Side Salad

Here I'll teach you not only how to make the simple and delicious side salad pictured below, but also how to build your own side salad with the ingredients you already have on hand!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Dish
• What You'll Need
• How to Build a Salad
• How to Store
• FAQ
• Expert Tips
• How to Serve
• Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why You'll Love This Dish

Side salads are versatile. Serve them with just about anything for a complete dinner.

It's super easy and quick! Select a few ingredients from the store or from what you already have in your fridge and pantry to make an adaptable side dish. If you're super low on time, you can even use your favorite bottled dressing.

This is a healthy option. Packed with vegetables, healthy fats, and nutrients, this side salad is always a good choice.

What You'll Need

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Greens

Choose your favorite greens or lettuce, or whatever you have on hand. This could be:

• Butter lettuce
• Spinach
• Arugula
• Spring Mix
• Kale
• Little Gem
• Escarole
• Frisée
• Mâche
• Green or Red Leaf Lettuce
• Mesclun
• Romaine
• Iceberg
• Radicchio

Vegetables or Fruits

I like to have something crunchy that adds flavor and texture contrast to the salad. Here are some veggie options to try:

• Carrots
• Radishes
• Cucumber
• Sprouts
• Artichoke Hearts
• Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Tomatoes
• Celery
• Onion (I personally love these spicy pickled onions)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower

Or you could try these fruits instead:

• Apple
• Pear
• Grapes
• Berries
• Avocado
• Orange
• Peach
• Plum
• Melon

Dressing

Try this adaptable lemon herb vinaigrette, spicy harissa vinaigrette, or this honey jalapeño lime vinaigrette or choose your favorite bottled or homemade salad dressing, like:

• Simple Vinaigrette: 3 parts oil to 1 part acid like vinegar or citrus juice with salt & pepper, mixed well (or 2 parts oil to 1 part acid for a zippier dressing)
• Caesar
• Italian
• Ranch
• Chipotle Southwest dressing

Nuts and Seeds

• Pumpkins Seeds
• Walnuts (these spiced walnuts are wonderful!)
• Almonds
• Pecans (these spiced pecans are also a favorite)
• Pine nuts
• Peanuts
• Pistachios
• Sunflower seeds
• Chia seeds

Cheeses

• Feta
• Goat cheese
• Cheddar
• Gouda
• Manchego
• Bleu cheese
• Parmesan or Pecorino

Fresh Herbs

• Dill
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Basil
• Mint
• Chives

I would reserve hard herbs like rosemary only for dressings. They have a very concentrated flavor and would likely overtake the other flavors of the salad.

Other Toppings to Try

• Croutons (Try cutting up this Air Fryer Crostini)
• Grains: quinoa, couscous, farro, or rice
• Eggs: hard-boiled or soft-boiled are my favorite
• Meats: chicken, steak, healthy tuna salad, or shrimp
• Beans: black beans, edamame, white beans, kidney beans, chickpeas
• Tofu
• Olives
• Capers
• Pickled vegetables
• Water Chestnuts

You can also check out this list of salad topping ideas for more options!

How to Build a Salad

Select Your Flavors

You will want a variety of complementary tastes and textures.

Most salads draw from the following categories: a green, something crunchy, something fresh, something bitter, something sharp, something sweet, something salty, and something fatty.

In the recipe provided, that looks like this: butter lettuce, cucumber, tarragon, lemon, carrot, feta, and pumpkin seeds.

But you don't need to represent all of these categories. The goal is balance. A salad with just lettuce and a balanced vinaigrette is delicious, isn't it? Approach the salad with a sense of curiosity, and remember to balance each flavor against its opposite.

Examples:

• You choose a peppery and bitter green like arugula, so you balance that by choosing a sweet piece of fruit or a sweet dressing like this maple vinaigrette salad dressing or this Mandarin orange ginger dressing to add.
• You choose a creamy dressing, like this ranch dressing recipe, so you opt to add a lot of fresh, light ingredients, like cucumber and fresh herbs.
• You choose to add a lot of crunchy vegetables to your salad, so you add soft goat cheese to balance the textures.

If you get stuck for ideas, come back to the ingredient examples and categories provided above to create a salad that sounds most appealing to you. Also, shoot me a message! Comment below or email me and I'll be happy to help you figure it out.

Prep Your Ingredients

Make your dressing, wash your vegetables, and cut anything that needs cutting!

For cleaning salad greens this salad spinner is my absolute favorite. I totally recommend it if you're in the market for one.

Build Your Salad

Time to assemble. Add all of your ingredients to a large salad bowl and mix well. You'll want the ingredients spread evenly throughout so each bite has a bit of everything! Serve up the salad and enjoy.

How to Store

Fridge I recommend preparing and serving your salad right away. If you believe there will be leftovers, set a portion of the salad aside and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Depending on the type of greens, it may wilt quickly.

Once the ingredients have been prepared, eat the salad within 1 to 2 days.

Freezer I do not recommend freezing this dish.

FAQ

Expert Tips

• Choose ingredients that complement each other for your salad. I like to choose something from each category: a green, a few vegetables or fruits, a nut or seed, a cheese, a fresh herb, and sometimes an additional topping.
• Try to balance your flavors. If your dressing is very creamy, try using some fresh or peppery ingredients, like arugula, cucumber, or celery. If you're using a sweet dressing, choose some savory or salty items like goat cheese and nuts.
• When in doubt, stick to basics. If you're not sure what goes well together and dinner is already on the table, a simple lettuce salad that's simply dressed will always go over well.

How to Serve

This salad can go with just about everything. Here are some suggestions:

Sandwiches This Grinder Sandwich or this Turkey Avocado Sandwich with chipotle sauce are favorites.

Soups The classic pairing: soup and salad. Try any of TCK's soups and stew, like Instant Pot Chicken Stew, Chicken Pastina Soup, Greek Chickpea Soup, Instant Pot Tortellini Soup, Chicken and Cabbage Soup, or Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup.

Toasts Try serving with a piece of Air Fryer Toast or a piece of bread fried in olive oil.

Chicken These Chicken Slow Cooker Enchiladas, Italian Chicken Cutlets, Chicken Drumsticks Kabab, or Cast Iron Chicken would all benefit from a fresh side salad.

Beef Ranchera Meat would be delicious on this salad, or you can serve it alongside some Carne Asada Quesadillas. You could also try it with a traditional prime rib!

Duck For an upscale meal, try adding this duck breast recipe!

Pasta is always wonderful with a salad. Try any of our wonderful pasta dishes, like Penne al Baffo, Aglio Olio e Peperoncino, Linguine Bolognese, or Homemade Lasagna.

Risotto This would be lovely with Chicken and Leek Risotto.

Recipes You'll Love

If you're in the mood for more easy vegetable sides, try these recipes:

Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Asparagus

Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine

Beet Cucumber Salad

Arugula Caprese Salad

📖 Recipe