I love salads, and this book was full of salad inspiration! The salad dressing section is easily my favorite. I look forward to working my way through that entire portion.

I have been following Darlene on Tictok since the beginning and love watching her make such delicious salads. Having this cookbook is such a great reference when you are looking for salads that aren’t boring and pack a punch!
I have made several so far, and they are all delicious and easy to make with obtainable and easy to find ingredients!

I absolutely love a good salad and I find when made others, they seem to taste better. In my opinion, this book gives you the best of both options. You get to make them, but they are someone else’s creation, so they just taste better. I love all the options and levels of creativity that take all the guesswork out of what works. The combination of salad fillers to dressings to toppings make this a valuable kitchen tool. I love the encouragements to buy local and fresh as well as to experiment and make it fun. I found the shopping list to be very helpful as it is broken down by daily to monthly. Not to mention, the essential pantry staples to create on a whim. I really enjoyed recipes and inspirations from around the world to break out of North American salad traditions. I am thankful for this collection and will be both using and recommending this book to others.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

As a longtime follower and huge fan of "The Salad Lab" on Instagram I was thrilled to see that Darlene Schrijver had turned her beautiful creations into a cookbook! Her approach of using lab equipment to measure and prep salad ingredients is so clever and makes salad building fun to watch. While I will most likely not purchase test tubes and beakers for my own kitchen I am inspired to make pretty much every salad in this book. The photos are beautiful (and really, don't we all want more food photos...!!!) and combinations creative. Also I love the names she comes up with and the descriptions of each dish.

So many thanks to Netgally and S&S/Simon Element Publishing for this ARC.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Lots of great salad ideas, but my favorite were all of the salad dressing recipes!!! Can't wait to try those.

This is a nicely presented book with full color photographs and a large variety of salads - from arugula to tabbouleh, Waldorf to cowboy caviar.

The book's philosophy and recipes follow this process: prepare, experiment, toss, enjoy. There is a cheerful introduction about the author's love of salads followed by shopping tips, equipment, and salad making fundamentals. The recipes are broken down into the following sections: basics, celebrity inspired favorites, travel destination inspired recipes, seasonal and holiday favorites, other more unusual salads, and then dressings.

You can definitely see the Tik Tok inspiration here. Everything is bright and cheery and even includes a section on salads you might have seen a Kardashian or super model eating and wanted to copy. By the introductions, you'd think that every salad is better than a trip to Disneyland.

There really is a huge variety of recipes: Summer wedding salad, french fry salad, Autumn fruit salad, pita croutons, hot girl salad, avocado bruschetta, pizza salad, first lady spring pea salad with asparagus and pea shoots, orzo pasta salad, fattoush, bibimap salad, viral sesame chicken and many more.

The presentation is clean and nicely geometric. There is a large title, serving size, introduction, tips/experimenting suggestions, a large photograph, and ingredients grouped by: start out, whisk, toss. Directions are also divided by the start out, whisk and toss groupings, presented in unnumbered blocky paragraphs. There are no nutrition information or storage recommendations.

In all, there are a lot of salads here to enjoy for all tastes. It is friendly and nicely laid out. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

If you know, you know I'm a sucker for a good salad. I've followed the Salad Lab on Tik Tok for a while now and have saved a lot of the recipes shared there. I was so excited to see she is putting out a cookbook! It's laid out well, her introduction is definitely worth a read and I love how she discussed her top 5 must haves for salads, and then went into a pantry section breaking it down between the basic and "luxurious" ingredients. She also gives what she considers essential tools and my favorite part is the page where she says if you don't like "ingredient a" use "ingredient b" instead, giving plenty of options for those who might not like a particular ingredient.
Even the recipe layout is great, divided into columns for what you need to start with, what to whisk together, and finally what you'll toss together or the heart of the salad. Every recipe is accompanied by a beautiful photo and a side bar labeled "Experiment" with suggestions for different ingredients, additions, and a few helpful notes.
And of course, she tells you what she's drinking with her salad, just like in her videos.
This is salad perfection!

I love a good salad, but I hate making them. That’s why I love this book. First off, the photography is a mouthwatering piece of art. It is laid out perfectly beginning with why she called it The Salad Lab to checklists of ingredients, shopping lists, must haves and alternatives to ingredients. She continues the Lesson in Chemistry with her favorite kitchen tools including test tubes and Petri dishes.
Along comes the recipes, most having pictures included. Other recipes can be found in the book elsewhere. Side notes included Experiments for other ingredients. I also like the format of Start Out, Whisk, Toss and Enjoy paired with a favorite beverage.
Recipes are divided into sections from everyday to special occasions and seasonal. The best part comes at the end with homemade crouton recipes, my favorite, to dressings which fall into the aptly named section - Salad Lab Elements
I can’t wait to dig into this gorgeous book and sample most all the recipes.

Full of interesting ideas, this book is for the aspirational beginner. I was a bit put off by the author’s suggestion that people should be shopping at the grocery store everyday - that’s just not realistic for most.
Nonetheless, the photography is beautiful and though at times overly complicated, the recipes are interesting.

I had been looking for a salad cookbook for a while and couldn't really decide on one, then I saw Darlene Schrijver is coming out with The Salad Lab. And, boy, was I excited!!! Her book contains a wide range of fun, delicious, easy to advanced-level, and doable salads that will keep any home cooks entertained. This book starts out with "Start out with the basics" chapter and you'll find familiar and easy salads such as Greek salad, Spinach, Coleslaw, American Potato, Caesar, etc. Then she moves onto "Celebrity Inspired Favorites" which was fun to read and it includes Bella Hadid, Michelle Obama's, Jennifer Aniston, and other famous people's salads that are known to us. Next chapters are "Destination Inspired Recipes" which shows salads from California, NYC, AZ, HI, Caribbean, Mexico, Korea, etc. and you'll learn some intriguing ones, and next are "Seasonal and Holiday Favorites" and "Everything is a Salad" and without doubts you'll find more salads that have you want to start cooking in the kitchen.

If you're a visual reader/learner, just to give you a heads-up, not all recipes have photos. All of the recipes serve either as a side or a meal, and instructs you with "start out - whisk - toss", so you'll be able to estimate how long it should take to put it altogether. And, some require prep, and others don't, some are simple and quick, some do require lengthier process than the others, some have pantry item ingredients, some require ingredients you'll have to go shop, but all in all, this is a great & fun salad cookbook to have in your arsenal. If you fancy making a delectable salad to accompany your meal or just to have it as a nutritious meal, this book will get you there. I'll start out with first chapter since they are everyday salads that will please my family and this chapter alone will give me a good rotation! Highly recommend to any salad lovers!

This book was an absolute delight! I was not familiar with the author's Tik Tok channel and I loved reading about her daughter inspiring her to start recording and posting her salads. I tried the Viral Sesame Chicken salad and it was fabulous. Looking forward to making more of her homemade dressings - the Cilantro Lime Dressing is next on my list! Looking forward to hopefully the next cookbook from her. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book!

I love a good salad and while I usually just throw together what I have, it was really fun to try some of the recipes in this book. I would absolutely recommend this even if you're not a salad person.

Salad enthusiasts, rejoice! 'The Salad Lab' by Darlene Schrijver is a culinary gem, delivering a delightful array of fresh and flavorful recipes that elevate everyday salads into sensational culinary experiences. From the zesty Lemon Basil Pasta salad, evoking the essence of summer, to the classic yet unforgettable Greek Salad that transports me to the bustling streets of NYC, each recipe is a celebration of vibrant flavors and textures. The inclusion of gorgeous full-color photos, showcasing these delectable creations in gleaming wood salad bowls with wooden utensils, truly elevates the book to a feast for the eyes. (I received an advance reader copy of this book, and all opinions are my own.) A must-have addition to any kitchen, 'The Salad Lab' inspires and empowers salad lovers to whisk, toss, and enjoy deliciousness every day!

It should become standard for ALL cookbooks to begin with a story or something similar. One of my favorite things, is that the author talks about purchasing locally grown food or (even better) growing it yourself. This is extremely important to me as we try our best to cook seasonly to get the best flavor from out fruits and vegetables.

Some of the recipes get a bit wordy, but at the same time, it would be very easy for a beginner to follow. There’s a great variety of recipes and I will personally be trying the Lox and Bagel salad this week, with many more on my “to make list.” Anyone that enjoys a good not so boring salad will love this cookbook.

Feel free follow my social media accounts, I will be sharing my review of this book prior to the publishing date.
https://linktr.ee/britneybarlow

Thank you Netgalley and Simon Element for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

What a great cookbook! First off, I loved the images and the layout. It was beautiful to look through as well as thorough with the instructions and additional information. There was a great deal of different salad recipes, and I appreciated that they were not all just lettuce recipes. There were classics as well as interesting new concoctions that I will of course try. I have always been a fan of the classic ceasar and cobb salads, and I enjoyed the new "controversial" one. I really liked this ebook version, and I believe a print version with glossy pages will be an amazing cookbook to have in my kitchen! I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Salad Lab:Whisk,Toss,Enjoy!
This book is brilliant. The author’s introductory chapter on her kitchen and salad philosophy is a really good read for anyone who likes to experiment in their kitchen. The list of ingredient must haves and shopping lists are designed to make kitchen life easier and more efficient. The first recipe in the book is an enhanced and varied version of one I have been making for years and I can’t wait to try this version. I loved that at the end of each recipe, the author included a list of substitutions for items that may be hard to find or that you don’t like. I will be working my way through this book this summer when so many local fresh produce items will be available.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss, Enjoy!
Darlene Schrijver
Most people love a good salad whether it is an addition to their meal or whether it is their meal. Author Darlene Schrijver has a Tik Tok account called The Salad Lab. She videos herself making salads using test tubes and beakers. She got the idea from her daughter, a science major. She wanted people to experiment with salads, get creative, make something unique and different. She has a large following on TikTok. She likes to recreate salads whether from a restaurant or from a celebrity.
Darlene is very careful with her instructions and her tips. In this book you will find hints, tips, recipes and photographs. She has included suggestions for drinks that will complement the salad. There are salad dressing recipes and toppings that will make your mouth water. I believe homemade dressings are so much better tasting than boughten ones. There are several recipes in this book that I want to try.
This book is a treasure.

I just discovered the Salad Lab on TikTok and was excited to try some recipes. The variety in this book is excellent. I love how it organized dressings and toppings prep separate from the main recipes. I love that every salad had a little story before it. I was disappointed in the ranch though. I made it at home and it is extremely runny, but delicious. I'm going to double the mayo to see if that helps. The herb mix is perfect though, and I will make again once I perfect the consistency.

Finally! I have no more excuses to not start eating healthier! I have always been trying to incorporate more salads into eating and this is the ticket! There are so many different kinds of salads in this book, I don't think you would eat the same one twice in one year if not longer. But it is not overwhelming! There are endless different types of green leaf salads of course, but also vegetable salads, pasta salads, potato salads, cole slaws, salads which have meat, poultry or fish as the star. The recipes are presented very easily with simple instructions. The author completes the book with additional recipes for dressings! And even croutons! I thank NetGalley and Simon Element for the invitation to a more healthy life!

Do you think of a salad as a side dish, iceberg lettuce and possibly a sliced tomato? No more. There is a whole new salad world waiting for you in The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss, Enjoy! by
TikTok salad star Darlene Schrijver. Follow her easy advice and soon you’ll be creating fabulous salads on your own.

The cookbook is organized into sections beginning with fundamentals. Schrijver provides lists of pantry staples needed, grocery lists and utensils to have on hand. Salads begin with the basics. From Arugula to Chopped Salad, each is illustrated with beautiful, mouth-watering photographs. Other categories relate to Celebrity picks, Let’s Travel with local threats (cowboy caviar!), salads for holidays and every season and my favorite Everything is a Salad. Pizza Salad and Burger and Fries Salad are standouts. Final chapters in The Salad Lab contain recipes for salad dressings and croutons. The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss, Enjoy! belongs on every cookbook shelf. I can’t wait to start upping my salad game! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Element and Darlene Schrijver for this ARC.