Make Your Own Entrée Salad

Make Your Own Entrée Salad

Some people may picture salads as delicate greens with a couple onions, tomato slices and dressing. However, salads can easily be entrées - it’s all in the balance of ingredients. Build an entrée salad that will be filling, satisfying and delicious by following our formula below.

Pick leafy greens:

Leafy greens are the base of an entrée salad. Heartier greens such as kale and spinach may require a creamy dressing. Softer greens such as arugula, mesclun, butter, Bibb, Boston, green or red leaf lettuce and romaine work well with any type of dressing. 

Pick vegetables/fruit:

Whether they’re cooked or raw, vegetables and fruit provide volume, crunch, color, flavor and nutrition to an entrée salad. Add any produce to a salad, even leftovers.

Pick protein:

If a salad is consumed as an entrée or meal, it should have a source of protein. Protein helps keep us full and satisfied until the next meal or snack. Animal proteins such as chicken, hard-boiled egg or salmon are common proteins for salads. In the plant protein world, lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh and edamame are all great choices.

Pick something crunchy (optional):

The element of crunch is one that many people find uniquely satisfying, especially in an entrée salad. Examples include croutons, raw carrots, red onion, apple or pear slices. Other ways to add crunch include nuts and seeds (raw or toasted), roasted chickpeas, toasted quinoa and cheese crisps.

Pick something creamy (optional):

Creamy ingredients such as avocado and soft or hard cheeses taste delicious in entrée salads. 

Pick a dressing: 

Make your own salad dressing with this customizable step-by-step formula. Double the batch to drizzle on grain bowls and roasted veggies too.