When was the last time you heard a kid ask for a second helping of spinach? Everyone knows Popeye’s favorite green is good for you, but it doesn’t win too many popularity contests. And in fairness, when it’s overcooked, spinach can acquire a strong, acidic flavor and leave your mouth feeling dry. But if you cook it gently or don’t cook it at all, spinach has a clean, delicate flavor altogether contrary to its reputation. So around my house, I fight spinach’s bad rap by tossing it in a vibrant salad with lots of tasty toppings and robustly flavored vinaigrettes.

Theclassic salad with eggs and baconis delicious, of course, but I like to pique my diners’ interest with fresh new twists, incorporating eclectic flavors and textures from international cuisines ranging from Italian to Asian to Indian. Take myItalian-inspired salad, for instance: I toss the spinach with sautéed mushrooms and Parmigiano and arrange everything on top of garlic-rubbed crostini, so it’s more like a spinach-salad bruschetta.

Heady Indian spices like curry powder and ground cumin add zip to asalad with apples and dried apricots. And I whisk together a vinaigrette of rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and fresh ginger to give a zesty Asian accent to aspinach salad with chicken and cashews.

Texture is as important as flavor.In my salads, I always add at least one ingredient that has a bit of crunch to create some textural contrast. Here, too, I like to span the globe and think beyond toasted nuts and croutons. Crispy pappadams (Indian flatbreads), fried wonton wrappers, and even fried Asian noodles are all great crunchy additions that help give a global flair and a little sophistication to my spinach salads.

Start with fresh, clean, dry spinach.在市场上，您通常可以在大型捆绑的菠菜，散装的年轻菠菜或洗衣服（或盒装）婴儿菠菜中进行选择。我更喜欢捆绑的年轻菠菜，因为它往往比大的，坚硬的叶子更嫩，而且味道更干净，而且它并不那么脏。装袋的菠菜很方便并且可以正常工作，但是很难评估它的新鲜程度，因此通常不会持续很长时间，除非您在真正的新鲜批次上运气。无论您购买哪种菠菜，请确保您仔细洗涤它以清除所有污垢（我将袋装菠菜洗净）并彻底干燥，因为油基敷料并不贴在湿叶子上。