What can I add to my boring salads to make them more enticing?

[SaladRoger]

I'm trying to get fitter and healthier and have started eating salads for lunch.

I generally stick to things like salad leaves, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, peppers, cooked chicken breast, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and a tiny sprinkle of salad dressing.

What can I add to make it more interesting and tasty?

I'm going to try pomegranate and some sort of seeds.

Any other suggestions, preferably ones that don't cost too much.
Thanks

Pickled beetroot
Chargrilled artichokes
Pumpkin seeds
Cherry tomatoes (tastier than big ones)
Sweetcorn

Lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce

Look up Ottolenghi salads for some amazing ideas.

Olives, grated carrot, a bit of hummus, avocado, feta or Parmesan cheese, different salad leaves, roasted vegs/chickpeas, roasted pepper from a jar, harissa, olive tapenade.

It sounds like it needs some acid and/or onion to balance jt. Unless you don't like these of course.

Spring onions, red onions. If red onions are too strong you can soak them in water or diluted vinegar for a few minutes. Pickled cabbage for the vinegar hit or olives. Capers, but they are a bit pricier.

A can of beans, eg chickpeas or black beans, if you like them. Mix them with the salad dressing before adding other stuff ideally so they pick up more flavour.

More acidic cheese such as feta.

Also as a very cheap idea, a little finely shredded cabbage (white, red or sweetheart) would give it more body and a little more "bite". Cabbages are super cheap and keep really well in the fridge.

Grapes, thin slices of apple.

Yes to all except beetroot, not find of the taste.
Will try the artichokes but probably a bit pricey, as with the cherry tomatoes which I do have occasionally.

Chips

Really good suggestion, wouldn't have thought of trying Worcestershire sauce but do really like it

Not a big fan of olives and avocado a bit pricey. Others worth a try. Thanks

aldi and Lidl have jarred artichoke sometimes with the roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes.

i roast broccoli and cauliflower to have in salads. Occasionally butternut squash or sweet potato if it needs using up.
instead of salad dressing I just use a balsamic glaze

Big chunks of crusty bread lightly toasted and dipped in olive oil.

Big chunks of crusty bread lightly toasted and dipped in olive oil.

Big chunks of crusty bread lightly toasted and dipped in olive oil.

Ohhh I love chips & salad.. I'm home alone so I'm going to have ceaser salad and waffle fries for dinner.

Olives, garlic, balsamic vinegar, basil, coriander, other herbs? cut up orange segments, grapes,

pickled red onion is lovely, I often add jalapenos too.
I only started really enjoying salads when I tried different seasonings for the chickens to make it less samey, and realising a bit more dressing was completely worth the calories as I was more able to stick to it!

My go to is baby leaves, pickled beetroot, jalepenos, sweetcorn, peppers and cherry tomatoes. Mainly because I always have those things in my fridge, cupboard and freezer so can just chuck it all together without planning anything.

Cous cous. More exciting chicken breast… I love the chilli mango one from Sainsbury’s.

Croutons for a nice bit of crunch (small bags in most supermarkets near the salads).
Pine nuts.
Raspberry vinegar

I like red onions but the strong taste does overpower everything else. I will try soaking.
Black beans and feta are really good ideas as I like both.
I'll try the grated cabbage but sceptical 😀

Sriracha mayo drizzle
Salt and pepper
Tiny sprinkle of crispy onions

Celery, radish, roasted sweet potato chunks or cauliflower (you can add them cold)

seeds? Like pumpkin, sunflower, pine nuts. Or raisins even - nice with grated carrot

I’m sure there was a salad ideas thread a little while ago which had a good list, I’ll see if I can find it.

'Theme' them rather than having something similar each time - Italian with basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, Greek with feta and olives, Ottolenghi style, Japanese with salmon, ginger, seaweed, Nicoise with tuna, egg, olives, cold green beans - etc

Sainsburys do a thing called pink pickled slaw its lovely ontop of a salad
www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-inspired-to-cook-pickled-pink-slaw-340g?istCompanyId=1e096408-041f-4238-994e-a7cf46bf9413&istFeedId=689af7a8-5842-4d88-be59-1ee5688a81b5&istItemId=pmmppiqap&istBid=t&utm_source=google&utm_medium=free_listing&utm_campaign=merchant_center&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=11354430451&gbraid=0AAAAAD17J_DMxI-UlaTH3VI6bVsATROqq&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpf7Kx5uNjwMVYJtQBh2T1AgGEAQYASAAEgJkjvD_BwE