Five Green Salad Recipe Ideas

Green salads are a staple at American dinner tables, but without new recipe ideas green salads can get boring. Since green, or tossed, salads are a delicious way to add nutrients, vitamins and fiber to your diet, you'll want to include them in your meals whenever possible. Try these recipe ideas for jazzing up your salad- whether you serve it as an appetizer, side dish, or main course.

Green Salad Recipe Idea #1:
Crudites Salad

The word crudites is from the French and refers to an appetizer which consists of raw vegetable strips served with dip.

Iceberg or Romaine lettuce (or a mixture of both)
Green, red, yellow, and orange peppers
Carrots
Celery
Fresh cauliflower
Fresh broccoli
Radishes
Green onions
Ranch or blue cheese dressing

In the spirit of crudites, all the ingredients of this salad are fresh, crunchy vegetables. Also in keeping with the crudites theme, the dressing choices are creamy and dip-like.

You can customize this salad by omitting a salad ingredient that you don't like and substituting a different fresh, crunchy vegetable. In the US, crudites are most often served with a creamy dip, so any creamy dressing can be substituted. If you'd like to add a French flair, try serving Crudites Salad with a honey mustard dressing or a Dijon vinaigrette.

Green Salad Recipe Idea #2:
Hearty Start Salad

Iceberg lettuce
Onions
Chick peas
Black olives
Feta cheese
Sliced hard boiled egg
Tomatoes
Croutons
Choice of dressing

This salad incorporates hard-boiled egg slices and cheese, so it's a little heartier start to a meal than a vegetable only salad. Substitutions can be made according to personal preference.

Green Salad Recipe Idea #3:
Italian Salad:

Romaine lettuce
Pepperoni slices
Salami cubes
Provolone cubes
Roasted red pepper strips
Pickled cauliflower, carrots and onions
Fresh tomato wedges
Italian dressing

Serve with warm Italian bread.

Green Salad Recipe Idea #4:
Club Sandwich Salad:

Iceberg lettuce
Sliced ham
Sliced turkey
Sliced Swiss cheese
Sliced American cheese
Bacon crumbles
Tomato slices
Thousand Island Dressing

Serve with choice of sliced toast.

Green Salad Recipe Idea #5:
Fruit and Nut Green Salad:

Romaine lettuce
Fresh apple, diced
Chopped walnuts
Sliced canned pears
Almond slivers
Sunflower seeds
Red onion
Oil and vinegar

Serve with French bread and a side of cottage cheese.

The possibilities for green salads ideas are endless! You may want to follow one green salad recipe to a "T", or you may want to mix and match the ingredients from different salad recipes. Salads are so versatile!

Whether you're having a salad as a light meal, a snack, an appetizer, or a side dish; I hope you find these green salad recipe ideas helpful!