Romaine Salads

Smashing ripe avocado with olive oil, lemon juice, honey and garlic creates a fantastic, creamy dressing for this hearty salad by Molly Chester.

These "flash-pickled" figs need only an hour of soaking in a mixture of vinegar, salt and water. As a clever time-saver, the soaking liquid for the figs also forms the base for the salad dressing.

Wedge salad (iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing and bacon) is a classic American dish. Here, James Holmes, chef of Austin's Olivia restaurant, reconfigures it as a playful cocktail snack.

This green salad is one of Jordon Carroll's favorites: romaine lettuce with onion and tomato. She adds a pinch of oregano to the dressing, the way her grandmother used to.

"When I got back from traveling in Thailand last year, my dad wanted to try something easy that mimicked the flavors there," Jamie Bissonnette says. To oblige his father, he created a vinaigrette with Thai fish sauce to dress grilled romaine lettuce. He serves the salad alongside swordfish rubbed with (surprisingly) dried onion-soup mix. "It's an instant flavor booster."

Jimmy Bannos Jr. gives this simple salad a great, satisfying crunch with romaine lettuce, watermelon radishes and ciabatta croutons. He whisks sparkling water into the vinaigrette to help mellow the tang of the red wine vinegar.

Chef Pablo Montero creates a savory dressing with toasted pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives and olive oil.