Assembling a gourmet salad perfect for serving the higher-ups is simpler than you think.

1. Pick up some cool greens

Try spring greens, mesclun mix, baby spinach or peppery arugula – or a combination. Boxed or bagged is fine and saves you the annoying task of washing (and drying) all those leaves.

2. Rock the toppings

Pick from three to five high-quality ingredients to top your masterpiece. Some winning combos include:

• dried cranberries, walnuts and goat cheese
• tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and feta
• tomatoes, corn, black beans, avocados and fresh cilantro (yes, cilantro and coriander are two names for the same herb)

3. Dress to impress

Put down that bottle of Kraft! Mix one part vinegar (try red wine or balsamic instead of plain old white) with two parts olive or canola oil, a squirt of grainy mustard, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and salt and pepper.