What's Your Favorite Green Salad Recipe?

[circa1978]

Either one you make or one you order out? I'm having my mom and aunt over for lunch Wednesday, (which is pointless as I'm pretty sure neither has eaten a full meal since 1967) and my aunt has requested salad be the main course. It's her birthday and her first since my uncle died so I'd like to try to make it at least a little special within her parameters. I'm also going to make fresh bread, because she does eat carbs, and a very light dessert - open to ideas on that too. Maybe flavored air? LOL. 

If you are wondering why we having lunch when they don't like to eat, that's a whole other story. 

[notoriousmeg]

I love a good spinach salad with bacon, sliced mushrooms and champagne vinaigrette.

[Jalapeñomel]

Cobb salad

[Jalapeñomel]

Jul 5, 2021 20:43:58 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Why don’t they eat?

I love Cobb salads, you could buy a hot rotisserie chicken that morning. Small chopped romaine, chicken, bacon, blue cheese, eggs, avocado 😋.

I also like friend chicken on romaine with avocado, bacon and tomatoes and ranch - basic bitch.
ETA: and some type of cheese.

ETA2: Jesus Christ, I said ranch, twice now.

You know who this is gonna summon, right?

[circa1978]

Jul 5, 2021 20:43:58 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Why don’t they eat?

I come by my disordered eating honestly. It's fucked up. My mom is better than my aunt but, yeah. I've never seen either of them just enjoy a meal. 

ETA: We are having lunch as a distraction because they also don't like each other very much and have been quarreling nonstop this summer but my mom felt like she had to do something for my aunt so I'm the buffer. I tried to get my cousin to come too and she was like, LOL, no. 

[circa1978]

Jul 5, 2021 20:52:45 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Jul 5, 2021 20:50:57 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

I come by my disordered eating honestly. It's fucked up. My mom is better than my aunt but, yeah. I've never seen either of them just enjoy a meal. 

Oh wow:( I’m sorry.

I've made my peace with it and so has my female cousin. It's particularly ironic because we're Italian American. People are always like, oh, were your mom and grandma good cooks? LOLOLOLOL, you have to be willing to eat to cook, in general. 🤷‍♀️ 

But I still have to put something on the table for them to push around and I'd like to eat. And they will nibble.

[circa1978]

I realize we sound really disfunctional. I mean, we ARE, but really, I just need a good salad recipe.

[Deleted]

I can get down on a well made, fresh Caesar salad.

[Deleted]

I like "different" dressings like French, strawberry poppy seed, etc and sometimes it's just a great dressing the makes a salad.

[Deleted]

Oh, Greek salad with chunky onions, tomato quarters, and black olives. Feta cheese crumbles

I like salad, yo

[cereal K]

Rich & Charlie’s Salad! Throw some grilled chicken on there and call it a day. lol

For real, though, it’s my go-to side salad, and I’m sure your fam will be familiar with the ingredients.

But here are some other ideas we’ve tried and liked:

www.cookinglight.com/recipes/creamy-kale-caesar-salad-soft-boiled-eggs?utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cookinglight

www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spinach-bacon-fried-egg-salad#spinach-bacon-fried-egg-salad

www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/antipasti-chopped-salad

[Deleted]

I don't know how much effort you want to put in but steak in a salad is really, really good, or shrimp

[gretchenindisguise]

The strawberry poppyseed and chicken salad from Panera is my favorite over the summer and I think it'd be easy to replicate.

www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/strawberry-poppyseed---chicken-salad.html

[sandandsea]

Baby spinach with strawberries, mandarin, goat cheese, dried cranberries and raspberry vinaigrette.

Mixed greens with a lemon garlic salad dressing.

I also like cobbs and Caesar salads.

[shopgirl07]

For summer I like a caprese or a panzanella salad. You could also do a chicken or shrimp Caesar. I love Caesar salad with homemade croutons.

[al dente]

Spinach with strawberries, feta, toasted walnuts or pecans, little bit of red onion, with a balsamic dressing. Can also add chicken.

Or Greek salad with good olives (not black). But I just don't like black olives.

[tacocat]

I love a spinach salad my mom always makes with hard boiled eggs, spinach, and bacon. She usually uses a honey mustard. I don't even usually like honey mustard but it really works with that salad.

I also like taco salad with various proteins as well. I'll make a big thing of chicken and to use in different recipes and it's perfect for that.

A rotisserie chicken for a ceaser would be really fast and easy.

[tacocat]

What about strawberry shortcake for dessert? They could just do berries to feel "healthy" and you can have deliciousness.

[circa1978]

Jul 5, 2021 21:15:46 GMT -5 tacocat said:

What about strawberry shortcake for dessert? They could just do berries to feel "healthy" and you can have deliciousness.

I was contemplating a pavlova for the same reason. 

[konapoppy]

You mother and aunt sound like my grandmother. She always preferred a Cobb.

If they like more greens, I agree with a greens/fruit/nut/cheese combo with grilled chicken. I personally wouldn’t pick a salad with a heavy dressing like ranch or a ton of bacon or steak for this audience.

I like the idea of berries and an angel food cake for dessert with some whipped cream. Or you could do a sorbet with some lace cookies.

[konapoppy]

Jul 5, 2021 21:20:11 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

Jul 5, 2021 21:15:46 GMT -5 tacocat said:

What about strawberry shortcake for dessert? They could just do berries to feel "healthy" and you can have deliciousness.

I was contemplating a pavlova for the same reason. 

Yep, another great option. Something that really is basically air. French macarons are good for this too.

[kaneen]

Baby spinach, pears, pecans, and goat cheese dressed very lightly in a champagne vinaigrette. Throw some grilled chicken or salmon on it if you need a protein.

[erbear]

Arugula, peach, avocado, pom seeds and goat cheese with balsamic.

[tacokick]

Pavlova or granita would be my first thoughts. Pavlova can be tricky if it is very humid. Sherbet or sorbet?

I’d do a chopped salad similar to this with chicken . It’s good with salad shrimp too. I like watercress tossed in.

www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chopped-salad-358651

[jinkies]

This pear-blue cheese salad is my favorite. I sometimes add dried cranberries. You could also easily add chicken if you wanted to add a meat. For the dressing, it just says "mustard" but it's best when made with dijon:

www.allrecipes.com/recipe/34613/roquefort-pear-salad/

ETA: also, after a while I figured out that I hate caramelizing the pecans myself, so now I just buy the pre-done ones that they sell in the salad topper section.

[Pom]

Blue Beacon Salad

Romaine
Blue cheese
Thinly slice red onion
Cucumber & tomato slice
Sprinkled with garlic bread crumbs
Tossed with Kens light Visalia dressing

Beyond good.

[macmars45]

My cousin's wife made this amazing salad when H, DS & I were at their house for dinner pre-COVID (Jan 2020). I don't really like salad and I had seconds. It was spinach, fresh blueberries, feta cheese and walnuts. I'm not sure what dressing was used... vinaigrette maybe? Anyways, it was delicious.

[sproctopus]

Pasta House Salad (lol)

I also am really into Molly Baz's caesar salad with chicken right now.

[VillainV]

I like a good southwest salad with mixed greens, black beans, corn, a little pico de gallo, and lime vinaigrette. You can add grilled chicken or steak, and maybe some tortilla strips or pepitas for crunch.

[basilosaurus]

This is one of my favorite dressings. www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pacific-rim-caesar-salad-105973

I like a good arabic or greek salad. Especially in summer heat. I was actually thinking about doing that as part of dinner tonight. I wouldn't say I have a recipe per se.

If you want something more substantial, wilted spinach with seared scallops and a warm bacon vinaigrette. Just use the heat of the bacon grease to wilt the spinach. Sliced almonds are good with it, too.