I have no idea how to make a side salad

[JeffFaFa]

I really dont ive learned to cook alot of meals from scratch recently, lasagnes, cottage pie, pastas etc but i always serve with breads which dosnt help the waistline, any time ive done a salad its literally been some lettuce and chopped up tomatoes! not very enjoyable to eat, can someone please tell me how to make a SIMPLE i mean seriously simple side salad to accompany most meals?

thank you

I prefer crunchy things to leafy things so often have celery, cucumber (chunky quarter-circles, not thin whole circles), halved cherry tomatoes and tiny bits of red onion. Spring onion is good too.

Or you could open a bag of mixed leaves.

Thanks, do i need to use some sort of oil/dressing? ive never used either before, im wanting to do salad with lasagne this week.

bag of salad. Bottle of salad dressing, cucumbers, tomatoes, mix all ingredients in a big bowl

I love fruit in side salad too, so sometimes I slice a pear or apple, and recently a pomegranate as they've been on offer. I also use loads of olives, capers, pickles, beetroot and gherkins, though not all on the same salad I sort of alternate. I love salads :)

I find rocket and parmesan salad goes well with everything Italian food.
Rocket leaves, use a veg peeler to get parmesan strips (always use parmesan from a block), dress with a balsamic dressing.

Use fresh salsas as well - one I do with chicken, ham or gammon is tinned sweetcorn, diced tinned pineapple, diced red onion and chillies (mild ones with the seeds removed) mixed together.

Tomatoes and red onion is another classic - diced or sliced and mixed. You can add a dressing, e.g. balsamic. You can also add fresh herbs for example parsley, basil, mint or coriander. Or something like chillies, peppers or olives.

Salad dressing very easy and much nicer homemade. Rule is one part vinegar to 3 parts oil. In an old (clean) jam jar put in 2 tblsp of white wine vinegar. Add half a teaspoon of mustard (english or the course kind whose name escapes me) and 2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey. Salt & pepper and give it a good stir. Add 6 tblsps of really good extra virgin olive oil. Lid on and SHAKE. Keeps in the fridge for up to a month.