We love salads and have one at dinner almost every night.
I grew up with plain ole iceberg and carrots, but was delighted to discover so many healthier and tasty options as I grew up and ate at friends’ houses or traveled.
Salads are great during hot summer months when the veggies are in season, fresh from the garden.
Some of our favorite salads:
Greek:
Kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and sometimes red onion and bell pepper…with or without lettuce. With oregano and olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Italian:
We fell in love with Italian salads during our travels. There are regional delicacies and we love em all.
Florence had fennel, carrots, and grapes or raisins with Romaine and a simple olive oil dressing. So sweet and crunchy!
Venice had olives, oranges, and arugula. It was unique.
Rome had peppers, olives, onions, tomatoes, and Romaine. Yes, kinda like Olive Garden {gasp!} but it was all so fresh and lovely.
German:
Many German salads have lots of pickled veggies, sweet corn, and yogurt dressing or Thousand Island.
Grilled:
The texture and flavor of grilled lettuce is unique and amazing.
Don’t cut all the way through. Drizzle with oil and get a little char on a gas or charcoal grill. Add cheese, bacon, and tomatoes. Easy!
Fruity Nutty
I love berries and walnuts with spinach.
Also, I love pomegranate, apples or pears, almonds or walnuts over romaine.
These make great meal salads – with or without some chicken.
Wedge:
These seem so fancy in restaurants.
Bleu cheese, bacon, and tomatoes on iceberg slices are just so pretty.
I like to make it even more special by adding a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and grilling the tomatoes.
Salads can be so versatile. They can be an appetizer, side dish, or a full meal – with or without added proteins. We have fun playing with colors and textures.
Interesting, Jennifer. I’m not familiar with most of these particular salads. Especially the grilled lettuce. My favorite salad (that I eat almost every weekday at lunch) is one I created. It’s fresh baby spinach, tomato, avocado, black beans, santa fe tortilla strips (salad toppings), sesame seeds, almond slivers, olive oil and a little greek yogurt dressing. I’m so addicted to it, that I crave it. ;-) Thanks for these other options.
That sounds like a hearty salad I want to try!
Great selection of salad choices here, Jennifer. I would have to go with the fruity salad. The others have things I allergic to or may cause my BP to elevate. Thanks for sharing on #purposeful faith. Have a wonderful week, and God bless you and yours.
I understand. I had to help my dad with that when I cook for him.
Recently starting Weight Watchers, these salad recipes look great!
Thanks for sharing!
Those all look delicious. I have really never met a salad I didn’t like. I have at least on salad everyday.
I love a refreshing salad on a hot day – these all look so satisfying! I’d love it if you shared it at our What’s for Dinner party. http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-162/
Jennifer, you are making me hungry for salad. I love salads, all kinds. I like to joke that I would do well at a salad potluck. Though I have never been to one. The one you listed here that I have not yet tried is the grilled salad.
A salad potluck would be so much fun!
These all sounds so delicious, but the Fruity Nutty salad caught my eye! YUM! Thanks so much for sharing at the Make Life Pretty Monday link party. You’re one of this week’s features! Hope to see you Sunday at 8 pm!
Thanks so much!
That Greek salad looks delicious! I love a spinach salad with strawberries, almonds and balsamic vinaigrette OR watermelon, blueberries & feta.
watermelon with feta is delish!
Thanks for the yummy ideas! Our new fave is romaine with strawberries and blueberries. Add chicken and slivered almonds and top with a healthy yogurt strawberry poppyseed dressing. Yummy. laurensparks.net
Those sound amazing!
I have been looking for some new salads to try this summer. The Greek salad looks yummy and I would love to make that sometime. Thanks for the suggestions.
https://budgetingbelle80.blogspot.com
These look amazing! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home.
Your salad collection is beautiful and I can’t wait to try some of these recipes! Hope you are having a great week and thank you so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen