This Loaded Dinner Salad is packed with so many delicious ingredients and topped with a tangy lemon dressing. It’s perfect for a potluck or dinner side dish!
Say goodbye to boring garden salads with wimpy lettuce and a slice of tomato and onion, and hello to this delicious Loaded Dinner Salad! It’s packed with delicious ingredients and makes an impressive side dish or potluck salad. As I told my husband, this is a grownup salad 🙂
Salads are one of my favorite things to make. You can get really creative with them or keep them nice and simple. You can make a salad that’s meant for a side dish or a salad that is filling and can be eaten as an entire meal. This salad falls somewhere in the middle and is full of so many good things!
What You’ll Need For This Loaded Dinner Salad
- Greens – I used a container of baby spinach and arugula leaves but you are welcome to use your favorite greens. Other ideas are: spring mix, baby kale, romaine, iceberg or red lettuce.
- Parmesan Cheese – I love the saltiness and nuttiness that the parmesan cheese adds here. Goat cheese would also be a nice option.
- Apples – Apples are so great in salads. They add some sweetness and crunch. I used fuji apples.
- Walnuts – I hardly ever use croutons in my salads anymore, instead I like to use toasted nuts because they have such a great flavor and are much healthier. Pecans or almond would work great too.
- Avocado – I put avocado in pretty much anything so it was a no brainer for me to add it to this loaded salad.
- Broccoli – Broccoli is so nutritious and also adds nice flavor and crunch when added raw to salads.
- Red Onion – Red onion is another ingredient that I add to most of my salads. It’s a little sharp but is nice for breaking up the creaminess of the avocado and cheese.
- Pomegranate Seeds – I would only suggest using these this time of year when they’re in season. They add a sweet, tartness to your salad and make it feel more festive!
- Lemon Dressing – I like to make my own salad dressings but you could also use store-bought.
Whew, that may seem like a lot ingredients but you are more than welcome to leave out anything you don’t like/can’t find. Most of the ingredients are pretty affordable and easy to find but I don’t want you to break the bank making this loaded dinner salad!
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Loaded Dinner Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
This Loaded Dinner Salad is packed with so many delicious ingredients! Great for a dinner side dish or to bring to a potluck!
Ingredients
- 6–8 cups mixed greens, I used spinach and arugula
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh broccoli
- 1 whole apple, thinly sliced
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup parmesan shards
- 1/3 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
!Lemon Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all dressing ingredients to a jar and mix until combined.
- Lay your greens down on the bottom of a large serving plate or bowl and then top with all the remaining ingredients. Toss until everything is combined. You can either dress the entire salad by drizzling over desired amount of dressing or leave the dressing on the side and let people dress their own salads.
Notes
If making ahead of time, wait until you’re ready to eat to add the avocado and dressing.
Fat content is only so high because of the dressing, so if you use less it won’t be as high.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Category: Salad, Vegetarian
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
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