A salad is a dish with a wide variety of ingredients, generally served cold, that can be categorized as green salads, vegetable salads, salads of pasta/legumes/grains, mixed salads with meat/poultry/seafood, and fruit salads. The earliest salads consisted of wild greens and herbs seasoned with salt, acting as a tonic after winter. Green salads can be eaten at the beginning, with the entrée, or after the main course. Most leafy vegetables that can be eaten raw are used. Vegetable salads are commonly based on tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, beets, and mushrooms. Fruit mixtures with sweet dressings are often eaten as desserts. The simplest salad dressings are mixtures of oil and vinegar.

What are some common ingredients found in salads?

Salads come in a wide variety, including green salads, vegetable salads, pasta salads, and mixed salads that incorporate meat or seafood. Common ingredients found in salads: * Leafy greens: lettuce, spinach, arugula * Vegetables: tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, beets * Starches: rice, pasta, potatoes, beans * Proteins: meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, cheese * Fruits: apple, orange, grapefruit, avocado Salad dressings often consist of oil, vinegar, herbs, mustard, or creamy sauces.

How is a salad usually prepared and served?

Salads are diverse dishes, traditionally served cold, though some, like German potato salad, can be served hot. The simplest salads consist of wild greens and herbs seasoned with salt, acting as tonics after winter. Green salads can be served at the beginning, with the entrée, or after the main course. Vegetable salads feature marinated or sauced raw or cooked vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and beets. Mixed salads incorporate meat, poultry, or seafood, transforming the dish into a light entrée. Fruit salads with sweet dressings often act as desserts. The simplest salad dressings are mixtures of oil and vinegar, usually with a proportion of three parts oil to one part vinegar; to this is added salt and pepper, herbs, and frequently Dijon mustard.

What are dressings, and how do they affect the taste of a salad?

Dressings are seasoned liquid mixtures added to salads. The simplest dressings consist of oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, herbs, and Dijon mustard, while creamy dressings are mayonnaise-based or use sweet or sour cream. Dressings enhance a salad's taste through a variety of flavors and textures. They can provide contrasting tastes, such as the sweetness of fruit dressings or the pungency of vinaigrettes. The balance of oil and vinegar, combined with herbs and spices, complements the fresh greens and vegetables, creating a more complex and enjoyable culinary experience.

What are some different types of salads from around the world?

Salads come in a wide variety from all over the world. They can be categorized as green, vegetable, pasta, grain, mixed (including meat, poultry, or seafood), or fruit. Greek Salad A tossed salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, black olives, and feta cheese, dressed with olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and oregano. Salade Niçoise From France, this salad combines lettuce with potatoes, green beans, olives, tuna, tomatoes, and anchovies, dressed with olive oil and vinegar. Waldorf Salad Named for the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, it's made of apples, walnuts, and celery in mayonnaise. Coleslaw From the Dutch ("kool" meaning cabbage), it consists of shredded or chopped cabbage with a mayonnaise or vinegar-based dressing.

How can salads be made healthier or more filling as a meal?

To make salads healthier and more filling, consider these tips: Variety Use a mix of greens like lettuce, spinach, and arugula, and add raw or cooked vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, and mushrooms. Substance Add protein with meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or cheese. Starches such as rice, pasta, potatoes, or dried beans can also make the salad more satisfying. Dressings Simple dressings of oil and vinegar are healthy, and you can add herbs and Dijon mustard for extra flavor. These additions transform a simple salad into a light entree.

salad

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Close-up of a fresh salad with leafy greens, croutons, sun-dried tomatoes, and carrot strips on a white plate, with a fork in the foreground.

An illustration of a Caesar salad against a blue background.

Quick Facts

Related Topics:: tabbouleh; julienne salad; fruit salad; Waldorf salad; green salad

See all related content

salad

dish

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Sep. 26, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a salad?
A salad is a dish with a wide variety of ingredients, generally served cold, that can be categorized as green salads, vegetable salads, salads of pasta/legumes/grains, mixed salads with meat/poultry/seafood, and fruit salads.

The earliest salads consisted of wild greens and herbs seasoned with salt, acting as a tonic after winter. Green salads can be eaten at the beginning, with the entrée, or after the main course. Most leafy vegetables that can be eaten raw are used. Vegetable salads are commonly based on tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, beets, and mushrooms. Fruit mixtures with sweet dressings are often eaten as desserts. The simplest salad dressings are mixtures of oil and vinegar.
2 Britannica Sources
1. salad
2. Definition of salad
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some common ingredients found in salads?
Salads come in a wide variety, including green salads, vegetable salads, pasta salads, and mixed salads that incorporate meat or seafood.

Common ingredients found in salads:
* Leafy greens: lettuce, spinach, arugula
* Vegetables: tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, beets
* Starches: rice, pasta, potatoes, beans
* Proteins: meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, cheese
* Fruits: apple, orange, grapefruit, avocado

Salad dressings often consist of oil, vinegar, herbs, mustard, or creamy sauces.
1 Britannica Source
1. salad
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How is a salad usually prepared and served?
Salads are diverse dishes, traditionally served cold, though some, like German potato salad, can be served hot. The simplest salads consist of wild greens and herbs seasoned with salt, acting as tonics after winter. Green salads can be served at the beginning, with the entrée, or after the main course. Vegetable salads feature marinated or sauced raw or cooked vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and beets. Mixed salads incorporate meat, poultry, or seafood, transforming the dish into a light entrée. Fruit salads with sweet dressings often act as desserts.

The simplest salad dressings are mixtures of oil and vinegar, usually with a proportion of three parts oil to one part vinegar; to this is added salt and pepper, herbs, and frequently Dijon mustard.
1 Britannica Source
1. salad
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are dressings, and how do they affect the taste of a salad?
Dressings are seasoned liquid mixtures added to salads. The simplest dressings consist of oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, herbs, and Dijon mustard, while creamy dressings are mayonnaise-based or use sweet or sour cream.

Dressings enhance a salad's taste through a variety of flavors and textures. They can provide contrasting tastes, such as the sweetness of fruit dressings or the pungency of vinaigrettes. The balance of oil and vinegar, combined with herbs and spices, complements the fresh greens and vegetables, creating a more complex and enjoyable culinary experience.
2 Britannica Sources
1. salad
2. Definition of salad dressing
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some different types of salads from around the world?
Salads come in a wide variety from all over the world. They can be categorized as green, vegetable, pasta, grain, mixed (including meat, poultry, or seafood), or fruit.
- Greek Salad A tossed salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, black olives, and feta cheese, dressed with olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and oregano.
- Salade Niçoise From France, this salad combines lettuce with potatoes, green beans, olives, tuna, tomatoes, and anchovies, dressed with olive oil and vinegar.
- Waldorf Salad Named for the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, it's made of apples, walnuts, and celery in mayonnaise.
- Coleslaw From the Dutch ("kool" meaning cabbage), it consists of shredded or chopped cabbage with a mayonnaise or vinegar-based dressing.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How can salads be made healthier or more filling as a meal?
To make salads healthier and more filling, consider these tips:
- Variety Use a mix of greens like lettuce, spinach, and arugula, and add raw or cooked vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, and mushrooms.
- Substance Add protein with meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or cheese. Starches such as rice, pasta, potatoes, or dried beans can also make the salad more satisfying.
- Dressings Simple dressings of oil and vinegar are healthy, and you can add herbs and Dijon mustard for extra flavor.
These additions transform a simple salad into a light entree.
1 Britannica Source
1. salad
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

salad, any of a wide variety of dishes that fall into the following principal categories: green salads; vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. Most salads are traditionally served cold, although some, such as German potato salad, are served hot.

The restorative powers of green salad have been celebrated since antiquity: “Eat cress and gain wit,” advises a Greek proverb. The earliest salads were wild greens and herbs seasoned with salt; these were the first vegetable foods available in spring and acted as a tonic after a dull winter diet. Green salads are eaten at the beginning of a meal, with the entrée, or after the main course. Most leafy vegetables that can be eaten raw are used: all varieties of lettuce, garden cress and watercress, endives, cabbage, spinach, escarole, romaine (cos), arugula, and fresh herbs. Other vegetables, raw or cooked—tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, beets, and so on—may garnish the green salad. In France a piece of dry bread rubbed with garlic, a chapon, is sometimes tossed with the salad to season it. Caesar salad, invented in Tijuana, Mexico, in the 1920s, is a green salad of romaine with a highly seasoned dressing of pounded anchovies, olive oil, lemon juice, egg, and Parmesan cheese, garnished with croutons.

Vegetable salads may be marinated or sauced mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables. They are commonly based on tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, beets, and mushrooms. Cole slaw (from the Dutch kool, “cabbage”) is made of shredded or chopped cabbage with a mayonnaise or vinegar-based dressing. Some Middle Eastern salads are puréed or finely chopped cucumbers, eggplants, or chickpeas, mixed with tahini or yogurt. Salade russe is a variety of chopped cooked vegetables and potatoes bound with mayonnaise. Although they are sometimes served as hors d’oeuvres, salads of this type usually take the place of hot or cold vegetable side dishes. A similar function is served by salads based on rice, pasta, potatoes, dried beans, bulgur (cracked wheat), or other starches. Mixed salads are hearty versions of green, vegetable, and starchy salads. The addition of meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or cheese transforms the dish into a light entrée. The julienne salad popular in the United States is a green salad garnished with narrow strips of cheese, chicken, ham, beef, and vegetables. The salade niçoise of France combines lettuce with potatoes, green beans, olives, tuna, tomatoes, and anchovies, all dressed with olive oil and vinegar. A Scandinavian specialty is a herring salad of finely chopped pickled herring, potatoes, beetroot, cold meats such as tongue or roast veal, onions, and apples.

Ceviche. Peruvian ceviche (sebiche). Raw seafood dish with lime, cilantro, peppers, plantains. Cuisine, food

Britannica Quiz

A World of Food Quiz

Salads of fruit mixtures with sweet dressings are often eaten as desserts. Fruits may be added to green salads; avocado, orange, and grapefruit are suitable accompaniments to fatty meats such as duck or pork. Named for the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, the Waldorf salad is made of apples, walnuts, and celery in mayonnaise. Gelatins are often used in various fruit or vegetable salads.

The simplest salad dressings are mixtures of oil and vinegar (the usual proportion is three parts oil to one part vinegar); to this is added salt and pepper, herbs, and frequently Dijon mustard. In France a spoonful of the juices from a roast is sometimes added to the dressing. Creamy dressings are based on mayonnaise, sweet or sour cream, or a cooked sauce containing eggs, flour, milk, or cream. These dressings are often highly seasoned with crumbled blue cheese; green onions, garlic, anchovy paste, tarragon, and parsley (green goddess dressing); ketchup, minced onion, olives, onion, parsley, and egg (Thousand Island dressing); and so on. The commercial “French” dressing widely used in the United States is a sweet, pungent mixture flavoured with tomato and vinegar.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by René Ostberg.

salad

Thank you for signing up!