OK, I adore salads, but salads are not my favorite dish to prepare. All that washing, drying, and knife work can become tedious. Very quickly. At the same time, I enjoy a good salad probably more than any other part of a meal, except of course for the bread. Because as anyone who knows me can attest, I could practically live on bread. Good homemade or bakery bread slathered with soft butter. Or dipped into sauce or gravy. Or perhaps with some cheese on the side. In England the combination of bread and cheese with possible additions like green salad, hard boiled eggs, ham, pâté, and/or mustard pickles is called a “Ploughman’s Lunch”.

And even though I have never found English cuisine to me my favorite (that was a nice way of putting it, don’t you think) I could easily enjoy a Ploughman’s Lunch 2 or 3 times a week without feeling picked on! I mean really. What’s not to love!

But for me, one of the key ingredients to keep me a happy camper in that scenario would have to be the salad. Because, as stated above, I love a good salad. And of course, a good salad depends on being dressed in a wonderful dressing or vinaigrette. So, my next post will be my list of favorite dressings and vinaigrettes.

Well, that’s it for now. Mr. C. doesn’t have a gig or a rehearsal this evening, so I can enjoy a leisurely dinner with him in the comfort of our own home. Lately, I find that I prefer eating at home rather than dining out. I think that might mean I’m getting old. (The comforts of home and all.) (Feet encased in slippers, sloppy jeans, minimal make-up, a fabulous before dinner drink made by the resident mixologist, a tasty homecooked meal, and more pages turned in my current book for my after-dinner treat.) For me, this is the perfect recipe for an evening at home.

Well, I hope you too find some inspiration from my list of favorite salads. Now that I’ve actually made my choices, I can hardly wait to fix these salads again. We all need a little jump start occasionally. And creating this list did just that for me.

And as always, peace and love to all.

MY FAVORITE SALADS  

Asian Vegetable Salad

Blue Cheese and Walnut Salad in a Balsamic Vinaigrette

Broccoli Salad

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Celery Salad (Céleri Salade)

Chef Salad with Thousand Island Dressing

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

Chopped Salad with Salami and Cheese

Cobb Salad with Shrimp

Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad

Crunchy Cabbage Slaw with Peanuts and Parmesan

German Potato Salad

Greek Salad (Kinda Sorta)

Grilled Romaine Salad

Gurkensalat (German Cucumber Salad)

Italian Salad

Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)

Kale Salad with Dried Cranberries, Pumpkin Seeds, and Poppy Seed Dressing

Marinated Fresh Veggie Salad

Mexican Toasted Corn Salad

Quinoa Salad with Feta Cheese and Spinach

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

Overnight Mexican Coleslaw

Panzanella Salad (Tuscan Bread Salad)

Pasta Salad

Pea Salad

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Remolacha (Argentine Beet Salad)

Roasted Beets, Candied Pecans, and Feta Cheese Salad with a Balsamic Vinegar

   Dressing     

Romaine Salad Dressed in an Asian Flavored Vinaigrette

Shrimp and Macaroni Salad

Simple Italian Rocket (Arugula) Salad

Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad with Roasted Beets, Feta Cheese, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Honey  

   Balsamic Dressing

Tuna Macaroni Salad

Veggie Macaroni Salad

Waldorf Salad with Dried Cranberries and Orange Zest