Easy salads that aren’t lettuce

Would you eat more salad if it didn’t have to be lettuce?

Thanks to supermarkets and refrigeration, we’ve grown up accustomed to having lettuce available year round. When we think of salad, we  naturally think of lettuce first.

In a household pressed for space and time, lettuce can be problematic. A head of leaf lettuce takes a lot of space and it can be hard to use up before it spoils. Bagged salad mixes and those plastic clamshell containers of greens are expensive. Furthermore, it takes time to wash and dry the delicate leaves.

Alternatively, vegetables like carrots, cabbage, celery, mushrooms, and fennel bulbs turn into a surprisingly large amount of salad for their size. They’re also sturdy and stand up well to preparation ahead of time.

For instance, a fennel bulb, some celery, and a lemon can turn into four servings of a crisp, nutritious side dish that you can make tonight or take as lunch tomorrow. Check out this recipe for Fennel and Celery Salad.