Sensational Salad Trivia

By Paula Green

“Life is a salad of choices: make it fresh, make it colorful, and savor every bite.”

~Unknown

Salads are incredibly versatile and delicious! They can serve as either a side dish or a main meal, and they’re excellent sources of fiber that aid digestion. May is National Salad Month, making it the perfect time to enjoy more greens and indulge in this delightful dish.

Salads come in several types - green salads include lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula, or mixed greens. They can be enhanced by adding vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, cheese, and crunchy croutons. 

Vegetable salads are filled with hearty vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, beets, and cucumbers. Cabbage is another excellent choice—coleslaw qualifies as a salad. A seven-layered salad utilizes a variety of vegetables, and it’s also nice and colorful.  Caprese is an Italian salad prepared with sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, salt and olive oil.

Bound salads are held together by a thick dressing, often mayonnaise, these salads can be eaten with a spoon or served on a plate. Examples include potato, macaroni, tuna, ham, egg, and chicken salads.

Fruit and dessert salads are staples at summer picnics and enjoyable year-round. Strawberry pretzel Jello salad is a delightful side dish, and cranberry salad is a favorite during Thanksgiving gatherings.

What is a salad without delicious dressing? A Caesar salad is flavorful due to a dressing made with mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and anchovy paste. Spinach salads are complimented with a hot bacon dressing. Taco salads pair perfectly with Catalina dressing, while pasta salads get their zest from Italian dressing.  

The most popular salad dressing in the U.S. is ranch. Not only does ranch dressing taste great on salads, but it also makes an excellent dip! Other flavorful dressing includes balsamic vinaigrette, Italian dressing, French dressing, bleu cheese, and oil and vinegar.

Finally, when you talk in gibberish that is called a “word salad.” Now that we’ve tossed around salad facts, let-tuce address a culinary query. Get ready to put on your thinking caps because it’s time for some trivia!

1. This American salad contains the principal ingredients of apples, celery, and walnuts.

2. Name the dessert salad that has pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, nuts, whipped cream and miniature marshmallows.

3. The Brown Derby Restaurant owner in Los Angeles created this salad made up of lettuce,   tomato, bacon, chicken, hard-boiled egg, avocado, baby corn, chive and Roquefort cheese.

4. A Greek salad includes tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and olive oil. What type of cheese  does it contain?

5. Nicoise salads are made with canned tuna, boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives, green beans, lettuce and a vinaigrette dressing. What European country originated this dish?

6. Which salad dressing consists of mayonnaise, tomato puree or ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and chopped pickles? It’s great on Reuben sandwiches.

7.  This colorful salad has Romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, corn, green onions, black beans, cheddar cheese, a pinch of lime juice, crushed tortilla chips, topped with a ranch/taco-seasoned dressing.

8. This delicious salad has lettuce topped with tomatoes or other vegetables, pieces of beef steak or grilled chicken, and crispy French fries.

9. Watergate salad is made of pineapple, miniature marshmallows, walnuts, whipped topping and what type of pudding?

10. A quarter hunk of iceberg lettuce topped with bacon crumbles, onion, tomatoes and a creamy dressing is what type of salad?

11. This salad has salami, mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, artichokes, and cheeses.

12. American salad that combines lettuce with chopped vegetables and proteins like smoked turkey, roast beef, ham, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs.

13. It is referred to as “the king of salads,” featuring crab meat, hard-boiled eggs, tomato, and asparagus, served on a bed of lettuce and topped with Thousand Island dressing. 

14. This classic Tuscan salad has ripe tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and toasted bread. 

15. Name the TV comedy with a theme song about tossed salad and scrambled eggs.

Answers: 1. Waldorf  2. Ambrosia 3. Cobb 4. Feta 5. France (Nice) 6. Thousand Island 7. Tex-Mex salad 8. Pittsburgh salad 9. Pistachio 10. Wedge salad 11. Antipasto 12. Chef’s Salad 13. Crab Louie 14. Panzanella 15. Frasier

Sources: ohmyfacts.com/food-beverage/27-facts-about-salads/, funtrivia.com, quizly.co/salad-trivia-quiz/, www.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-salads-in-usa