The Canned Ingredient That Breathes New Life Into Basic Salads

If the notion of the niçoise or the classic cobb sitting in your office fridge simply isn't sparking the same sort of excitement it once elicited, it might be time to spruce up your salad. Next to a simple sandwich or warming soup, salads are as much a work staple as the metal stapler and paper clips in your cubicle. They're easy to transport, and typically don't need any reheating for a crunchy, fresh feast. To give an uninspiring salad a little "heart," snag a can of hearts of palm.

The versatile vegetable is popularly used in place of meat in many recipes, particularly as a flavorful substitute for fish. However, hearts of palm work just as well in veggie-heavy dishes. You can toss thinly sliced hearts of palm along with your other salad ingredients for a little extra bulk and texture, or slice them lengthwise to make the veggie the star of a minimalist lunch.

What are hearts of palm?

Hearts of palm are a succulent cylindrical vegetable that comes from the center of certain palm trees like coconut, açaí, palmetto, and peach. To harvest, these trees must first be cut down, then the rough bark and outer materials are removed to uncover the edible heart. The hearty ingredient works wonderfully as a meat alternative. You'll find them in recipes for crispy vegetarian "calamari," chewy "scallops," and juicy ceviche. One iteration of the veggie, locally labeled "swamp cabbage," is a smoky Southern favorite in Florida.

If you've tried all the usual methods for boosting your basic salad, like chilling your dish and shaving your vegetables, it's time to turn to hearts of palm. The flavor and texture resembles that of artichoke hearts. Hearts of palm are usually jarred or sold in cans along with water or brine. You can find "salad cut" hearts of palm, sliced into shorter chunks, or longer stalks in the canned food aisle of your grocery store.

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