Green Salads?

[TKDmom]

When you make a salad to go with dinner (or as your main dish) what do you put into it? I'm asking specifically about green salads (not pasta salad, chicken salad, etc.)

 

I want to increase the amount of veggies that our family eats and salads seem like an easy way to do that. But it's so easy for me to get stuck in a rut of tossing lettuce, tomatoes and carrots into a bowl, with a bottle of ranch dressing at the table. Blech. I'm bored with it just typing it out....

[QueenCat]

I usually start with a spring salad base. I add some of the following, depending on my mood & availability: slivered almonds, pecans, walnuts, mandarin oranges, cucumbers, carrots, baby tomatoes, celery, cheese, chopped apple. I'm sure there are more but that's what's coming to my head at the moment.The chopped apple & pecans or walnuts go really well together.

[Robin M]

I use romaine lettuce and add carrots, avocado, onions, cheese, hard boiled eggs and dressing. Also steamed veggies such as broccoli.

[happypamama]

We do Caesar salad a lot, especially with a lot of fresh garlic.

 

We also do very simple salads with just lettuce (whatever you like), walnuts/pecans, bleu cheese crumbles, and balsamic vinaigrette a lot.

 

I love Greek salad, and it's hefty enough that it's almost a meal on its own: lettuce, cucumber, red onion, olives, feta cheese crumbles, pepperoncini, tomatoes, and balsamic or red wine vinaigrette.

 

My DH isn't a big fan of garden salad (he doesn't like carrots), but I like them okay, especially with bleu cheese dressing. I like to put in carrots, hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas, seasoned salt, cucumbers, peppers, olives, marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts. . .

[3littlekeets]

When it is a meal, we do some meats...like diced ham or turkey with swiss cheese or hardboiled eggs and bacon bits.

 

We love baked chicken fingers and almonds with honey mustard dressing. Taco salad as a meal is always a big hit here, too. Oftentimes I will pick up a funky new dressing and work backward, for instance, what goes with a raspberry balsamic vinaigrette? Citrus food and sliced pork!

 

We never eat iceberg lettuce; it is always a spring mix, romaine, or spinach.

[Laurel]

For a basic salad, I usually do greens, fruit, cheese and nut.

Greens are usually a spring mix, spinach, or baby lettuces.

I especially like:

Pear, pecan, blue cheese (w spinach)

Dried cranberries, goat cheese, pine nuts

Apple, cheddar, peanuts

I usually use a balsamic vinaigrette for dressing.

 

Tonight we had spring mix, leftover green beans, and chick peas with a cranberry dressing.

[nukeswife]

It would be hard now if you live in a cold climate, but my favorite salad is baby spinach tossed with starberry slices, slivered almonds, and poppy seed dressing.

[KrissiK]

Whatever I can find. Cucumber, green onion, diced apples, diced persimmon, feta cheese, dry roasted sunflower seeds, mushrooms!

[KungFuPanda]

My favorites that aren't a typical garden salad but are served on fresh salad greens are:

 

Apple-walnut salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

 

Greek Salad -romain, cucumbers, red onions, olives and feta with Greek dressing

 

Strawberry-spinach-avocado salad with honey vinaigrette dressing

 

The kids are pretty happy if I skip the veggies and make a fruit salad.

 

I also like everything in a Cobb salad except the blue cheese.

 

Israeli chopped salads are nice and I like a little tabouli now and then too.

[jhschool]

Toppings for your green salad:

 

Dried cranberries

Toasted or untoasted sweetened or unsweetened pecans or walnuts

Raisins

Shredded cheese, any kind

 

We regularly put this in salads (in the big bowl):

Sliced raw mushrooms

Sliced radishes

 

Our dressings and condiments (yes, we drag out all this for every meal):

Cooking wine

Tamari sauce

Braggs liquid aminos

Soy sauce

White vinegar

Apple cider vinegar

Malt vinegar

Balsamic vinegar

Mrs. Dash the peppery stuff

Mrs. Dash the onion and herb stuff

Magic (the thing with the chef picture on the front)

Magic (the seafood topping kind)

Big bottle of lemon juice

Salt

Garlic powder

 

Everyone adds what he/she wants to their own bowl of salad.

[Susan in TN]

When you make a salad to go with dinner (or as your main dish) what do you put into it? I'm asking specifically about green salads (not pasta salad, chicken salad, etc.)

 

I want to increase the amount of veggies that our family eats and salads seem like an easy way to do that. But it's so easy for me to get stuck in a rut of tossing lettuce, tomatoes and carrots into a bowl, with a bottle of ranch dressing at the table. Blech. I'm bored with it just typing it out....

 

Your salad is 200% more exciting than our typical - plain lettuce w/ranch dressing.

 

BUT, if I get my act together, I'll sometimes have a "sweet" salad - lettuce w/a sweet dressing, raisins, nuts, etc. Also great with broccoli (very small pieces), cucumbers, fresh spinach, carrots, tomatoes, fresh green beans, etc. Sometimes I get "broccoli slaw" in the produce section and add that to a salad.

 

Here's my dressing recipe:

1/4C vegetable oil (I use "light tasting" olive oil)

2T sugar

2T vinegar

dash Tobasco

Edited January 8, 2012 by Susan in TN

[Lovedtodeath]

I am loving all of these food threads.

[kewb]

I usually use romaine or red leaf lettuce for my base. Standard additions here (based on seasonal availability)are:

carrots

cucumber

tomato

mushrooms

green & red peppers

corn

peas

onion

celery

string beans

turnips

radishes

broccoli

cauliflower

[Pretty in Pink]

I start with a mixture of at least two types of greens (I buy romaine hearts each week and then something else -- spring mix, a few heads of leaf lettuce, a few heads of artisan lettuce, etc). To that I add any combination of the following:

 

raisins

craisins

apple chunks

sliced grapes

sliced red onions

sliced almonds

crushed walnuts

crushed pecans

sunflower seeds

pumpkin seeds

 

I make dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs, or olive oil, water, and a Knorr salad dressing packet. I like the ones in the ethic food aisle by the German food (the writing on the package is German). I finish it off with shaved parm.

 

Spinach and strawberry salad is delicious, too.

[Farrar]

Mmm... y'all make good salads.

 

I always put fruit in it for the kids, if not for the grown ups. In fact, "kid salad" (greens, carrot, cuke, and fruit) is the standard kids don't like the vegetable side substitute in our house.

[eternalknot]

Salads as a main dish are usually loaded, typically with whatever is already on hand: some greens, some fruit (berries, pear, apple, orange, pineapple), some crunch (walnuts, pecans, croutons, sunflower seeds, bean sprouts), and some dressing (oil/vinegar or a vinaigrette). Typically the vinaigrette will use or complement the fruit component (raspberry vinaigrette, e.g.) but not always; depending on the fruit, I sometimes add lime or lemon wedges on the side. I always add in radishes because I love them. My husband likes to add bleu cheese or feta cheese. He'd add chicken breast or sliced beef, for a more filling meal. We usually make up our own plates in the kitchen, adding as much or little as we choose of each ingredient.

 

Occasionally we make up a theme salad: Asian, Greek, Italian (with appropriate dressing) but that takes much more time, effort, and planning. The above is really just a throwing together of what's already on hand. That's the secret, I think.

 

Salads as an accompaniment are always the same: greens, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and oil/vinegar. It's pre-mixed in the kitchen to serve tableside, so everyone eats it as-is.

Edited January 8, 2012 by eternalknot

[Remudamom]

Green peas (frozen) mushrooms, onions, lots of cheese and a dressing of mayo and sugar substitute.

[georgialee]

My fave salad is lettuce, diced celery, green onion (or diced regular onion), mandarin oranges, candied almonds and an oil, cider vinegar & sugar vinaigrette. SUPER yummy :)

 

Other times I will do dried cranberries and feta or blue cheese crumbles with balsamic vinaigrette.

[TheCoffeeChick]

We had this last night (and it was requested for lunch today):

 

Salad:

 

1 head romain lettuce, chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

12 black olives, cut in half

3 or 4 slices of red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tbsp grated Parmesan

2 tbsp crumbled feta

 

Dressing:

 

1/2 c. Mayo

1/3 c. Vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp corn syrup (I'm sure sugar would be fine, but corn syrup doesn't need dissolved)

1/4 c. Parmesan

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp basil

1/2 tsp parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

 

Really yummy!

[Laurie4b]

Here are a couple of favorites:

 

Shredded cabbage with a handful of shredded mozarella and some nuts (I usually use walnuts or almonds). Serve with a sweet dressing, such as poppyseed. I will add slices of clementine if I happen to have that on hand, or chopped apple if I am in the mood to chop! This is good topped with salmon or chicken if you want it to be the main dish.

 

Bag of spinach, handful of mozarella, bag of dried cranberries, small bag of walnuts or almonds. This is good with either a sweet dressing like poppyseed or balsamic vinegrette.

 

Mix spinach and romaine. Add cherry tomatoes, sliced apricots, crumbled blue, feta, or goat cheese. Garnish with a few croutons. Good with a vinegrette dressing.

Edited January 8, 2012 by Laurie4b

[TKDmom]

You guys all have some great ideas. Thanks!