Some vegetables are so versatile that they get along with basically any meal, but what about salad types? When it comes to salad, it was made to put veggies together, creating something healthy and tasty! Along with vegetables, we have some other recommendations to make your salad delicious and beneficial, so check out our top ten list!
10. Lemon
The dressing might be the coolest part of making a salad
We'll kick off this list dominated by vegetables by something that has nothing to do with the actual veggies. Lemon is an ingredient that you should consider putting into various types of salad since it makes it fresh and enhances its flavor. Lemon is there to take the whole salad experience to the next level!
Unfortunately, many people have no idea about this positive side of lemon – they think it's only for salad dressing. Nowadays, we care a lot about the food's looks, since salads are usually named the "colorful bowl" and are very Instagrammable. However, lemon gives you even more than that!
9. Pepper
A salad that's focused on pepper actually exists!
Did you know that pepper can be roasted and served in a salad that way? If you've never tried this delicious treat before, you're wasting your time! Pepper is a must for any salad, mainly becautose you have so many versions to try. Nature gave us pepper to try spicy, bitter, mild, and other flavors thanks to only one vegetable!
Like all the ingredients we'll mention here, pepper also has various health benefits, especially as an antioxidant. Even though people usually don't make their salads spicy, chili pepper is also an option for those who like it hot. There are no boundaries, and pepper is the best example!
8. Spinach
There are various versions – try this one!
Not everything in a salad should be crunchy – you need something smooth to spice up the taste. As an iron-rich food, spinach will do the best work, mainly because it's very nutritious and one of the healthiest treats. It's the source of vitamins, energy, and sometimes a salad is everything you need to increase your immune system.
Believe it or not, spinach goes well with such various foods that you can combine with fruit! The apple spinach salad is actually a thing, so mix these two together with red onion, cranberries, and some cheese! Feta or blue cheese are preferred, and serve them crumbled – that will make spinach even more delicious!
7. Cucumber
A creamy salad - a dream come true!
A long and thin vegetable that is so green that it has to be a healthy treat – that's all about cucumbers, one of the most refreshing veggies! Cucumber works like a water bomb that will hydrate you more than any other vegetable, so it's crucial for a salad that lacks water and refreshment.
Thanks to cucumbers and their ability to go well with sour cream, garlic powder, and other stuff like that, salads with them can get very creamy and smooth. Of course, our top recommendation is to keep this salad as cool as possible. Let it take a rest in your fridge for at least two hours before you try it!
6. Lettuce
Cutting lettuce isn't a big deal!
Let's admit it – all the ingredients we already mentioned are beneficial for a salad. However, how could a salad ever be made without lettuce, that green thing that you probably hate to cut? It's the inevitable part and gives you so many chances that you can prepare a different lettuce salad every day!
This salad can be as simple as the combination of lettuce with tomato and cucumber only. Still, you can make a mess and add something else if you feel like that! Besides being a versatile ingredient, lettuce also makes the salad dressing easy – it just looks flawless no matter how you put it in your bowl!
5. Onions
This looks like pasta or something even more delicious, but it's actually healthy!
Did you know that it's pretty unusual in India to have a meal without onions, especially the onion salad? Onions are essential ingredients of various dishes worldwide, so they obviously found their way to many salad recipes. They vary from the most basic ones to the insane mixes that get spiced up by onion's taste!
Of course, onions are absolutely suitable for any type of diet, so these salads can be vegetarian if you need them like that. If you don't like the Indian salad's simplicity, check out the Brazilian version that never goes without olive oil, pepper, and some tomatoes. It's hard to tell which one tastes the best, so give them a try!
4. Avocado
You can basically have this one instead of any meal
For people that maintain a low-carb diet, it's crucial to find something healthy but delicious that would replace their will to eat junk food. The food rich in sugar is usually attractive to try, so you get stuck on it forever. Luckily, avocado doesn't belong to that group – it's 100% safe to eat while still having a unique taste that people adore!
Moreover, avocado can make any salad fancy and delicious, and it gives you the freedom to put some chicken or other meat in it. However, the chicken salad is obviously the best with avocado, so we wouldn't consider other meat types! This healthy treat will be a perfect lunch or dinner for you if you're trying to lose weight, too!
3. Carrots
"Easy ways to eat more veg" is the section that will give you many ideas!
Some vegetables are simply different from the others – carrots can't be mixed up with anything else, especially for their shape and taste! Their orange, vibrant color makes any salad gorgeous and gives it a pattern. Yet, let's talk about all the health benefits you get along the way because they might change your lifestyle!
There are various reasons to put some carrots in your salad today. It's an excellent source of vitamin A, the one that makes your skin and hair pretty and healthy. Carrots basically make you gorgeous, and your salad as well. Of course, every salad needs something crispy but smooth, so carrots are the perfect match!
2. Mushrooms
This is a rich salad – the number of ingredients is insane
Let's finally take a break from the veggies and put something distinct into our healthy salad. The thing that goes so well with vegetables is mushrooms, the spooky treat from the woods! Mushrooms look so dangerous, but when you taste many of them, they actually resemble meat, even though they are a way healthier option!
If you don't want to put chicken or fish in your salad, mushrooms are the best replacement, and they provide an even more exotic taste. Of course, you should play it safe if you're preparing mushrooms on your own – their types are various, but not all of them go well with any salad!
1. Tomato
If it's Jamie's ultimate, it's already the best one!
Tomatoes have all the right to finish first – they make every salad great in multiple ways. They'll keep you fresh and motivated, relaxed while going well with many vegetables and other additions! Luckily, it's the best thing to combine with feta cheese and some onions, so this is a salad to keep in your fridge and eat while it's cool and refreshing!
No summer can ever go without the tomato season, so we guess this type of salad will be your ultimate favorite when the days are hot! You can mix cucumbers with tomato for those warm days just to make your tomato salad even moister. What a summery combination!
Salads give you so much space for versatility that you could put all these ingredients together at once, and it would still be so delicious! It's easy to play with healthy food because you'll never have that feeling that you put too much of something in your salad. Everything's essentially beneficial, so feel free to try it all!
Which salad is your favorite? Would you mix all these top ten ingredients together? Share your cooking experience with us!
Cover photo: TopTens.fun/Midjourney