What is a salad?

A little friendly debate (more like opinion-sharing) here.  What do you think is "too far" in calling something a salad?

When I say "salad," sometimes I mean salad, but other times I feel like it's idiomatic.  Like, how is "Chicken Salad" a salad?  It's a sandwich spread.

Another example of something which I think is pushing it: http://foodporndaily.com/pictures/view/warm-p asta-salad-with-bacon-portobellos-peppers-sun -dried-tomatoes-and

That is just a sauceless pasta dish.  Throw some marinara on it and call it dinner.  It's even WARM.  If something is warm, I feel like it's hard for it to be a salad.  An exception might be like, a bean salad.  Depending on what was in it.

Don't get me wrong, I love all these things, it's just the language which seems silly.

Caveat: putting anything on a bed of lettuce, tomato, spinach, or mixed greens at least 3 times the size of the "fake" salad makes it a permissible salad.

This is probably a dorkier response than you are looking for, but even more curious is that the term 'salad' originally meant 'salted'.  Presumably, the "original" salads were pretty simple affairs: vegetables in a briny "dressing".  I suppose whomever ate them would probably consider almost anything resembling a modern American or European salad to be quite far from the mark.

More to the point: I consider a salad to be a mixture of things that is unified by some kind of dressing.  Hot or cold qualifies, imho.  Spinach salad with warm bacon dressing is common enough (not that it sounds appealing to me...) and I knew a woman whose family recipe for potato salad was served warm.  To each his or her own, I suppose.

Original Post by tealparadise:

When I say "salad," sometimes I mean salad, but other times I feel like it's idiomatic.  Like, how is "Chicken Salad" a salad?  It's a sandwich spread.

What do you mean chicken salad is a sandwich spread? Is that a brand? I've never heard of it. o.0

I agree that a salad is a mix of things. It might not be technically correct, but I imagine salads as mainly plant based. Therefore, a bean salad or fruit salad you could call a salad. But if you were to throw together chunks of different kinds of meat, that ain't no salad!

I also think people mistake salad for something that is always healthy and/or low calorie. They can be both, or one or the other, or neither. I often eat salads for lunch but they are pretty much never low-calorie once I have added protein, cheese, nuts, seeds, pumpkin, sweet potato, baby potatoes and/or olive oil :)

ETA: I'm also nerdy and I looked it up.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sal ad

Yup it's usually plant based... At least most definitions I found said that it should be a plant-based mixture which is usually dressed.

History lesson..... Salade (fr) derives from the latin word 'sal' meaning salt.  A dish that was 'salata' (salted) was one that was preserved in some kind of dressing.  Gives us words like 'salsa'

A 'salad' can therefore be an individual leafy ingredient such as herbs or lettuce,  a dish of mixed raw/cooked vegetables and leaves or any cold dish marinated in dressing or mayonnaises such as coleslaw.

The language isn't silly, exactly, just all-encompassing.

I'd always wondered what the difference was between a chicken sandwich with lettuce in it and a chicken salad with croutons in it  =p

Original Post by merylwhite1:

What do you mean chicken salad is a sandwich spread? Is that a brand? I've never heard of it. o.0

There are certain "salads" that are simply the food item mixed with typically mayo and possible some veggies (cucumber, eg) and some spice.

Chicken salad, egg salad, potato salad, pasta salad.... none bear any resemblance to a green salad, and are either served on bread (chicken and egg) or just a scoop on the side (potato, pasta). Pasta salad is often not done with mayo but with a dressing, but it's still the predominant ingredient and would not be confused for a field salad.

When ordering at a deli, it can be confusing, as Chicken Salad under the sandwiches will definitely mean chicken+mayo on bread, while Chicken Salad under the salads could mean green salad with grilled chicken or it could mean a scoop of chicken salad on some lettuce.

Oh and for anyone who thinks that salad = healthy, check out Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Oh and for anyone who thinks that salad = healthy, check out Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad.

 haha, quesadilla wedges!!! please!!! i guess they could stick all of that in a blender too & call it a smoothie.

Original Post by octo-luv:

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Oh and for anyone who thinks that salad = healthy, check out Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad.

 haha, quesadilla wedges!!! please!!! i guess they could stick all of that in a blender too & call it a smoothie.

Perfect for your after-workout snack!

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Original Post by octo-luv:

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Oh and for anyone who thinks that salad = healthy, check out Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad.

 haha, quesadilla wedges!!! please!!! i guess they could stick all of that in a blender too & call it a smoothie.

Perfect for your after-workout snack!

 you reminded of that human feedbag thing that the onion came up with.

actually i just had a nice salad. lettuce, baby spinach, peppers, carrots, mixed seeds, walnuts, shrimp & goat's cheese with balsamic vinegar. i think it was too much food though cuz now im sleepy, usually only lunch time carbs make me sleepy.

I think when some folks hear the word 'salad', they automatically associate it with dieting or eating light; therefore, they assume it should be healthy, so anything other than a bland side/garden salad seems extreme or misappropriately named.   When I would get a fast food caesar salad, I used to assume that it should be healthy, (cause its boring salad, right!) but of course, that's far from the truth.

I could totally tear up a couple tuna salad sandwiches right now...the nasty, convenient store kind that are old and come in those little plastic containers... terrible things.. but my taste buds love them. 

Original Post by madrienell:

I think when some folks hear the word 'salad', they automatically associate it with dieting or eating light....

So true! I am guilty of this. Went to Outback last night and order a side "Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad." I knew the bleu cheese wasn't healthy, but I didn't think it would be TOO awful. Turns out that little "side salad" had 500+ calories in it!! And that wasn't even my entree! Yeesh.

Original Post by coreyander:

This is probably a dorkier response than you are looking for, but even more curious is that the term 'salad' originally meant 'salted'.  Presumably, the "original" salads were pretty simple affairs: vegetables in a briny "dressing".  I suppose whomever ate them would probably consider almost anything resembling a modern American or European salad to be quite far from the mark.

More to the point: I consider a salad to be a mixture of things that is unified by some kind of dressing.  Hot or cold qualifies, imho.  Spinach salad with warm bacon dressing is common enough (not that it sounds appealing to me...) and I knew a woman whose family recipe for potato salad was served warm.  To each his or her own, I suppose.

Not dorky, I feel informed :]