Fresh, crispy, crunchy salad…sounds so good, right? Until you’ve eaten another bad bowl full of soggy lettuce! In an effort to mix things up, I’m swapping out the leaves but keeping the veggies.

Slaws: Try shredding cabbage, broccoli, carrots, and/or celery, then make a traditional coleslaw with mayo and vinegar or Asian slaw with sesame seeds and ginger dressing.

Carrot-Raisin: This one is more of a treat because it tends to be sugary, but it’s fine for occasional use. I love to add some fresh orange juice and zest to mine. Waldorf Salad would be a similar option that’s equally tasty.

Corn Relish: Mix corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and avocado.

Mediterranean: Just like a Greek Salad but no lettuce—tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, onions, and cukes.

Zoodles: Funny name, cool concept! Spiral strands of raw zucchini aka “Zoodles” stay crunchy, even when marinated in dressing. I’ve heard that carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash, beets, and broccoli can be substituted. Works well for anyone into the Paleo diet.

Everything But: As in, every imaginable variety of produce except the lettuce, and I mean every! I’ll toss in broccoli, carrots, artichokes, cauliflower, cukes, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, red onions, peppers, avocado, etc. Play around with different combos to keep it interesting.

For those of you that absolutely must have greens to consider it a salad, try Stronger Greens like kale, Swiss/rainbow chard, mustard greens, collard greens, and beet greens. They don’t become as limp as regular leaf lettuce, making them a good choice if you want a sturdy lunch box option. 

Do you have any recipes for no-lettuce salad? Please share!