# What is a salad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [June 19, 2026, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018 "2026-06-19T11:37:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/21 "2026-06-19T23:28:40Z")
A quick look on Google and Wikipedia and such suggests that the original definition was only vegetables with a sort of dressing, but the term expanded to include other concoctions with the dressing, called “bound salads.” So a key part of those other types of salads seems to be the dressing. The other parts are already mentioned discrete ingredients, mixed together cold. * * * And, yeah, language is interesting. I can actually say that these are all salads, but then also say that the term “salad” without qualifiers would never refer to most of these. And all such concepts are blurry on the edges, both in these variant salads and the unqualified salad. It’s just the nature of language that a platonic definition, with characteristics that cover all possible variations, will never suffice. There’s always an aspect of “does it really ‘feel’ like a salad?” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/22 "2026-06-19T23:39:17Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I knew a family that ate salad last. Instead of dessert. That’s how Europeans have it, although dessert is dessert. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/23 "2026-06-19T23:52:42Z")
Whatever definitions anyone comes up with, I can always think of exceptions. A salad has to be cold? My Mom used to make the most wonderful potato salad, and my favourite version of it was when it was just freshly made and still warm. But that was definitely a salad! Or how about one of my occasional quirky likes for herring with sour cream? Cold, check. Comes in a vinegary wine sauce with onions, so multiple ingredients, check. Sour cream could be considered a kind of dressing. But it’s definitely not a salad! My definition: you’ll know a salad when you see it! > [@Chefguy](#): > > > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > > > I knew a family that ate salad last. Instead of dessert. > > That’s how Europeans have it Which screws up the definition of a salad as “something cold that you have before dinner, but which isn’t actually dinner”. To make the lexicological situation even worse, if you add some nice pieces of sliced chicken breast to a Caesar salad, then it may very well be your entire dinner! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/24 "2026-06-20T00:35:04Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > My Mom used to make the most wonderful potato salad, and my favourite version of it was when it was just freshly made and still warm. But that was definitely a salad! Usually, a potato salad is supposed to be refrigerated before being served, and isn’t supposed to be eaten warm. You might have liked it warm, but that’s a quirk on your part that doesn’t change the definition of the dish. I could take a regular garden salad and throw it in a microwave before eating it. It doesn’t mean it’s not a salad anymore, but it does mean I’m a weirdo. (Just to be clear, I do _not_ do that.) Also, I feel the need to insert an entry from one of my favorite web comics back in the day: [![](https://chainsawsuit.krisstraub.com/comics/20110622.png) ](https://chainsawsuit.krisstraub.com/comics/20110622.png) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/25 "2026-06-20T00:36:15Z")
I find it interesting how bad cooked lettuce tastes, when I have no problem with cooked spinach, which works as well as lettuce raw. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/26 "2026-06-20T00:40:04Z")
Spinach is special. No, really. Something different happens to it when it gets warm. It doesn’t wilt the same way as other leafy vegetables. I like it cold and cooked. And spinach dip can be amazing. Ooh… Cabbage can also be good cooked, though. Especially in egg rolls. So I guess it’s like spinach in that way. Also, on the subject of cabbage and in the spirit of this thread… Is coleslaw a salad? It seems like it has all of the traits of a salad, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it referred to as salad. Though when I look it up, the name “coleslaw” comes from the Dutch term _koolsla_ that literally means “cabbage salad”. So weird that I rarely hear it called that. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/27 "2026-06-20T00:43:14Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Usually, a potato salad is supposed to be refrigerated before being served, and isn’t supposed to be eaten warm. You might have liked it warm, but that’s a quirk on your part that doesn’t change the definition of the dish. It might actually be a quirk of the ingredients. This potato salad was very good and could certainly be refrigerated and still very good cold, but it had virtually no shelf life. It absolutely had to be fresh. Same day, sure, but next day was pushing it and it wasn’t quite the same. Third day, fuggetaboutit! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/28 "2026-06-20T00:43:46Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > It might actually be a quirk of the ingredients. You might be right. Sometimes that’s how it works out. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/29 "2026-06-20T01:10:39Z")
The problem with defining what a salad is, it’s something different to each person depending on what their experience of “salad” is. It may be narrow or it may be expansive. A person who travels will have lots more definitions of “salad” than someone who never ventures further than the church picnic. Hot salad? You bet: [Classic Hot German Potato Salad Recipe](https://thegoodheartedwoman.com/oktoberfest-hot-german-potato-salad-recipe/) Cold salad? More than you can shake a stick at. Pasta salad, cabbage salad, spinach salad (also can be served with a hot bacon dressing to wilt the spinach). Corn salad with beans and tomatoes. Is bruschetta a salad? It can be. Or it can be an appetizer. Creamy salads, lemony salads, vinegary salads. The list goes on and on. I don’t think “salad” can be constrained to just a few different terms to define it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/30 "2026-06-20T11:18:07Z")
And let’s not forget that many public figures are capable of spontaneous word salad. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/31 "2026-06-20T12:14:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If we’re sitting around a table and I say “pass the salad”, and you pass the potato salad or the tuna salad, you haven’t given me what I asked for. or you haven’t asked for exactly what you wanted. You weren’t specific enough, so you were passed something that complied with the words of your request, but not its personal intent > [@saucywench](#): > > so I looked it up. “Eating a salad last is a culinary tradition rooted in European dining customs, particularly in France and Italy. It is primarily done to cleanse the palate, aid digestion, and prevent over-filling prior to the main entrée.” was this an AI inquiry? Because it makes absolutely no sense. If eaten _last_, then how would it prevent over-filling _prior_ to the entree? Whether eaten first or last, in either case, you are eating the same amount of food. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/32 "2026-06-20T13:40:51Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > word salad. Yet another example of a salad without dressing. The dressing is optional. It’s the discrete parts, mixed up but not coalescing, that makes a salad. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/33 "2026-06-20T14:21:54Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > If eaten _last_, then how would it prevent over-filling _prior_ to the entree? Whether eaten first or last, in either case, you are eating the same amount of food. As opposed to eating the salad _before_ the entree, which might lead to overfilling or not completing the main course. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/34 "2026-06-20T17:57:17Z")
Yes, what commasense said. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/35 "2026-06-20T18:04:45Z")
Salad is what I eat when I’m waiting for the main part of my meal. At least when I’m dining out. Having said that, I’ve been known to have a pork rib for dessert. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/36 "2026-06-20T20:25:52Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > A salad is a mixed collection of discrete items, which retain their individuality within the dish. > > So, you can pick out parts of a salad you don’t like. > > Dressing is optional > > If they’re all mixed together, and coalesce, then you are more into casserole territory. > > Although I guess, under my definition, a bowl of nuts is a salad So if I get served a mixed collection of discrete items of bacon and lettuce and tomato along with two croutons I could pick out, that’s a salad, right? And if I get served a mixed collection of discrete items of bacon and lettuce and tomato along with two pieces of toasted bread I could likewise pick out, is that _also_ a salad? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/37 "2026-06-20T21:47:50Z")
It’s a salad sandwich. Duh. > [@Atamasama](#): > > Also, on the subject of cabbage and in the spirit of this thread… Is coleslaw a salad? It seems like it has all of the traits of a salad, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it referred to as salad. Though when I look it up, the name “coleslaw” comes from the Dutch term _koolsla_ that literally means “cabbage salad”. So weird that I rarely hear it called that. If coleslaw isn’t a salad, then nothing is. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/38 "2026-06-20T22:07:22Z")
Everyone is Diogenes when it comes to defining food labels. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/39 "2026-06-20T22:47:02Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > if I get served a mixed collection of discrete items of bacon and lettuce and tomato along with two pieces of toasted bread I could likewise pick out, is that _also_ a salad? Does the location of the bread matter? Are you using it to frame the other ingredients? If so, that’s a sandwich. If you just have the pieces of bread tossed together with the other stuff, then it’s a salad. A weird salad, but you do you. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018/40 "2026-06-20T23:02:17Z")
My late MIL used to make “salads” that were jello, cottage cheese, and whatever canned fruit matched the jello flavor. Sometimes it also included cool whip. Her “pistachio salad” was pistachio instant pudding, cool whip, pineapple bits, and mini marshmallows. yeah, salad. Well, it was green. And it was served as a side, not as dessert. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-salad/1031018.md?page=3)