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Can we talk lovely salads?

fords8

fords8

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I LOVE salad.....and would love some salad ideas.

We do a salsa kind of salad (tomatoes, green peppers, onions all diced with sliced black olives with Italian dressing)

or

a basic lettuce, tomato, cucumber, black olive, type (with choice of dressing)

or the basic becomes a HUGE salad with additional boiled eggs, shredded cheese, and meat (turkey or chicken pieces)...(chef salad I guess)

We used to do croutons...but the last few times I bought them we let them get stale.

We make a 2 hour salad...boiled potatoes, boiled beets, boiled green beans, boiled carrots, tomatoes, green pepper slices usually with an italian or vinagrette (Dh uses olive oil, cumin, and salt as dressing)

What is a salad at your house? What is the usual....what do you do for a dressier/fancier LOVELY salad?

Would love some recipes for fancy tried/trued salads your family loves. OR for interest what is your every day salad?

Thanks!!
 
I love salad too and just bought a big thing of spinach and cherry tomatoes, so thank you for this thread! I am so bored with my salads: very similar to what you mentioned but also try to add edamame for the protein..
 
One of my favorites:

Southwest: Corn, Black beans, chopped tomatoes, avocado, grilled chicken, cilantro, little lime squeezed on top, southwest style tortilla chips, and then Kens low fat poppyseed.
 
This is my absolute Favorite...TODAY

Mixed Greens (I used the bagged) but you can make up your own.

Sliced Red onion, just about a half a slice (sliced thin)

about 2 Tablespoons of blue cheese

1-2 Tablespoons of raisins or dried cranberries

1-2 Tablespoons of nut or sliced almonds

Light salad dressing (I like the honey mustard)

I have been making this salad all week....this is for one salad. (nobody in my DF likes blue)
 
I am a fruit coward. LOTS of salads offer like mandarin oranges with chicken....or an apple chicken salad etc...and I think "ick" as salads to my brain are more savory and I think they sweet doesn't work.

My SILs BOTH used canned corn in salads...and I have done that too. My kids don't like it though so I don't do it as often as I would like to do so.

I can't believe I forgot pasta salads....LOVE those!!!

We do a basic pasta salad with rotini that is the salsa salad above with rotini pasta.

My in-laws do a tuna salad that is :drool: After you boil bowties you put them in a fry pan with butter and white cheese (parm/mozz) and then add corn and tuna (after removing from heat). mmmmmm....

I like a regular mayo tuna pasta salad too...but only Emmalee eats it with me.
 
I have a can of artichokes I was considering adding to salad. Anyone use artichokes? not sure what to mix it with.
 
If dh and the kids are eating it's usually the basic lettuce, tomato, carrots, cucumbers, maybe cheese or bacon bits.

If I'm making salad for myself for lunch I might add red/green peppers, mushrooms, boiled eggs, leftover chicken. A friend of mine got me to try cut up chicken nuggets, which is actually really good.

You should try the fruit! It makes it just a little sweet, but not at all overwhelming. Mandarin oranges or dried fruit would be a good place to start.
 
I like to have a big salad for lunch during the warmer months. My basic one is pretty simple - mixed greens or Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers. I like to add some Gouda cheese and I like to put something crunch on top. Not really a fan of croutons but I do like those strips they sell. I'll usually go for either the Wonton strips or the tri color tortilla strips.

My favorite dressing is a ShopRite store brand - Red Wine Vinaigrette.

If there's any leftover chicken I like to toss :giggles: some on as well.
 
I also like to do Taco salad. Seasoned ground beef, black beans, cheese, tomato, taco sauce, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream. Makes good leftovers for the next day too!
 
chopped lettuce, craisins, parm cheese, toasted slivered almond and homemade dressing.
 
I can't believe I forgot cucumber...that goes in most of our salads too (although that one DH doesnt care for, but DS likes)...so in it goes.

I do make taco salad on my plate taco night....and have used taco leftovers to make a taco salad next day for lunch.

My mom used to make an amazing potato salad...but my dh doesnt like mayo salads.

I am thinking there is a salad in our future this week....a plan for it and buy all the stuff dinner salad.

This thread is making me hungry!!! Keep the ideas coming!
 
Homemade dressing? recipes, please!!

I have a food processor and am thinking I need to start making more dressings fresh. We buy pesto and that would be soooo easy in my food processor. (hummus is amazing fresh, btw!!)
 
We make this copy cat of my favorite salad from Chili's.

The Chili's version has grilled chicken with cheese, tomatoes, corn relish, cilantro and tortilla strips. With their citrus-balsamic dressing and cheese quesadilla wedges.

We make it with buffalo chicken instead of grilled and ranch instead of the citrus. We just use canned corn not "corn relish". Mistah adds black beans to his. The quesadilla wedges on the side are nice to round it out so it doesn't feel like "just a salad" especially when its not 100 degrees out it is nice to have something warm on the side.
 
Do you ever throw jicama in your salads? I love jicama
 
I love farmer's chop suey...it's about the only thing I can stomach with cottage cheese

I used to make a Chinese salad...it had celery, onions, bean sprouts, among other things and the dressing was basically soy sauce & oil...topped with chow mein noodles for crunch...It was from a cookbook I had in the 60's...I'll try to hunt it up
 
Barb09 said:
I have a can of artichokes I was considering adding to salad. Anyone use artichokes? not sure what to mix it with.
Click to expand...


Pickled/marinated artichoke hearts are a typical ingredient in italian-style pasta salad.

They are jarred in some type of pickl-y brine. It makes them softer (fresh artichoke is VERY hard, compare to the pineapple fronds).

Anyway, they are good. Similar to any other type of pickled veg. They aren't super strong tasting, like broccoli or cabbage. Mild and you mostly get the taste of the dressing they're in.
 
Just don't forget the croutons and bacon bits! :drool:
 
My FIL use to make spaghetti salad
basically all the ingredients you mentioned in your first post---except you boil spaghetti, add in onions, green pepper, cucumber, tomatoes-anything you want
add in one bottle of Italian dressing--put it in the fridge and marinate at least 2 hours--best if done at night and let it set all night
Great flavor, easy dish to bring places since it makes a lot!
You can add in anything you would like-carrots, radishes, anything that would be good with Italian dressing.
 
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