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Need ideas to take tossed salad from bla to ooh-la-la? Today’s article is all about doing just that with an offering of over 100 tossed salad ideas. Discover everything from topping ideas and dressings to salad recipes and helpful products.

Leafy greens are low in both carbs and fat, they’re rich in vitamins and minerals, and they’re filling. All great attributes that contribute to healthful eating, especially when in weight loss mode (but also handy in maintenance mode). But, alone, they’re kinda boring. But because they have neutral fuel, they’re perfect for loading up with delicious toppings.

Tossed Salad Ideas

Leafy Greens (and Other Colors)

First, you must embrace the leafy stuff.

arugula
bok choy
butter lettuce
cabbage
collard greens
dandelion leaves
endives
escarole
frisée
green leaf lettuce
iceberg lettuce

kale
mesclun
raddichio
red leaf lettuce
romaine
spinach
spring mix
swiss chard
turnip greens
watercress

Salad Topping Ideas

Please note that items marked with an asterisk (*) contain healthy carbs, making them Trim Healthy Mama (Carbalicious or E) friendly, but NOT keto friendly.

Veggies

You can roast, pickle, marinate, or enjoy raw.

artichoke hearts
asparagus
avocados
baby corn*
bamboo shoots
banana peppers
beets
bell peppers
bean sprouts
broccoli
carrots
capers
celery
corn*
cucumbers
fennel
garlic
grilled onions
jalapeños
jicama
mushrooms
olives
peas*
pepperoncini peppers
radishes
red onion
scallions
squash
sweet potato*
turnips

Fruits

apples*
blackberries
blueberries
grapes*
oranges*
pears*
pomegranate*
raspberries
strawberries
tomatoes

Grains & Legumes

Cooked first then cooled (or you can buy canned/jarred versions of some, may need rinsed first).

barley*
beans (kidney, black, etc.)*
brown rice*
quinoa*

Spices & Herbs

basil
black pepper
cilantro
curry powder
dill
chili powder
chives
cumin
garlic powder
ground ginger
mineral salt
mustard seeds
onion flakes
onion powder
parsley
peppermint
red pepper flakes
sage
tarragon
thyme

Nuts & Seeds

Try them toasted or raw.

almonds
cashews
peanuts
pecans
pine nuts
pistachios
poppy seeds
pumpkin seeds
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
walnuts

Meat

Cooked, cooled, and chopped up.

alligator
anchovies
bacon
chicken
cod
crab
crawdads
fish
game meat
ground beef
ham
lobster
lunch meat
pancetta
pepperoni
prosciutto
salmon
salami
scallops
shrimp
steak
tilapia
trout
tuna
turkey

Cheese

asiago
blue cheese
cheddar
cottage cheese
feta
goat cheese
Light Laughing Cow cheese
mozzarella
parmesan
Swiss

Other

apple cider vinegar
balsamic vinegar
eggs (hard boiled or poached)
lemon juice
lime juice

olive oil
pork rinds
salsa
sour cream
Whisps

Recipes

Dressings

TJ’s House Ranch Dressing

Get the Recipe from TJ’s Taste >>

Honey Poppyseed Salad Dressing

Get the Recipe from TJ’s Taste >>

Caesar Salad Dressing

How to make Caesar salad dressing: just mix together four simple ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Get the Recipe from Joy Filled Eats >>

Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Traditional ranch dressing marries with spicy chipotle seasoning to create this Chipotle Ranch Dressing. Get the Recipe from Nana’s Little Kitchen >>

Thousand Island Salad Dressing

Tasty Thousand Island Salad Dressing is in reach even in a low carb lifestyle thanks to this simple recipe. Get the Recipe from Nana’s Little Kitchen >>

Homemade Italian Salad Dressing

Easy to make Homemade Italian Salad Dressing. Perfect dressing for salads and dipping veggies and bread. Get the Recipe from Mama Shire >>

Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

This lighter side of a creamy blue cheese salad dressing pairs wonderfully with a wedge salad. Get the Recipe from Wonderfully Made & Dearly Loved >>

Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Salad Dressing

This olive oil and balsamic vinegar salad dressing recipe is great for your health—but only if the ingredients are high quality. Get the Recipe from Low Carb Yum >>

Salads

Salads marked with an asterisk (*) have healthy carbs, making them Trim Healthy Mama friendly, but not keto friendly.

Dutch Salad

This incredibly simple Dutch Salad is a frugal side for savory THM S dishes where you don’t want a lot of competing flavor. Or, load it up with non-starchy vegetables and turn it into your main meal! Get the Recipe from Northern Nester >>

Easy Thai Chicken Salad with Canned Chicken

A quick and easy Thai chicken salad with canned chicken that tastes amazing. It’s simple to prepare and made with budget friendly ingredients. The dish is sure to become a regular! Get the Recipe from Low Carb Yum >>

Big Mac Salad

This easy low carb Big Mac salad recipe is ready in just 20 minutes! A gluten-free, keto cheeseburger salad like this makes a healthy lunch or dinner. Get the Recipe from Wholesome Yum >>

Unwich Salad

One of the easiest, yummiest, fastest lunches I can put together is this Unwich Salad, which has all the flavor of a good sandwich, but without the carbs. Get the Recipe from Northern Nester >>

Wilted Kale Salad with Bacon

The wilted kale salad is further proof that bacon fixes everything. Think you don’t like kale? Try it like this. Get the Recipe from Northern Nester >>

Very Berry Salad with Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

This Very Berry Salad has summer written all over it! The sweetness of the berries and tang of the dressing are the perfect flavor combination. Get the Recipe from Darcie’s Dishes >>

Grilled Romaine Salad

This Grilled Romaine Salad is great during summer grilling season. With a slightly smokey flavor, it changes things up easily. Get the Recipe from Wonderfully Made & Dearly Loved >>

Southwest Chicken Salad*

Tender grilled chicken, black bean and corn salsa and a creamy jalapeño cilantro dressing make this Southwest Chicken Salad a lovely meal for summer. Get the Recipe from My Montana Kitchen >>

Salmon Kale Superfood Salad

Easy sweet kale superfood salad with lemon vinaigrette, smoked salmon, and avocado is like a better Costco kale salad. 5 ingredients, plus 5 in the dressing! Get the Recipe from Wholesome Yum >>

Taco Salad Crunch*

Taco Salad Crunch is NOT boring. It’s the full deal: flavor, crunch, beautiful! Low fat and gluten free too! Get the Recipe from Mrs. Criddle’s Kitchen >>

Southwest Steak Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

Make yourself a healthy and delicious Southwest steak salad with spicy avocado dressing. It’s the perfect way to eat a well rounded low carb meal. Get the Recipe on Low Carb Yum >>

Spring Mix Salad with Blueberries, Goat Cheese, & Walnuts

This easy spring mix salad recipe with blueberries, goat cheese, and walnuts comes with a blueberry vinaigrette dressing. Just 5 minutes to make! Get the Recipe from Wholesome Yum >>

BLT Salad with Tangy Mayo Dressing

A light and delicious way to enjoy the classic BLT sandwich taste by turning it into a BLT Salad with Tangy Mayo Dressing! Get the Recipe from Mama Shire >>

Greek Gyro Salad

This Gyro Salad is filled with savory flavors, feta cheese, homemade gyro meat, and a delicious tzatziki dressing. Get the Recipe from My Montana Kitchen >>

Helpful Products

Strawberry/Tomato Huller

Remove the green hulls from your tomatoes or strawberries quickly and easily with minimal food waste using this simple but highly effective tool. Significantly cuts down on prep time and does a better job than a paring knife. To use, just gently insert the teeth, twist, and remove the hull.

Buy the Huller

Salad Spinner

Wash, drain, and spin your leafy greens (and other colors), veggies, and fruit together until mostly dried off in this handy salad spinner. This particular model locks shut so the lid doesn’t fling off while you’re spinning and there’s an opening in the top to add moisture (think oil or dressing) while spinning.

Buy the Spinner

Quart Mason Jar and BNTO

Fill a quart size mason jar with your leafy stuff and toppings then add the dressing to the BNTO cup and insert it in the top before adjusting the flat and ring to the jar. Makes a great container that you can enjoy on the go and easily shake the dressing once added!

Buy the BNTO

Buy the Jars

Bentgo Fresh

Pack your salad, dressing, and perhaps a healthful side or two for eating on the go or at work with this handy bento-style lunch box. Contains three to four compartments (the main compartment has a divider so you can spit it into two, although for a salad, the one big one looks perfect).

Buy the Bentgo

Travel Salad Dressing Containers

Another handy on-the-go item. Fill up one or a few of these guys with your salad dressing, oil, and/or vinegar or whatever else you can think of. I have found ones about identical to these at Dollar Tree, too.

Buy the Bottles

Salad Bowl and Servers

Serve a beautiful tossed salad family style in this large, goregeous Acacia wood salad bowl with matching servers. This specific bowl is twelve inches across, making it the perfect size to serve your family or guests.

Buy the Set

PortoFino Salad Servers

Save space in your drawer or utensil holder and serve salad with style using these convenient salad servers. These servers have two-in-one functionality. Take them apart to lift and serve salad or keep them together to use as tongs to serve smaller items.

Buy the Servers