Not long ago I posted a picture of our supper meal on Facebook. Someone commented and said, “Your salad looks good! I feel like when I put salad as a side I just sprinkle some cheese and it’s kind of boring.” I totally know where she’s coming from because I’ve been there! I got really tired of side salads a few years ago but have rekindled my love for them in the last year or so. Now we have side salads at least twice a week – and it’s easy to make the salad an entree by throwing in a protein!
Here’s how I keep side salads from being boring (or gross!)
- I buy a different kind of lettuce every few weeks, instead of always having the same one in every salad.
- I keep lots of different toppings on hand and make salads to suit everyone’s individual tastes.
Some of my favorite toppings include (I never use all of these at the same time):
- cherry tomatoes
- feta cheese
- cucumber
- diced sweet bell pepper
- roasted sunflower seeds
- croutons
- slivered almonds
- chopped walnuts
- skillet-charred corn (Drop frozen corn in a cast-iron skillet and let them hang out until kernels are lightly charred. Season with salt and pepper)
- frozen peas, defrosted in a colander under cold water
- finely grated carrot
- chopped fresh broccoli
I also really love salads with fruit – this is especially good with spring mix or any lettuce that’s not super crunchy. Here are my favorite fruit-style toppings:
- berries – strawberries or blueberries
- crisp, crunchy apples – gala or fuji
- clementines or orange slices
- fresh pears
- fresh peaches
- almonds
- walnuts
- craisins
- sunflower seeds
- blue cheese
- finely shredded parmesan cheese
I always keep the fridge stocked with several options for dressings:
- Ranch & Light Ranch
- Creamy Italian
- Balsamic Vinaigrette or Zesty Lime Vinaigrette – good for the salads with fruit
- Honey Mustard
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few of my favorite salad recipes from other bloggers:
- Harvest Cobb Salad
- Spinach Salad
- Green Apple Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
- Strawberry Salad with Avocado & Poppy Seed Dressing
- Refreshing Watermelon Salad
My Mom makes the BEST salads and has a whole section of side salad recipes on her blog. Check it out here!
Hopefully you’re all set to have side salads that aren’t boring!
Come Home For Comfort 
I LOVE salads! Usually, mine can run on the boring side. But it’s fun to add new things now and then for variety. Summer is when I like to get creative, as there’s more fresh produce available. A cool salad is a great way to cool down in the heat. Yum, now I’m hungry! I’ve been looking for the Lime Vinaigrette you mentioned. Baker’s (Kroger) didn’t have it, so I’m going to search elsewhere. I LOVE lime!!
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I’m having a hard time finding that dressing too – I hope they aren’t discontinuing it!
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Oh, no!!! I hope it sticks around a while. It’s perfect for summer!
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You gave so many great ideas! I needed some salad topping inspiration! Changing up the type of lettuce does make a difference. I’ve only discovered this recently after spending years eating iceberg! 😉
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Paul was a loyal iceberg-only eater until we got married. He’s still partial to it, but he’s learned to enjoy lots of others too. 🙂
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Love a good salad! We have them frequently and I always like to use things on hand to fix it up. Such a good meal! Speaking of….back up a post to last Friday. Those crab cakes look fabulous! I’ve looked thru your recipes and didn’t see it. Please share the goodness!
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I’m sorry you couldn’t find the recipe, Diana! I kind of used a recipe from my mom’s blog but didn’t follow it very closely. I’m going to make them again and I’ll do a post with my exact recipe. 🙂
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Such good advice! Changing up the lettuce and having lots of different toppings really helps keep things interesting. My husband is usually happy to eat a salad as long as there are some yummy dressings and meat to go with it.
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Over the years I’ve won Paul over on salads too – with good dressings and meat!
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I love salads with lots of different toppings. All of your pictures and ideas are wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
When my children were small we always said a prayer of thanks before we ate. And then we would dig in to our supper starting with a salad. One time my son was at my mom’s for breakfast and she wanted to pray before they ate. He said, “Oh no, Granny, we pray for salad.” ( I just thought this memory was to cute not to share.)
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That’s so cute! Kids say the cutest things! 🙂
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Once again you and I were on the same wavelength when we wrote our blog posts for today! Your salad with the strawberries looks fabulous! Thanks for the shout out today! 🍓🥦🥒🥕
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That’s so funny! I couldn’t believe it when I saw we were both talking about salads on the same day. But I DID say you’re the salad queen! 🙂
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