Salad Seasoning Mix

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If you can't get yourself to eat enough greens, it's probably because you haven't tried your hand at this good old Salad Seasoning Mix! It's got just the right amount of spice, herbs and everything nice.

Check also my Mediterranean seasoning mix recipe.

This Salad Seasoning Mix is the ultimate way to add some extra zing to your kitchen, whether sprinkling on a wholesome salad or some homemade pasta to make it a little more enticing. Beware, you'd want to add this spice mix to every dish you cook!

What is Salad Seasoning Mix?

A Salad Seasoning Mix is exactly what it sounds like. It's a mixture of an assortment of spices, herbs, and flavours beautifully combined to bring about the best in the right about any of your dishes.

This spice mix, however, is specially curated to fit best on some healthy salads. We all know what an absolute struggle it is to eat salads and maintain a healthy lifestyle. With this Salad Seasoning Mix, nonetheless, we bet it won't be nearly as hard anymore.

What's in Salad Seasoning Mix?

Procuring good quality ingredients is the key to making this perfect Salad Seasoning Mix. The better the quality of ingredients, the longer the shelf-life of your spice mix:
Sesame seeds: Opt for the black ones if you like. They provide a richer, more savoury flavour.
Paprika: Just the regular kind you'll find in the grocery store's spice aisle.
Cayenne pepper (powder): Made from Cayenne peppers that are spicier in taste belonging to the capsicum family.
Poppy seeds: Also known as khas khas in South Asian cultures.
Dried basil: Easily found in grocery stores or any Indian convenience stores.
Garlic powder: You can find this on the rack or prepare some at home.
Onion powder: You can find this in grocery stores or prepare some at home.
Salt: Just what you have at home works.
Black pepper: A common ingredient that nevertheless should not be overlooked!
Parmesan cheese: The kind of cheese you can easily sprinkle and store as if it's a spice.

How to make this Salad Seasoning Mix?

After you have procured all the ingredients, combine them in a bowl and mix well.
That's it. Your Salad Seasoning Mix is ready to season all your homemade delicacies.
Once combined, carefully add the mixture into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.

Top Tips!

When pouring all the ingredients into the container, make sure to use a container with a wide opening to avoid creating a mess. Suppose you're using one of those salt and pepper containers that allow for easy sprinkling and dusting (given the tiny holes they have on the lid). Make sure to use a funnel to avoid creating a mess.
If you really enjoy making your own seasoning mixes at home, we recommend finding a retailer or local shop that can get you spices in bulk. This is a great way to save money and get all the ingredients in one place.

Some Variations

Once you make this Salad Seasoning Mix, you'll either want to repeat this recipe or fall in love with trying your own seasoning mixes. Even a slight change of spices can bring out a different essence to this recipe

Here are a few herbs that can enhance any seasoning mix:

Parsley: Both dried and fresh forms of parsley have a strong herby and mildly bitter taste that helps bring out other flavours in a dish, just like lemon zest would.
Chives: They have a flavour close to that of onions and garlic, and so if you like that sort of garlicky taste, you can try adding dried chives to your spice mix.
Thyme: The earthy, tangy, and slightly minty herb has the power to add a dash of freshness to the right about anything.

Serving Suggestions

Once this seasoning mix is made, there's so much that you can do with it. Have a look at some of these lip-smacking things you can do with your Salad Seasoning Mix:

Use it as a Salad Dressing: No surprises here. Dust some of this spice mix on top of your healthy (but, let's face it, bland) salads and give them some spice. If you prefer, you can make it into a salad dressing.

You can try adding some olive oil, vinegar, and mustard or apple cider vinegar to make yourself a very authentic salad dressing. Let us know in the comments what combinations you came up with and how they tasted!

Use it as a marinade: Preferably for chicken. All these herbs blended well with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice make for a unique marinating recipe. Once marinated, bake the chicken in a pan. Voila! You just discovered a brand new way to spice your chicken.

Ranch Dip or Yoghurt Sauce: You can add this seasoning to your favourite ranch dip/dressing or enjoy it with some yoghurt and call it a sauce.

Storage

All the ingredients in this recipe are dry and have a long shelf-life. So, all you need to do is place the seasoning in an airtight container and refrigerate it for preservation. Take it out whenever you need it, and put it back in the refrigerator when you're done.

Recipe FAQ's

What are the benefits of preparing your own spice mix at home?

There are actually quite a few benefits. Firstly, suppose you're looking up spice mix to prepare at home. In that case, there's a good chance you're trying your hand at eating more salads and delving into a healthier lifestyle. This spice mix is perfect because it offers a lot fewer calories than the pre-made dressings you can buy at the store.

The salad dressings you get at the store can range from 35 calories per standard serving (if a fat-free version).

Homemade herb-based dressings such as this Salad Seasoning mix, on the other hand, average about 22 to 45 calories and 5 grams of fat per tablespoon. Nonetheless, one tablespoon is all you need since homemade dressings or seasoning mixes are intensely flavoured.

I can't find poppy seeds where I live. Is there a substitute I can get my hands on?

Poppy seeds taste very nutty but are usually used in foods to add texture. So, if you can't get your hands on some poppy seeds, you can substitute them for literally any other seeds you have in your kitchen. You can use variations of different sesame seeds (white and black), which are already part of the recipe. You can also go for chia seeds, flax seeds or sunflower seeds.

This spice mix is too spicy. How do I tone it down?

Find this spice mix too spicy? It could be because you added too much cayenne pepper or paprika which are the hottest ingredients in the bunch. You might want to add in more significant amounts of the other ingredients mentioned to balance out the spiciness you're experiencing.
Secondly, seasoning mixes are supposed to be intensely flavoured, so it could just be that you're using large portions. Consider toning down the amount of seasoning you're using.