Simple Side Salads Without Lettuce

During those long, balmy summer days a salad is a great go-to option for something easy to add onto the side of a meal – or make into a big enough batch to become the main meal. For those who are over a simple lettuce leaf salad, or are hoping to broaden their culinary repertoire, here are some easy side salads that don’t include a single lettuce leaf.

Kale Caesar Salad

Though kale is best known for being sauteed or turned into veggie crisps, it can also be enjoyed fresh if you shred it finely enough. Kale seems tailor-made to pair with a slightly tart Caesar salad dressing thanks to a squeeze of a lemon juice (or swap it for lime to change the flavour). Then, pop in some croutons, or swap in some chickpeas for a low-carb option, grate over some parmesan cheese, and you will be well on your way to enjoy this salad as a standard go-to with your evening meal. In fact, it’s so good that it could easily become your dinner – or lunch.

Quick ‘n Easy Italian Salad

Food from Italy just screams comfort – and who doesn’t love a good pizza or pastas when the mood strikes? Channel your love for Italian into a quick and easy salad by shredding some rocket and adding in some pitted black olives, thinly sliced red onions and finely diced up tomatoes and peppers. A few blocks of feta cheese, followed by a small splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and this salad is ready to go.

Cucumber And Radish Salsa Salad

While tomato and onion are the best-known salsa side, this cucumber and radish equivalent is a breeze to whip up and pairs well with everything from grilled mushrooms, and aubergines, to vegetarian quesadillas. Slice the cucumbers and radishes thinly into rings, or halves, and drizzle them with a bit of white grape vinegar, throw in a bunch of chopped up cilantro along with half a red onion and it’s all ready to go. You could even omit the onion and swap it for some sweet mango which will turn it into a surprisingly refreshing brunch option.

Arugula With A Pinch of Parmesan

Rocket, better known as Arugula, is a peppery delight that pairs well with the salty taste of parmesan. Use those two ingredients and add in a dash of white wine vinegar, a squeeze of lemon and a crack of black pepper to enjoy a truly delightful salad option. If you find parmesan is a bit hard to handle with the slightly bitter tang of rocket sign up at big dollar casino , you can always swap it out for a creamier goat’s cheese like chevin to compliment and soften the flavours.

Avocado, Corn and Tomato

Three simple ingredients open up the door to a world of flavour in this simple salad, which is great with a few celery leaves or green onions thrown in, topped with a squeeze of lime. Ensure you use some pear or cherry tomatoes to ensure perfect bite-sized portions, and if you need to feed a crowd, you can always add in some black beans to bulk it out a bit.

Quinoa Salad

Take a simple Greek salad with tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, thin slivers of red onion, a diced up green pepper, and a crumble of feta cheese topped with some pitted olives and pop them into some cooked quinoa. Top it with a drizzle of avocado oil and you’ll have an incredibly easy – and filling – supper or side dish. Take it to the next level with a bit of diced up avocado and a sprinkle of chili flakes for those who like the heat.