and ensure you get a yummy bite of cheese with every forkful, you should actually be using drier types that you can sprinkle or grate onto your plate.

Let's just say Caesar salads have it right: Grated Parmesan is an excellent choice for the leafy dish because the smaller bits can be tossed easier and cover more of your salad's surface area. Aged Gouda, Pecorino Romano, or even a sharp, shredded cheddar are other great cheese options for your salad, not only because they'll mix well, but also because they each provide their own punch of flavor to round out each forkful of your meal.

And while you may enjoy a fresh batch of mozzarella, brie, or goat cheese on their own or melted into sandwiches, they would best be avoided when it comes to making a salad. Since those types of cheese are thicker and have a moister, creamier consistency, it's harder to properly break them up for an even spread throughout. There's nothing worse than getting a big chunk of cheese in one bite and having none left over in the rest of your dish, so the next time you gather ingredients for your salad, take the cheese into consideration. We can bet you'll taste the upgrade.