Head on over to my new post "The Salad Thread" in the "Food talk and fabulous finds" section. I'm having exactly the same problem as you re. lack of salad inspiration and there have been a couple of great ideas with pictures posted there already.
I'm hoping there will be more posted as I really need to get more creative with my lunch time salads
Tonight I had salad leaves with squares of avocado and feta cheese, and some cherry tomatoes. I like bitter lettuces and they worked really well with the smooth avocado and the salty cheese.
I use goldens and cherries (golden raisins and dried cherries) just a little adds a nice sweet touch! Like to add walnuts or pecans too. Just have to measure and count to make sure you add those in moderation! Enjoy!
I put craisens and roasted chicken on my salad instead of dressing. I just discovered "goldens and cherries" and may well swap them out for craisens sometimes. They are yummy!
My new favorite salad ingredient is smoked olive oil. I love a good Mediterranean style salad with greens, roasted red bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and sometimes a few olives. I toss with good balsamic vinegar, and now I love to add a little drizzle of the smoked olive oil. It adds a fabulous finish! I also sometimes use a fresh tomato vinaigrette instead of the balsamic, and again add the little drizzle of smoked oil.
My new favorite salad ingredient is smoked olive oil. I love a good Mediterranean style salad with greens, roasted red bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and sometimes a few olives. I toss with good balsamic vinegar, and now I love to add a little drizzle of the smoked olive oil. It adds a fabulous finish! I also sometimes use a fresh tomato vinaigrette instead of the balsamic, and again add the little drizzle of smoked oil.
My standard simple salad is just greens with walnuts and goat cheese and maybe I'm weird, but it's tasty enough for me that I don't have to use any dressing. I'll also add grapes, berries, or some other fruit if it's convenient too.
Almost any leftovers, served up cold, taste great in a salad.
Cooked veggies, served cold: asparagus, green beans, peas, mushrooms, broccoli, zuchinni, yellow squash, onions, whatever you like. Cook extras to have leftovers.
Legumes: kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas (garbanzos), white beans.
Grains: brown rice, barley, whole wheat pasta.
For protein add planned over grilled chicken, lean pork, lean steak, (hot or cold). Or reheated taco meat (made from lean ground beef and/or ground beef that was boiled to remove the fat, then seasoned). Or low fat cottage cheese or hard boiled eggs.
Have several typical raw salad vegetables on hand, but put a different combination on your salad each day (carrots, celery, red/green/yellow/orange peppers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, onions, sprouts, radishes, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber). Maybe pick 4-5 to add instead of the same combination each day.
Vary the lettuces you use. Substitute cabbage for part or all of the lettuce. Use spinach.
Put a small amount of an intensely flavored treat in your salad: nuts, seeds, blue cheese, feta, beets, olives, pepperoncinis, jalapenos, capers.
Vary your dressing.
In warmer weather (most of the year here in Florida), I make my lunch by packing up the night before's leftovers. Even if I add no lettuce, I may treat the leftover vegetables and meat as a salad by chopping it into bite size pieces and eating it cold with a little dressing.
A big pile of spinach, topped with lots of halved grape tomatoes and those little mini bocconcini balls (I slice each mini ball into about 3 pieces to spread the joy), some chopped basil, and homemade vinaigrette. It's amazing!! All the deliciousness of a fresh caprese salad, but with all the added nutrition and BULK from the spinach. So tasty - I've had it for lunch every day this week and I'm still not tired of it!