Salad
Salad is a popular ready-to-eat dish often containing leafy vegetables, usually served chilled or at a moderate temperature and often served with a sauce or dressing. Salads may also contain ingredients such as fruit, grain, meat, seafood and sweets. Though many salads use raw ingredients, some use cooked ingredients. Most salads are served cold, although some, such as south German potato salad, are served warm. Some consider the warmth of a dish a factor that excludes it from the salad category calling the warm mixture a casserole, a sandwich topping or more specifically, name it for the ingredients which comprise it. Leafy vegetable salads are generally served with a dressing, as well as various garnishes such as nuts or croutons, and sometimes with meat, fish, pasta, cheese, eggs, or whole grains. Salads may be served at any point during a meal, such as: ▪ Appetizer salads, light salads to stimulate the appetite as the first course of the meal. ▪ Side salads, to accompany the main course as a side dish. ▪ Main course salads, usually containing a portion of heartier fare, such as chicken breast or slices of beef.