How to make salad interesting for even the biggest vegetable hater

Not everyone loves - or even likes - salad. But here’s 20 recipes guaranteed to turn the biggest vegie-phobe into a salad believer.

3 min read

November 9, 2023 - 3:12PM

These show stealing salads are anything but a side dish.

Cobb salad.

Cobb salad

The classic cobb salad champions the cos lettuce, bringing it to life with flavour and colour.

Grilled zucchini with spiced chickpea salsa and pumpkin seed dressing

“This lovely, light dish started out as a simple zucchini carpaccio on a summer evening when I had some friends coming over.” - Anjum Anand

Thai-style grilled pork salad.

Thai-style grilled pork salad

Summertime is all about eating seasonal produce in light, vibrant dishes, and this salad fits the bill perfectly.

Trade up the sandwich for this summery prawn BLAT salad

“The BLT’s three simple ingredients are perfect bedfellows in a sandwich, so I figured they’d work equally well in a salad. Throw in prawns, add the bread element in the form of croûtons and turn it into a BLAT salad with wedges of avocado” - Matt Moran

Spicy tuna and green papaya salad

This healthy and satisfying spicy tuna salad is an ideal way to shake things up. Eating your greens has never looked better!

Bun cha salad.

Bun cha salad

You will need a cooking thermometer for this recipe. This is an edited extract from the e-book One Leaf At A Time by Kirsten Jenkins, $10, available at kirstenjenkins.com.au

This Vietnamese chicken salad will have you counting down the hours until lunch

“Based on the traditional Vietnamese dish of ‘bún’, this refreshing noodle salad is tossed in a zesty citrus dressing and topped with chicken flavoured with ginger and lemongrass. For a vegan version, replace the chicken with 450g of tofu cut into four pieces, marinated, then seared, and replace the fish sauce with extra soy sauce.- DK Australia. This is an edited extract from Modern Australian Flexitarian (published by DK Australia, an imprint of Penguin Random house,$39.99).

Chicken, celeriac and witlof Waldorf salad with candied walnuts

Don’t eat salad? You will after you try this. This is an edited extract from the e-book One Leaf At A Time by Kirsten Jenkins, $10, available at kirstenjenkins.com.au

Marmalade roasted pork with citrus and fennel salad

“Bright citrus makes an ideal foil for pork,” says Colin Fassnidge.

Silvia Colloca’s roasted vegetables and chickpea salad

Rescue those vegies wilting at the back of the crisper, toss them in vibrant extra-virgin olive oil, then simply roast, add chickpeas, et voila! Dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow are done.

Sweet potato and chickpea rice salad.

Sweet potato, chorizo, broad bean and chickpea rice salad

This sweet potato, chorizo and broad bean salad is an impressive side or main dish.

Mexican black bean salad

Short on time? This Mexican black bean salad is full of flavour and can be ready in just ten minutes!

Fig, prosciutto and radicchio salad

Add some colour to your day with this fresh fig, prosciutto and radicchio salad.

Roast chicken and bread salad.

Roast chicken and bread salad

“Comfort doesn’t come easier than this,” says Colin Fassnidge.

Shaved Brussels sprout, cranberry and hazelnut salad

This quick, healthy winter salad is a vibrant mix of colours, flavours and textures.

Heirloom tomato, radish and yoghurt flatbread panzanella

Panzanella is a traditional Tuscan salad which features stale chunks of bread and tomatoes soaked in a vinegary dressing. This version has doughy yoghurt flatbreads that are perfect for mopping up the tangy dressing.