19 Delicious Types of Salads to Add to Your Repertoire

Did you know there’s more than one kind of salad? It’s true! Salad can actually be broken down into four main categories–tossed, composed, bound, and those without lettuce (this is our own personal addition, because we believe pasta and grain salads are very much worthy of being in the salad family). Tossed and composed salads are ones that you’re likely used to ordering in restaurants and making at home. The other categories are the same, but you might not automatically think of them as salads–there isn’t always lettuce involved, after all. 

Below, we’re breaking down these four types of salad, delving in with delicious examples of each.

Tossed Salads

Tossed salads are just what they sound like. All of the ingredients are tossed together with dressing and served, usually straight away. Since these are often made with delicate lettuces, they will begin to wilt the longer they sit. To keep them as fresh as possible, toss them right before you’re ready to eat.

Caesar Salad

Perhaps the most popular salad around, Caesar salad combines torn bits of crisp romaine lettuce with crunchy croutons, Parmesan cheese, and a thick, garlicky dressing. Traditionally, the dressing is made with lots of garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce—an egg yolk is what makes it ultra-creamy.

Chopped Salad

A chopped salad is perhaps the best example of a tossed salad. The idea is that each ingredient is chopped into roughly the same size so that each bite has a little bit of everything. Use seasonal ingredients like corn, green beans, sweet peppers, and tomatoes in the summer, or opt for hearty squash and winter greens during the cooler months. Anything goes here–there are no real rules, so long as everything is a similar size.

Green Salad

A green salad is just that. Any and all of your favorite greens combined with whatever other ingredients you want to add–that could include things like pickled onions, cooked beans, fresh herbs, or raw or cooked vegetables. 

Use your pick of delicate leafy greens that can be eaten without cooking them first. That runs the gamut from baby spinach and kale to arugula and mesclun.

Greek Salad

A combination of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, red onion, kalamata, or Greek olives, and crumbled feta cheese is tossed with a simple vinaigrette to make Greek salad. Sometimes shredded lettuce or sliced pepperoncini is added to the mix. Eat it as is, or serve it with warm pita bread for scooping up.

Panzanella

This Tuscan bread salad is a wonderful addition to your lunch or dinner menu because it’s very versatile. It’s traditionally made with summer produce (namely tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, and cucumbers), but you can really use any ingredients you like. Raw or roasted vegetables, cured meats, and an assortment of cheeses are all game. The one must-have is warm, toasted bread straight out of the oven, which soaks up the dressing and makes for a symphony of texture.

Fattoush

Fattoush is also a bread salad, but this time, hailing from the Middle East. It combines fresh seasonal vegetables with a simple vinaigrette and toasted pita bread. Similarly, the pita softens up once it’s tossed with the vegetables and dressing. 

Try sprinkling the pita bread with spices like sumac or za’atar before baking it to add an additional layer of flavor.

Composed Salads

Instead of tossing all of the ingredients together in a bowl, composed salads are artfully arranged on a platter. Sometimes the components are dressed separately; other times the vinaigrette is drizzled over the whole thing.

Cobb Salad

Cobb salad is an obvious example of a composed salad. Each component–lettuce, cubed turkey, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, avocado, and hard-boiled eggs–is layered one after the other for a more elegant presentation.

Niçoise Salad

This economical salad is something that we could eat every day. Niçoise originated in Nice, in the French Riviera. Piles of tender potatoes, lightly blanched haricot verts, tomatoes, olives, hard-boiled eggs, and tinned tuna combine to make this simple dish, which is drizzled with a dressing rich with capers and lemon.

Wedge Salad

Common at steakhouses, a wedge salad is practically a meal on its own. Thick wedges of crunchy and crisp iceberg lettuce are plated with cherry tomatoes and smoky bits of bacon and drizzled with a rich blue cheese dressing.

Caprese

The colors of the Italian flag are represented in each bite of this composed salad. And it couldn’t be more simple–just layer thick slices of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese with fragrant basil leaves. Keep it simple with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, or add a decadent splash of balsamic vinegar. And don't be afraid to mix it up; seasonal variations can include summer peaches, roasted butternut squash, and winter citrus, to name just a few ideas.

Bound Salads

Bound salads are characterized by something that literally binds the ingredients together. Generally, that means mayonnaise. These salads are usually more hearty than something like a leafy green salad, and they can often be eaten with a spoon.

Chicken Salad

Everyone loves chicken salad. The dressing is usually simple for this bound salad–mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and perhaps some fresh herbs like parsley and dill–but there are many possibilities when it comes to variations.

Tuna Salad

Whether eaten on its own or piled into a sandwich, tuna salad is a quick and easy lunch. You only need a small amount of mayonnaise to bind this salad together. Opt for a good-quality tinned tuna that’s been packed in olive oil–it makes all the difference.

Macaroni Salad

No summer barbecue is complete without certain side dishes–macaroni salad is one of them. It is bound with mayonnaise (and sometimes sour cream) before being tossed with fresh lemon juice, dill, and vegetables like celery and red onion.

Egg Salad

Good egg salad is creamy and seasoned simply. Serve it over toast or with crisp, refreshing lettuce wraps.

Potato Salad

You better believe we’re including potato salad here. At least the creamy mayo-based ones. Vinegar-based recipes like German potato salad are not necessarily bound, but we won’t blame you if you count it as a salad.

Waldorf Salad

The old-fashioned Waldorf salad is another great example of a bound salad. The original included just celery, apples, and mayonnaise; modern adaptations often add walnuts and grapes and sometimes a yogurt-based dressing rather than a mayonnaise one.

No-Lettuce Salads

Not all of the above salads are made with lettuce either, but this specific group relies on heartier alternatives.

Pasta Salad

Pasta salad can have lettuce in it (a handful of baby arugula, kale, or spinach can add a fresh element). Pasta salad, like any other salad, uses other ingredients like beans, vegetables, and cheese to bulk it up.

Grain Salad

Tabbouleh is a very popular grain salad packed with cracked bulgur and loads of finely chopped vegetables and fresh herbs. When tossed with dressing, any cooked grain, hot or cold, turns into a delicious grain salad. Think rice, quinoa, farro, and so on.

Bean Salad

Marinate some canned beans, such as cannellini, lima, or pink, with vinaigrette and add some vegetables and herbs—et voila, you have a nutritious, delicious bean salad on your hands.