Entree salads

[mbcdefg]

MH suggested that we have salads for dinner a couple times a week, since we have horrible eating habits.

What are your favorite entree-style salads?

We don't like salmon, but we're pretty open to anything else that might go in a salad.

[bunch]

I had a great one this week with wild rice, pears, grapes, romaine, chicken and a vinaigrette.

I also make Cobb salads, wedges.... I use ones I like at restaurants as inspiration.

[vtdiamond]

Taco Salad - left over salsa chicken that I make in the crockpot or taco meat, over greens and veggies topped with salsa and some sour cream.

Caesar Salads with homemade dressing, topped with chicken

Mixed greens, with goat cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts and veggies (could easily have chicken added on top)

Greek Salad - olives, feta, cucumbers, etc.

Cobb Salad

[Deleted]

My favorite is a pear & pomegranate salad, which I'm sure you could do with chicken or pork tenderloin.
The original recipe calls for endive, but we use romaine lettuce.
Basically, it is sliced red pears, pomegranate seeds and walnuts over romaine, with a dressing of white wine or champagne vinegar, olive oil, cinnamon and a bit of honey.

I would scope out restaurant menus and try to make their salads healthier. For instance, Panera has a blue cheese & steak salad.

One of my go-to meals is grilled chicken or turkey burgers, topped with green salsa (Frontera tomatillo) and sliced avocado, over a bed of salad or spinach. I wouldn't call it a "salad" but it is light and super easy.

[Pom]

Bleu Beacon---Your favorite lettuce mix, blue cheese crumbles, red onion rings, garlic croutons or a sprinkle of bread crumbs. Also roma tomatoes if I have them on hand. I then add Ken's Vidalia Onion dressing or a sweet and sour dressing and toss completely to covered. For an entree salad, I just add a protein like chicken, shrimp or pork tenderloin.

Woods Salad----Baby lettuces, goat cheese, dried cherries, raspberry vinaigrette with grilled chicken strips.

[Deleted]

www.oprah.com/food/Chopped-Salad-with-Bacon-and-Fried-Garbanzo-Beans

www.oprah.com/food/Arugula-Salad-with-Baked-Ricotta ( I hate arugula so I make this with spinach.)

www.oprah.com/food/Grilled-Chicken-Spinach-and-Cashew-Salad-with-Honey-Mustard-Dressing

[IrishBelle]

I live to add beans to mine as the protein sourse. Black beans and chickpeas are really good. Cheese is a must and I like to switch that up but feta and soft goat cheeses are my faves.

[h]

Our regulars include:

Greek salad with chicken (romaine, feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, grilled chicken, and dressing made with lemon juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, oregano)

Napa cabbage with mandarin orange segments, green onions, cucumbers, green peppers, chicken, wonton strips and either bottled ginger-miso dressing or sweet and sour dressing made with rice wine vinegar, oil, sugar, and pepper.

Caesar salad with either chicken, shrimp, or crab cakes on top

Spinach, chicken, dried cranberries, and goat cheese with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

[CallingAllAngels]

We often make a big green salad (green leaf lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots + whatever veggies we have around), shred some cheese and top with leftover taco meat or BBQ chicken or grilled chicken shaken in buffalo sauce. We do this a lot with leftovers. We'll have tacos or chicken one day and then use the leftovers for a salad the next day. It's not fancy but it works.

[urbancowgirl]

We grill chicken and put it on top of this strawberry spinach salad: allrecipes.com/Recipe/Strawberry-Spinach-Salad-I/Detail.aspx (I use about half the sugar in the dressing otherwise it's too sweet.)

Have you ever eaten at Cosi? I love their signature salad and I found a recipe for it online. We add chicken to this one as well: www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/08/04/the-signature-salad/

We make Cobb salads a lot, too.

[ESF]

I made this salad last week and it was crazy good.

www.101cookbooks.com/archives/roasted-pumpkin-salad-recipe.html

I also like warm salads of sauteed mushrooms and shallots, tossed with spinach, and topped with a poached egg. Sometimes I add bacon. (google Lyonnaise salad for ideas, recipes, variations, etc)

We do arugula and/or baby chard, roasted beets, pears, and blue cheese a lot too.

[gt7301b]

This is my favorite salad:

 

www.annies-eats.com/2011/10/20/harvest-apple-and-spinach-salad/

I usually add chicken to it for a little protein.

I also make a spinach, strawberry, mushroom salad with bacon that is yummmm.

[ellipsis]

Just an FYI, if you put a lot of crap on your salad (cheese, dressing, etc) it is just as unhealthy as a cheeseburger.

[halfpint]

We do taco salad, and use crumbled up tortilla chips for a crunchy topping. Just avoid too much cheese and sour cream, load up on a lean meat like seasoned chicken, add lots of green onions, tomatoes, etc., and use salsa for dressing.

Sometimes just a big garden salad with rotisserie chicken or steak added on. I do romaine, as it's a compromise for my H who won't eat things like kale, spinach or even spring greens. He'd prefer shredded iceberg. Throw on cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions, shredded carrots, whatever you like. Add a favorite cheese, like goat cheese or nice parmesan.

My final favorite is a caprese salad - bed of lettuce, sliced roma tomatoes, chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I especially love this in summer!

I'd suggest making a simple homemade dressing if you can - a lot of store dressings are loaded with sugars, and I think fresh and homemade tastes better.

[gt7301b]

Jan 25, 2013 10:43:55 GMT -5 ellipsis said:

Just an FYI, if you put a lot of crap on your salad (cheese, dressing, etc) it is just as unhealthy as a cheeseburger.

Meh, there is nothing wrong with cheese and dressing in moderation, especially if you make the dressing at home.  (I make a mean Greek yogurt based dressing from scratch)   Mmmmmm cheese.

[shopgirl07]

I usually just do mixed greens with a bunch of veggies. I add chickpeas for some protein and I love grapes in a salad, they are crunchy and sweet and really add a kick.

[mbcdefg]

Thanks - these all sound great!

[maddiepaddy]

My H doesn't love entree salads, but he will eat this taco salad from eating well : www.eatingwell.com/recipes/taco_salad.html it's really good and very filling.

[ESF]

Jan 25, 2013 10:51:50 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

Jan 25, 2013 10:43:55 GMT -5 ellipsis said:

Just an FYI, if you put a lot of crap on your salad (cheese, dressing, etc) it is just as unhealthy as a cheeseburger.

Meh, there is nothing wrong with cheese and dressing in moderation, especially if you make the dressing at home.  (I make a mean Greek yogurt based dressing from scratch)   Mmmmmm cheese.

Word.

I LOVE this dressing.

www.foodandwine.com/recipes/caesar-on-the-light-side

[Deleted]

I have been eating one with mixed greens and/or romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, feta cheese, glazed walnuts, dried berries, green onions, and a raspberry vinaigrette. It is delicious.

ETA: And I'm bookmarking this thread for other ideas.

[Deleted]

Jan 25, 2013 10:43:55 GMT -5 ellipsis said:

Just an FYI, if you put a lot of crap on your salad (cheese, dressing, etc) it is just as unhealthy as a cheeseburger.

lol

Thank you Captain Obvious!

[genet313]

Greek salads with chicken and feta are very filling.  

I also like a light Caesar (dressing made with low-fat yogurt instead of mayo and egg yolk) with chicken.

My favorite salad is apple, walnuts/cashews, dried cranberries and chicken with a vinaigrette. 

I will caution that not every salad is as healthy as it looks...the dressing and the add-ins can really add up.  I've entered salads I thought would be healthy into MFP and am often shocked at the calorie content.  

[msmerymac]

I suggested this on CEP yesterday - put some pistachios in a blender, then use them to crust some goat cheese medallions. Serve on top of a salad with dried or fresh berries, a few additional nuts, and spinach or spring greens.

I like making my own dressing with just olive oil, white balsamic, a clove of garlic and some salt and black pepper.

[SJ]

I feel really dumb, but it has never occurred to us to eat an entree salad for dinner. We only eat it (w/o protein) as a side, but there are some great ideas in this post.

[ellipsis]

Jan 25, 2013 11:03:52 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

Jan 25, 2013 10:43:55 GMT -5 ellipsis said:

Just an FYI, if you put a lot of crap on your salad (cheese, dressing, etc) it is just as unhealthy as a cheeseburger.

lol

Thank you Captain Obvious!

My H didn't really realize this until I pointed it out to him (he uses a lot of Ranch or Caesar dressing). Look up all of the salads at Cheesecake Factory that have more calories than the main courses.