Now the weather is getting hotter I would like to start making salads but I am not sure what to put in them to bulk them up a bit (my husband has a physical job so would probably not be impressed with a few lettuce leaves and a tomato ). I would do all the usual i.e. toms, lettuce, cucumber, beetroot etc and would probably add ham, potato salad etc but what other things do you add to make it a bit more substantial?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2748/...aec976fe60.jpg

I have made this salad a number of times and its very nice, also very filling.

Avocado Wasabi Salad
Serves 4-6
Greens of your choice for 4-6 people
1 Carrot, shredded
2 tsp Vegetable Oil, divided
1/2 to 3/4 Cup Broccoli, chopped small
1/3 Cup Toasted Slivered Almonds
1 Recipe Wasabi Chickpeas, below
1 Recipe Avocado Wasabi dressing, below
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Wasabi-Tamari Chickpeas
1 tsp Oil
1 Cup Chickpeas
1 tsp Wasabi Powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbs Low Sodium Tamari/Soy Sauce

Avocado Wasabi Dressing
1 Ripe Avocado, diced
2 tsp White Wine Vinegar
3 Tbs Hummus, plain or garlic
1 tsp Stoneground Mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Wasabi Powder
1/4 to 1/3 Cup Vegetable oil

Begin by whisking the dressing ingredients together, except for the oil. Whisk until smooth. If your avocado isn’t super ripe, you may wish to blend the dressing in a food processor. Slowly add oil until emulsified and the dressing is smooth, refrigerate until ready to use.
Toast your almonds in a dry pan over medium heat if they are not already toasted. Set aside.
In the same pan, add 1 tsp of oil and add broccoli. Sautee over high heat until the broccoli is beginning to color in spots and is bright green, but still tender-crisp. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside.

Add the second teaspoon of oil to the same pan and add the chickpeas. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook the chickpeas until they are golden on all sides, using a spatula to loosen them as necessary, but don’t worry if they stick a little. Add the wasabi powder, sugar, and tamari and stir well. Remove from pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, add your salad greens. Add the broccoli, 3/4 of the chickpeas, 3/4 of the almonds, and 3/4 of the carrots. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Plate the salad, and garnish the top with the remaining chickpeas, almonds and carrots. Crack fresh black pepper over the top. Serve immediately.

If you are serving the salad later, do not add the dressing until the last minute.

In a salad I would always include tomatoes, red onions, celery, Red pepper, yellow pepper, cucumber, cress, beetroot, lettuce in the form of hearts of Roumaine, little gem, etc, but NEVER iceberg; a few assorted nuts - ie, peanuts, hazel nuts, pistachios, brazils sprinkled over the top. Optional would be a few croutons.

Add to all this large grain crushed black pepper, sea salt, vinegar and an optional touch of garlic - salt, fresh or otherwise and you have the perfect, very low calorie salad.

I can eat this every day of my life.

I just go for the boring lettuce, onions, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, jalapenos, a chicken boob or two, and loads of ranch sauce.

Can't beat Salade Nicoise

Steak & chips


Five spice marinaded steak cooked rare and thinly sliced over a salad of fries, red onion, cherry tomato, watercress and rocket with a balsamic & sweet chilli dressing.

It depends on mood and where I am.

In the UK my favourite salad consists of tomatoes,eggs,chives,chicken,avacado,spring onions and fennel.

In France salade nicoise.

In Spain, octopus salad.

In the USA a philly steak salad.

In Australia chicken,mango and avacado salad.

What about adding a sliced boiled egg to the salad?

I like to add a few crisps to my salads too

We've got quite adventurous with salads of late... grated carrot & beetroot with soaked raisins and curry spices, coronation chicken pasta, all sorts of leftovers mixed with mayo and pasta / rice / cous cous and some ad hoc dressings (mango, ginger, lime, chilli etc) for the leaf salad aspect. I'd usually have one large leaf salad, a couple of 'interesting' creamy salads and a fillet of something (fish, steak, chicken) or a couple of sausages / quiche on the plate (in fact we're having lemon dressed salad with coleslaw, spicy chicken pasta and reggae regaae steak quiche tonight).

Here's a couple of nice 'interesting' ones to try:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/wa...d_chilli_74223
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/sala...potatosald.htm
but what goes in generally is based on what's in the house and I don't bother with recipes much.

A salad can also be made from cooked vegetables.
* Brocolli, cauliflower, blanched strips of red peppers with a dressing of grainy mustard, lemon juice, a snifter of sugar, sesoning, sunflower oil. If you add the dressing to the veg when they're still warm, they will take on the flavours much better.

* Finely chopped onions, cooked french beans, cooked lardons, cooked potatoes. I usually make a dressing for this with lots of chopped parsley, a pich of sugar, seasoning, white vinegar and sunflower oil. Can be eaten hot or cold and you could still have other meat with it.

* I sometimes in summer roast or barbeque aubergines, onions, courgettes, peppers and dress them with lots of chopped mint, salt and olive oil. They can go in the fridge and keep for a couple of days.

With uncooked veg
* grated carrots with or without grated courgette, raisins and a dressing of honey, lemon juice and a splash of oil.

* greek style salad, with iceberg, finely sliced cucumber, onions, and green peppers, some feta cheese, oregano and a yoghurt dressing with olive oil

The list is endless, really, just don't get stuck in a rut and use the same old, same old combinations all the time.

Although I say it myself, my Greek salad is legendary.

The trick is not to put any leaves in it, despite what British restaurants would have you believe.

You need to chop up:

- cherry toms
- peeled cucumber
- red onion

and add

- black pitted olives
- feta cubes

For the dressing just sprinkle oregano into a good olive oil and drizzle.

I lived in Greece for a bit, I know what I'm talking about.

I'd call that a salsa

Yes, but then in Greek not Spanish or Itanian.

By 'chop' I mean 'chop' and not 'blend'

i'd still call that a salsa

Greek salad - nom, nom, nom!

Everyone makes their's differently though

OP, I love salad but to me it is a side dish

You can easily make a lovely, colourful salad and then have some sliced steak and new potatoes as the main part of the meal...

I always put lettuce, rocket, tomatoes, cucumber, cress, pepper if I have any. Then I either put cheese (stilton or any blue cheese), Ham or Chicken and bacon on. Then I will put caeser dressing on it.

Classic English Breakfast salad

Eggs
Bacon
Black Pudding
Sausage
Fried Slice
Parsley.

I found a very good Black sesame dressing which is very nice. Also put finely sliced Khol Rabi in it since I've started growing them. Bit like a raddish and adds a nice texture.

If you say 'slice thickly' instead of 'chop', degsyhufc won't call it salsa

No brown sauce?

My fav at the minute is...

* Shredded Iceberg Lettuce
* Red Onion
* Green Olives
* Roast Chicken
* Croutons (usually Tesco Salt & Black Pepper ones)
* Boiled Egg chopped up
* Caesar Dressing (has to be Cardini's - nothing else comes near and they do a light one now too)

Thanks for all the suggestions - I particularly like the sound of the English Breakfast salad

I tend to either do a side salad, which, for me at least, generally consists of the basics i.e. toms, lettuce, cucumber etc or I sometimes do a salad as a meal, but I will add more filling ingredients to it - i.e. chicken, ham, pots etc. Will definitely give some of these ideas a go though.

Come off it, whoever heard of brown sauce in a salad?