Unusual salads

[quirrelquarrel]

Trying to find more unusual salad ideas! (hopefully veggie ones!)

I have two which are not very original, but just to get the ball rolling:

the first is chopped cucumber, tomato, hardboiled eggs and those large flat mushrooms. with a little bit of very finely chopped radish for the crunch. mayo dressing, mix it all together so each spoonful is the same IYSWIM.

second is chopped grapefruit and avocado with halloumi and a spoonful of plain yoghurt.

One of my favourites is

spinach leaves or whatever salad leaves that i have available
tin of mixed beans
cucumber and tomato
coriander leaves if i have some
olive oil and lemon or a wine vinegar

maybe some feta as well if i have some

Halloumi goes best with tomato, cucumber and coriander leaves or maybe flat parsley. It also gorgeous with water melon on a hot day.

Interested in the answers, marking place.

I've got into eating baby beetroot and goats cheese lately, which is rather good chopped into a salad.

Walnuts and dried apricots are also a good addition (added to a 'standard' salad of leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, sweet pepper).

Sweetcorn, carrots, sweet pepper or celery also good for a crunch.

baked or grilled veggies like aubergine, courgette, peppers, mushrooms, onions, are good in a salad too, and they go well with whole couscous or puy lentils with some chopped cooked spinach and chopped tomatoes.

Ideas (although probably not that unusual)

(Tin of) butter beans, shavings of Parmesan (or similar) and nice leaves, dressed with garlic/herb infused olive oil. Also nice with some toasted bagette slices or similar.

Chopped avocado, finely chopped red onion, (tin of) sweetcorn, lots of coriander and lime juice dressing. The kids like this one. You can add chopped tomato/cherry tomato too.

The kids also like cubes of cucumber, finely chopped red onion, cubes of feta and mint with a really light vinaigrette dressing.

Or, of course, slaw. Sometimes with a mayo dressing (usually thinned down, and often flavoured with something) or a lemon/Limey dressing. Slaw contents vary depending on what's available in the fridge.

This tomato and pomegranate salad is really lovely too.

Meryl Streep salad - watercress, grapefruit or blood orange segments, avocado, pumpkin seeds.

I bought a jar of cranberries at Christmas time. They're quite sour tasting on their own, but I've found that combining them with sweet and salty things is a good combination.

Capers, cranberies and pomegranate arils are fabulous, and look beautiful jewel bright to boot. Scatter over chunks of little gem and some artichoke hearts from a jar. Would be good in a potato salad too.

Roast 2cm cubes of pumpkin or butternut squash in olive oil with a little garlic then toss veg and olive oil with rocket or baby spinach and top with toasted pumpkin seeds and finely grated Parmesan

Diced carrot, fennel and celery tossed with olive oil and orange juice

Oak leaf lettuce, cubed roasted beetroot and toasted hazelnuts tossed wtih oil and white wine vinegar

Roast whole red onions then drizzle with a little bit of balsamic then add a handful of green beans that you've blanched really quickly

Love salad!

wow thanks guys! definitely will be trying some of these out

happy to be reminded about coriander and grilled veg. I love hot things in salads.

If you like hot things, try mixing a little olive oil, your favourite vinegar and (or) juice to a couple of teaspoons of a good chutney or Indian style pickle that you like to drizzle on salads to liven them up.

We're having salad tonight, albeit quite a butch meaty one: black pudding, streaky bacon and poached egg, on crisp green lettuce with mustard and lemon vinaigrette.

Otherwise I love puy lentils in a salad. They are delicious with roasted root veg too.

Oh and I've been having a nice one for lunch recently: tuna, white beans (from a tin, rinsed and drained), red onion, tomato, cucumber, crunchy lettuce. Have it without dressing if you're doing 5:2, otherwise with lemon and oil (in which case I'd use the oil from tuna tinned in olive oil) and possibly some chilli flakes.

Puy or black lentils, halloumi for preference, but feta fine, cherry tomatoes halved. With a drizzle of oil and salt ( if halloumi).

Tomatoes and ripe plums, with black pepper.

Grated carrot and black olives.

Puy or black lentils, halloumi for preference, but feta fine, cherry tomatoes halved. With a drizzle of oil and salt ( if halloumi).

Tomatoes and ripe plums, with black pepper.

Grated carrot and black olives.

Puy or black lentils, halloumi for preference, but feta fine, cherry tomatoes halved. With a drizzle of oil and salt ( if halloumi).

Tomatoes and ripe plums, with black pepper.

Grated carrot and black olives.

I used to make walslaw - a combo of coleslaw and Waldorf salad :o

So a mayonnaisy dressing with cabbage, onion, carrot, celery, apples, walnuts, grapes.

(Does anyone else always say the Waldorf ingredients in that order because of the Fawlty towers episode )

Don't forget the classics like Niçoise salad and Waldorf salad, both are delicious.
Check out Thai and Vietnamese salads - these can be sensational.

Baby spinach, avocado, wendsleydale and bacon with a fresh garlic mayo. Yum!

Roasted veggies - carrots, butternut squash, beetroot, any of those, rocket leaves, feta, pumpkin seeds of walnuts.
endives, blue cheese, walnuts, pear or apple

Som Tum salad is lovely - a Thai lady I know makes it with thin ribbons of cucumber (sliced lengthways) instead of papaya.
www.thaitable.com/thai/recipe/green-papaya-salad