Looking for salad topping ideas? Here are lots of simple, easy ingredients you can use to boost the nutrition of your salad. Use them to add nutrients and flavor and to make your meals more exciting!
*Originally published April 2012*
Hi friends
This post was inspired by a salad I ate almost 8 years ago. We were out celebrating after I matched to my dietetic internship and I got a salad. It wasnt super fancy. It was made with a bed of mixed greens, topped with asparagus, corn, hard-boiled egg, bacon, red onions, tomatoes, and feta. I ate it. I went home. And I couldnt get it out of my head. When I started to dive into why I liked it so much, I decided it was because the toppings were out of the ordinary for me. I tend to fall into a pattern with my salad toppings. I always add carrots, red peppers, red onion, and tomato. In the summers, I tend to add more fruits- like strawberries and apples. If Im feeling especially crazy, I add roasted sweet potatoes and some quinoa.
I cant think of a single time I ever put asparagus on my salad. I rarely add corn. And even though I love hard-boiled eggsI rarely put them on my salad. Since I enjoyed this salad so much, I started thinking about how other people might fall into a salad rut similar to mine.
SO, I made you guys a list of salad toppingssome traditionaland some you might not have thought of! Maybe it will inspire you to spice up your salad!
Salad Topping Ideas
Vegetables
Asparagus, Beets, Artichoke hearts, Cucumbers, Peppers, Carrots, Broccoli,
Peas,Red onion, Celery, Mushrooms, Sweet potato, Radishes, Olives, Corn
-Try your vegetables roasted, grilled, marinated, raw or pickled for variety-
Eggs
Hard-boiled, Poached, Soft-boiled
Whole Grains
Couscous, Farro, Quinoa, Barley, Rice
Seeds
Pepitas,Sunflower Seeds,Sesame Seeds
Dried Fruit
Cranberries, Cherries, Raisins, Mango, Blueberries
Vegetarian Protein
Kidney beans, Black beans, Garbanzo beans,
Great northern beans, Edamame, Tofu
Seafood
Tuna, Salmon, Crab Cakes, Shrimp, Scallops
Meat
Chicken, Turkey, Steak, Ham, Bacon
-A great way to use up leftovers!-
Fruit
Pears, Grapes,Mandarinoranges, Apples, Avocado,
Strawberries, Tomatoes, Pomegranate Arils
-Thinly sliced, segmented, or in dressings-
Nuts
Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts, Peanuts, Pine nuts
-Try them toasted, sliced, slivered, raw or candied-
Cheese
Goat cheese, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Feta, Gorgonzola
-Crumbled, grated, sliced-
Fresh Herbs
Basil, Mint, Chives, Dill, Parsley
Non-Traditional Dressings
Salsa, hummus, guacamole, pureed fruit
Other
Croutons, Crispy noodles, Water chesnuts
This is by no means an exhaustive list, because really- you can put pretty much anything on a saladits just meant to spark your creativity!
Need some salad ideas? Check out these posts:
And if you typically pack salads for lunch and want some new ideas, here are 50 Packable Lunch Ideas!
What are your favorite salad toppings?? Inspire me!
Lindsay