A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are often dressed, and typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm.
Garden salads use a base of leafy greens such as lettuce, arugula/rocket, kale or spinach; they are common enough that the word salad alone often refers specifically to garden salads. Other types include bean salad, tuna salad, bread salad (e.g. fattoush, panzanella), vegetable salads without leafy greens (e.g. Greek salad, potato salad, coleslaw), sōmen salad (a noodle-based salad), fruit salad, and desserts like jello salad.
Salads may be served at any point during a meal:
- Appetizer salads — light, smaller-portion salads served as the first course of the meal
- Side salads — to accompany the main course as a side dish; examples include potato salad and coleslaw
- Main course salads — usually containing a portion of one or more high-protein foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, legumes, or cheese
- Dessert salads — sweet salads containing fruit, gelatin, sweeteners or whipped cream
When a sauce is used to flavor a salad, it is generally called a salad dressing; most salad dressings are based on either a mixture of oil and vinegar or a creamy dairy base.