What do you put in a salad to make it interesting?

[NCTDN]

I'm not a salad fan. I think back to salads when I was young with some lettuce leaves, tomato, a boiled egg in slices and some radish or similar!
How can I make salad tasty? I know a friend adds pine nuts which are tasty. I don't like tomatoes though.

I like roasted vegetables in mine. I roast some butternut squash and aubergines, with some garlic salt and chipotle chilli flakes, at the weekend and keep them in a tub in the fridge and add a bit to my salads each day. It is lovely cold and adds a lot of bulk and taste to the salad.

It’s about balance of ingredients and everything being cut small so you get multiple flavours and textures in a bite.

Basic salad base of lettuce, cherry toms and cucumber - then add meat or cheese, toasted nuts for crunch and a sweet/tangy dressing. Eg honey, mustard, cider vinegar & oil. Or be like my husband and just cover it in hot sauce!

That's sort of like asking what to put in a soup to make interesting Salads cover a really wide of options.

You could use this as a sort of mix and match starter guide, but It's recommend searching on tiktok for "salad recipes" because there are hundreds of easy and delicious salad recipes on there.

Cookie and Kate site is good for this

As a tomato avoider this is a great one:
https://cookieandkate.com/favorite-broccoli-salad-recipe/

Depends on the type of salad and dressing. So

bean salad gets olives, cheese, basil, sun dried tomatoes, croutons (you might be ok with with sundried ones)

something aisian ish gets chicken, miso dressing, coriander, nuts

i think the thing is to find an actual recipe.

I like a roasted beetroot and goats cheese with strawberries and rocket, or a mozzarella and tomatoes with a balsamic dressing. I do pine nuts and grapes in a green salad. I also like a noodle salad, or bulgar wheat (sp?) and pomegranate,

I put lettuce (cut into strips with scissors) in the middle of the plate. Then cut up celery, pepper, tomato, beetroot, strawberry, grapes and put them in separate piles around the edge. Make sure that two things of the same colour are not next to each other. Add coleslaw, hummus, cottage cheese, basil leaves, pasta salad or microwaved flavoured rice. Lay a few strips of smoked mackerel or slices of cheese on top of the lettuce.
I try and include small amounts of at least ten different things. Looks and tastes great!

My go to lunch salad it little gem lettuce, cucumber, apple and pomegranate.

My absolute favourite salad as a side is little gem, pear and danish blue. Gorgeous, but without the low cal benefits of every day salad unfortunately 🤣

I grow my own veg so what goes in a salad is usually what is available to go in a salad.

Winter salads are spinach, claytonia, lettuce, kale, any herbs with maybe caramelised onion and pepper and some feta. With sundried or preserved tomato possible also cooked with the onion and pepper. With anything pickled that I have in the fridge that is open.

Spring, whatever greens and herbs are there, spring onions, pickled courgettes etc. Might add some shredded and fried cabbage, kale, chard etc as well.

At the moment all my salads have some mange tout as I have a gazillion growing at the moment.

Once the tomatoes come, I have a bowl of tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil, spring onions and smashed cucumbers. Or a chilli, tomato, coriander, mint and if lucky, tomatillo mix.

We add some chives and marjoram out of the garden. Herbs are easy to grow in containers and add flavour and interest.

Cous cous
Grapes
Strawberries
Raisins or sultanas
Pineapple
Potato salad
Coleslaw (in small amounts )
Pickled onions

I like pomegranate seeds in mine. I also like chopped gherkin. Olives. Spring onions

egg, chips and beans.

Avocado
Chickpeas
Kidney beans
Peppers
Nuts and seeds
Feta
Grated carrot
Radish

I have a very flexible approach to salads. Basically, put anything you want on a bed of mixed leaves and the job is done.

I love salads! I put several different kinds of lettuce (including a red leafed one), red onions, small tomatoes, a few sunflower or other seeds, avocado if feeling lush, cucumber, sweetcorn, peppers, even a few mushrooms if I've got any! Then I add some protein like sweet chilli hot smoked salmon or mackerel. Add some crusty bread for a yummy healthy lunch!

I love some red, orange, and yellow peppers chopped up in a salad - makes it look so colourful!

I put fresh pineapple in just about every salad I make these days - I love it

I grew up on the same I call it 1970s salad! Put me of salad for ages.

I found recipes are key and nailing a classic Caesar, Greek, blue cheese and walnut, green goddess salad then start experimenting.

I also prep salad differently to the 1970s salad I don't peel cucumber but take the middle but our created an nice shape then cut in to cube and cube cherry tomatoes, grate carrot and thin slivers if radishes with a peeler. So everything is a similar size like PP said

I also like fruit in a salad and also love capers - little flavour bombs!-

I was really fussy and always use the specific type of lettuce in the recipe but I now swap out cos for little gem.

All about the dressing. 4 parts oil to one part vinegar is the secret. And a knife tip of English mustard, salt and pepper, shake in a dressing shaker and any salad is nice.

I really like watermelon and feta, with cucumber and mint. I also find adding pomegranate to just about any salad instantly perks it up.

Yes to Cookie and Kate!

https://cookieandkate.com/vegetarian-italian-chopped-salad-recipe/ is good.

Olives
red onion
radish
Tiny pickled gherkin
Spring onion
Celery
Red peppers

I mean the list goes on but that's my main extras aside from the usual lettuce tomato cucumber

Ahhh the 70's Salad is what I call a 'granny salad'. Need some rolled up ham, an egg, celery, pickled onion and a few slices of cheese as well. 😊

All of the above PP but on this week's menu are grilled peach and halloumi salad, and cherry, goats cheese and walnut salad.

I guess when you say salad you mean a green salad, ie a bowl of lettuce with added extras.

I’m addicted to pickles, so when I put my supermarket bag of salad into a bowl I always add chopped gherkins or capers or pickled cabbage or pickled beetroot. And plenty of dressing.