Salad

A salad is a food item generally served either prior to the main dish as a separate course, as a main course in itself, or as a sidedish accompanying the main dish. The word "Salad" comes from the French salade of the same meaning, from the Latin salata, "salty", from sal , "salt". See also sauce, salsa.

It is most often composed of a mixture of uncooked vegetables, built up on a base of green leafy vegetables such as one or more lettuce varieties, dandelion, spinach or rocket. This is often referred to as a "green salad".

Other common vegetables in a green salad include tomato, cucumber, peppers, mushroom, onion, sping onion, carrot and radish. Other food items such as pasta, olives, cooked potatoes, rice, croutons, meat (e.g. bacon), cheese or fish (e.g. tuna) are sometimes added to salads.

Table of contents

1 Types of green salad
2 Salad dressings
3 Other types of salads

Types of green salad

Caesar
Chef salad
Greek salad
Italian salad
Mesclun
Niçoise

Salad dressings

A green salad is often served with a dressing. Some examples include:

French dressing

Other types of salads

Some salads are based on food items other than fresh vegetables:

Chicken salad
Egg salad
Fruit salad — sliced, peeled fruits served in their own juices or with a dressing.
Pasta salad
Potato salad
Waldorf salad — apples, celery, walnuts and a creamy dressing
Watergate salad — pistachio pudding, crushed pineapple, marshmallows, mandarin oranges, and whipped cream.