Salads Without the Lettuce

I was asked by a reader this weekend if I'd share my small repertoire of lettuce free salads.  I will happily do so.  I don't know why I haven't shared these before!  They are all quite good.  

One or two of these I haven't served at home just yet.  But I have tasted them and know that they are really good.  I won't share something I don't know to be really good!

Kidney Bean salad.  I found this salad featured in a Better Homes and Gardens Budget Dinners book that I'd picked up.  I tried several recipes from the book, most of which were really good.  The book listed a few menus, and this recipe was included in one of the menus.  I made the meal exactly as it was written in the 1971 cookbook.  It was surprisingly good.  It does say to line your bowl with lettuce, but you can skip that if the lettuce is too dear in cost.

You can still find this cookbook online.  

Broccoli apple salad is a favorite of mine that also includes apples.  There are many recipes online and most include sugar in the dressing, some of them a ridiculously large amount of sugar.  I find a small amount (1 or 2 teaspoons) of sugar is plenty to add the flavor required in this dressing without overwhelming the dish and making it cloyingly sweet.

If you'd like to skip the mayonnaise in this salad, a friend used to use a Vidalia Onion dressing.  I don't know if this is something that is just available in the South or if it has a wider audience.  A raspberry or fruity vinaigrette would taste good as well, I think.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad is a very good salad.  Mama used to make this, and I always thought it was very tasty.  When I make it here at home, I generally leave out the bacon simply because I prefer turkey bacon and it just doesn't stay crisp in a salad.   While this particular recipe calls for pumpkin seeds and another I viewed called for nuts, we don't do those either.  I find the combination of the vegetables and the ranch dressing is sufficient flavor and there's enough texture without adding in pricey nuts.

3 Bean Salad:  I know you can make 3-bean salad from scratch, but I'll confess that I just buy salad in a can from Aldi.  It is lovely to keep a can in the fridge and serve alongside any meal when a salad is wanted.  

Tomato and Cucumber Salad.  Growing up we often had a cucumber and tomato salad.  Mama and Granny usually sliced the vegetables and then they'd serve it with a small bowl of mayonnaise or just salt and pepper.  It was good that way.  

In my later years, I've learned to make it as a chunky diced salad served with feta and a lovely Greek vinaigrette.   I've grown very fond of it this way.  

Coleslaw has many variations.  In a seafood restaurant in Florida, we were served a coleslaw with our meals that contained mini marshmallows and pineapple tidbits.  John and I looked at each other, shrugged and tried it.  It was not bad at all.  Not something I've made at home, but it was different, and it went well with my fish and his burger.

I personally prefer to grate my own cabbage.  For us, it's usually just pickle relish and mayonnaise.  There are those who will add a full 8-ounce jar of pickle relish (dill or sweet you choose) but I prefer just a couple of tablespoons and a slaw that is just moist.  Sometimes I'll add other ingredients like dill or a bit of vinegar and sugar, or I'll add grated carrot for a pretty slaw.

And I have left out the pickle relish and diced in green bell peppers and tomatoes in summer for a refreshing take on our usual slaw.  In autumn, I often make Harvest Slaw.

Harvest Slaw

Waldorf salad is another salad that is seldom seen these days.  My family has loved it for years and recently it's been a huge hit with the grandchildren.   It's just diced crisp apples, raisins or dried cranberries, toasted pecans or walnuts and a teaspoon of lemon juice.  It can be dressed with mayonnaise or with a sour cream and brown sugar dressing.  

The sour cream dressing is easy to make.  Depending upon how much fruit you have, use 2-4 tablespoons of sour cream and about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of packed brown sugar.  A bit of lemon or orange zest is a lovely addition.

I use that same sour cream and brown sugar dressing to put over Fruit Salad.  This is always welcome when I put it on the table.  I learned from a long time cook to mix both fresh and canned fruits.  She impressed upon me that it was absolutely vital to have that mix of both because of the textural difference.  You can start with a can of drained fruit cocktail, add some chopped fresh apple and sliced bananas or you can do a banana and berry mixture, add in oranges, grapes or stone fruits...You choose which are the best seasonal buy as fresh or canned fruits for you.   

My canned fruits are usually packed in fruit juice.  And I like a mixture of fruit that is a little tart to balance that which is a little sweet.  Add in some mini marshmallows if you want a sweet salad...but y'all know how I feel about sweet salads.   Those are dessert in my opinion.

Ramen Noodle Salad is something I've never made but have had on more than one occasion.  It's really interesting and good, uses what many people would keep in their pantry.  This recipe calls for canned mandarins, broken up ramen noodles, sunflower seeds, and a simple vinaigrette dressing.  This could easily be a main dish salad with chicken added in.  I think it would be delicious!