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What constitutes a "side salad" ?

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yorksrob

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I've just enjoyed a very tasty vegetable lasagne in a restaurant that was advertised as having a side salad. I was quite looking forward to some cucumber and tomato, maybe a slice of onion or two. What I got was basically a pile of lettuce. Ok, it was trendy modern lettuce rather than iceburg, but lettuce nevertheless.

I've always felt that lettuce is the "filler" in a salad and in no way substitutes for proper salad ingredients. Fortunately I bought a portion of chips separately so I'm not hungry, but I'd be interested in other forum members views. Am I right to feel slightly agrieved ?
 
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Ianno87

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I'm from Bolton, so side salad = Chips. Tomato Ketchup for dressing.
 

nlogax

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In the UK a side salad is usually a small amount of sad-looking lettuce and cucumber and a token amount of vinegarette or dressing if you are extremely lucky and the cook is feeling ultra generous.

In the US the side salad is an entire meal in itself, often sneakily camouflaged via the magic of blue cheese dressing.
 

route101

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Not really one for salad. I think as a side salad is more a garnish and for visual appearance.
 

yorkie

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If the ingredients are good quality I am all for salad. But definitely not the poor quality salad you typically get with some dishes at a curry restaurant.

However it is very unclear what ingredients any salad would include; there is no standard definition. Rather like ''seasonal vegetables''; I'd be far more likely to go for these options if I knew what they contained, or even better if they could be customised.
 

yorksrob

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If the ingredients are good quality I am all for salad. But definitely not the poor quality salad you typically get with some dishes at a curry restaurant.

However it is very unclear what ingredients any salad would include; there is no standard definition. Rather like ''seasonal vegetables''; I'd be far more likely to go for these options if I knew what they contained, or even better if they could be customised.

At least at the curry house you usually get a tomato and some slices of onion !

Better than just lettuce anyway :lol:
 

Darandio

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What constitutes a side salad? Ask the Greeks, they have nailed it.
 

davews

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In Westfield John Lewis on Friday I had fish and chips (the only hot dish on offer, not sure if it is 'restricted menu'). But they didn't have any peas to go with it so offered me a side salad. Pretty disappointing mix of lettuce, cucumber and a couple of slices of tomato. Forgot the mayonaisse, silly me. Somehow didn't seem the right sort of thing to go with fish and chips..
 

westv

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I've just enjoyed a very tasty vegetable lasagne in a restaurant that was advertised as having a side salad. I was quite looking forward to some cucumber and tomato, maybe a slice of onion or two. What I got was basically a pile of lettuce. Ok, it was trendy modern lettuce rather than iceburg, but lettuce nevertheless.

I've always felt that lettuce is the "filler" in a salad and in no way substitutes for proper salad ingredients. Fortunately I bought a portion of chips separately so I'm not hungry, but I'd be interested in other forum members views. Am I right to feel slightly agrieved ?
I might have complained. You got a side lettuce not a side salad.
 

PeterY

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Side salads are always hit and miss. I've had some extremely good ones and some truly awful ones. I don't confess to being a salad lover by any means and salad helps towards (I know it's supposed to be 5 a day, green stuff) towards my 5 a week. I do enjoy a real lettuce, not the stuff that is slightly mauve that it is cheap and cheerful. I know why it's used, it's because it's soooooooo bad and tasteless, even the slugs don't like it. :'( :'( :'(
 

Kite159

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Where I work, a side salad is meant to be:
Iceberg Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomato, Onions [both red onions or spring onions]

When it goes into pre-packaged boxes "due to covid"
 

Strat-tastic

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I ask a similar question every Christmas: what constitute 'all the trimmings', a phrase frequently used to advertise turkey dinners?
 

Mcr Warrior

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I ask a similar question every Christmas: what constitute 'all the trimmings', a phrase frequently used to advertise turkey dinners?
Accompanying items like one or more differently-flavoured stuffing balls (such as sage and onion, for example), cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets, maybe bread sauce, maybe Yorkshire puddings, as well as roast potatoes, roast parsnips, brussel sprouts, maybe some carrots and lots of gravy.

Probably not any lettuce or "side salad" as such. ;)
 

Strat-tastic

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Accompanying items like one or more differently-flavoured stuffing balls (such as sage and onion, for example), cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets, maybe bread sauce, maybe Yorkshire puddings, as well as roast potatoes, roast parsnips, brussel sprouts, maybe some carrots and lots of gravy.

Probably not any lettuce or "side salad" as such. ;)
But is that ALL? How does one know? ;)
 

lachlan

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I would expect a combination of lettuce, tomato onions (spring and/or red) grated carrot, and perhaps peppers. Lettuce on its own is not salad, it's just lettuce. I expect the quality to vary with the price of the meal, and more expensive toasties, sandwiches, burgers, etc should include coleslaw too.
 
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