New Spin on the Basic Salad

j_orchowski

I am not much of a salad eater. Does anyone have anything they put in their salads to add a little variety? Any ideas or suggestions are helpful. Thanks!

JustJennie1

Oh my list is a MILE long LOL! I love making salads and I have to admit that I make some of the BEST ones. My issue is that I have to remember I don't have to put all the ingredients into one. Some of the things I like to put in mine:

Tomatoes
Peppers
Cucumbers
Avocado
Apples/oranges/dried cranberries/raisins/grapes
Meat - either deli or I'll cook up boneless chicken breast and cut it up and put it in there or pork etc.
Artichoke hearts
Hearts of palm
Low fat feta
Blue cheese
Cheddar cheese
Smoked Gouda cheese
Asiago Cheese (I like cheese)
Roasted peppers
Pepperoni
Broccoli
Canned beets (sometimes. Not a fan of them)
Chick peas
Kidney beans


Would you like me to continue? LOL

Yukongil

steak
pizza
fried chicken
ice cream with the salad on the side (and then ignored)

ShaniWulffe

My absolute favorite is salad with cheddar cheese, a crumbled hard-boiled egg, and sesame ginger dressing on top... YUM

AmyJMadison

My key to loving a special salad is: forget the lettuce! I just love the toppings! It's a sundae without the ice cream! Makes it easier to transport, eat and is less messy. Try adding: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pepparoni, olives, quinoa, or couscous!

kshaw5501

baby spinach
avacado
turkey bacon, crumbled
slivered almonds
dried cranberries
scallions or shallots
roasted garlic cloves
any type of cheese I have in the fridge
hard boiled egg
salmon, shrimp, steak, chicken
dressing made of lemon juice and olive oil

LuckyLeprechaun

cottage cheese
tuna
chopped fruit
salsa

sadiegirl32

snow peas
sugar snap peas
water chestnuts
any berry
variety of lettuces-I don't eat iceberg :laugh:
I make my own dressings too and omit the oil and sugar

jr1985

best way for me to be excited about salad again... change the salad dressing!

Maybe try a strawberry spinach salad with candied pecans and a raspberry vinegarette.

Or a BLT salad.

try replacing the lettuce with either mixed greens or spinach too.

Try fancy cheeses on your salad... cheese makes everything better!

Surprisingly raisins and dried cranberries also are great on salads too.

wolverine66

mix fat free italian dressing with some red pepper sauce to add spice. then throw on some jalapenos and onions for good measure.

danielg810

Wow there are some awesome suggestions up there! my favorites are feta cheese, cucumbers, & pepperocini's
I'd change the dressing, i've made one i find to be the best thing Ive ever tasted personally & its easy:

1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
1 tbsp lemon/lime
+
(optional) minced garlic/salt/pepper/2tbsp greek yogurt for thicker creamy texture

its BOMB

bcattoes

I'm not much of a salad eater either. I do like salads made with spaghetti squash and I love bean salads, though. And pasta salads are awesome. Grilled vegetables like summer squashes, eggplant and carrots are good chilled and served with a little vinaigrette dressing.

Doodlewhopper

Iceberg lettuce doesnt provide hardly any nutrition. I use romaine.

My typical salad is anything I find in the pantry, including leftovers in the frig.

black eye peas
raisins
tomatoes
corn
hominy
sweet peas
spinach
summer squash
pasta
nuts or cashews
fresh ground black pepper

alaskaang

Homemade dressings are the key to a better salad.

1 part oil, 1 part vinegar or citrus, and any variety of herbs and spices.

This week is olive oil, lemon juice, LOTS of garlic, a little salt & pepper, and dijon mustard.

ki4yxo

Bacon

jilliew

My key to loving a special salad is: forget the lettuce! I just love the toppings! It's a sundae without the ice cream! Makes it easier to transport, eat and is less messy. Try adding: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pepparoni, olives, quinoa, or couscous!

I am totally with you on the sans-lettuce thing. I can't eat lettuce at "certain" times because it upsets my tummy, so I've gotten into the habit of making "salad" with big chunks of raw veggies, seeds, nuts, and fruit (dried or otherwise). Yum, yum!

MissJanet55

Nuts will give a nice crunch, I love slivered almonds. And some kind of dried fruit - my current favourite is dried cranberries. Then a little avocado for a nice texture and I'm happy. At that point, who needs lettuce?

Jpinpoint

If it belongs in a salad I'll eat it in a salad.
If it looks like it belongs in a salad I'll eat it in a salad.
If it's questionable I will put it in a salad to see if I want to ea it in a salad ever again.

Meat, Cheese, Veggies.

Bread or anything resembling bread is not allowed in my salads.

And I refuse to put dressing ON the salad. Instead I put it in a small small dish on the side and every 3-5 bites I will dip my fork tines, just the first mm's, stab my salad and have dressing like that.

I LOVE salads. I love the taste of the veggies, cheese, meats. I don't want dressing to mask the flavor of those items.

I wish I could put nuts in my salad's, an allergy to tree nuts keeps me from doing that.

As for fruit, I prefer my fruit (not including tomatoes or anything that we traditionally consider a veggie) not in my salad.

Lalouse

I have a ton of salad recipes too, although I probably don't eat them as much as I should .. my husband doesn't make them, and cooks lots of other foods so I end up eating other stuff. I've been adding them more and more though, because my nutritionist said I need to eat 50% veggies at lunch and dinner.

Here is Martha Stewart's Winter Spinach Salad -- I love this recipe, and usually do a variation with the nuts or with the dried fruit (raisins instead or added, etc.. )
http://www.marthastewart.com/316707/winter-spinach-salad

The number one salad I grew up eating is the Lebanese Fattoush and it is my absolute favorite because of how tasty it is. Here's a recipe, but you also don't have to stick with it word for word and can exclude things you don't have.
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-fattoush-a-delicious-mi-94475

Finally, I also assume you're asking about when you go to the salad bar. If you are ONLY eating salad, add some kind of protein such as chicken or fish. You can also add beans or chickpeas. I think dressing choices are key to making a salad yummy, so make sure you are choosing healthy dressings that you like. Sometimes it is worth it to get a regular dressing (skip the non-fat), and just just a bit of it, than to not eat the whole salad.

Ilysandrew11

My ultimate salad has lettuce, cheese, egg, bacon with a side of cottage cheese

KellyL23

Pomegranate seeds add a nice little crunch and some acidity - so yummy!!

Molly_Maguire

One of my favorites is red leaf lettuce with tuna and chickpeas, with a little lemon drizzled over the top. Really good, and surprisingly filling!

hockeyd11

Bump

DebraYvonne

I even top my salad with my left-ever chili. Whatever I've made meat-wise can end up as my protein. I also like tuna/boiled egg too or black beans with a little salsa and sour cream. I like to put just a few nuts chopped, sometimes berries and sesame seeds too. I like olives & sliced banana peppers too.

My favorite salad green is either spinach or spring mix, then top with whatever I want above!

AngelRobbie

I like fruit in my salad. Apples, strawberries, grapes, dried cranberries..

MrsBrosco

absolutely any kind of fruit, bleu cheese and most types of nuts. YUM

hockeyd11

bump again-to get it to the top of my topics list

Reza151

Just look at the ingredients listed on the menu for your favorite salads at favorite restaurants. That's how I made my own version of Panera's Strawberry Pecan Poppyseed Salad.