Lettuce, (I know-duh!) In this salad I have a mix of butter (aka Boston) lettuce, arugula, and romaine. Anything can work though.
Protein. In this case, chicken. My favorite way to cook chicken is to bake it at 450°F for 17-20 minutes, (or until 165 degrees internally) seasoned with S&P, garlic powder, and paprika. After it bakes, I cover it with foil for 10 minutes to seal in the juices. Bacon is also bomb in most salads.
Nuts. I love a good crunch of nuts in my salad! Whether it’s toasted pine nuts, or glazed pecans, or slivered almonds. I have a tutorial and video on my page for glazed pecans and let me tell you, they are divine!!
Fruit. It ain’t a “luncheon” salad unless it’s got some sweet fruit in there! In this salad I have diced apples and blueberries. But of course, anything works! Sliced strawberries, or ANY berry, pomegranate seeds, diced pears, and have you tried watermelon in salad? 😍
Cheese. Grated parm, tangy feta, fresh mozzarella... but my latest obsession is goat cheese. So smooth and tangy.
Onion. Which team are you on? Onion in salad or no onion in salad? I’m on the “give me a tiny bit of diced raw onion in my salad” because it’s so dang delicious. And the crunch, obviously. Game changer.
Dressing. These “luncheon” salads are typically dressed in dressing that could be considered candy. I think it’s best when the dressing isn’t too sweet. My current favorite dressing is: (see ingredient list above).
