What can you put in a salad? Perhaps the better question is, what can’t you put in a salad? Whether you’re strolling the produce aisle of your supermarket, perusing the farmers market or staring at the contents of your fridge, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the options. Or maybe you have the opposite problem: You’re feeling underwhelmed and uninspired.

Either way, we have you covered. We explore some of the most common elements of what makes a good salad — greens, proteins, dressing and crunchy, creamy and acidic ingredients — and give you a handful of options for each category. We also include suggested amounts for 4 servings. Mix and match ingredients to build your own creation or leave it to chance to see what our custom salad generator recommends for you.

Now, prepare to be bowled over by your best salad yet.

To build your own custom salad, select an ingredient from each category below. Or, let us do the work: Click “pick for me” and scroll down the page to see your ingredient selections highlighted in yellow. To start a new build-your-own salad, refresh the page.

6 to 8 cups greens

1 to 2 cups proteins

1/4 to 1/2 cup crunch

1/2 to 1 cup acidity

1/2 cup richness

1/4 to 1/2 cup dressing

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Greens

6 to 8 cups

Crisp and versatile (romaine, iceberg, red leaf)

Soft and neutral (spinach, Boston lettuce, bibb lettuce)

Bitter greens (arugula, radicchio, endive, dandelion greens)

Herbaceous and grassy (heaps of fresh herbs, pea shoots, mache)

Hardy (kale, cabbage)

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What greens you use helps set the tone for the rest of the salad. Think about what textures and flavors you’re after — crisp or tender, mild or assertive — and go from there. Pick one type or mix and match. In “The Complete Salad Cookbook,” America’s Test Kitchen recommends pairing delicately flavored greens, such as iceberg, Boston, bibb and red/green leaf lettuces, with milder flavors so they’re not overpowered. Bitter or assertive greens, such as arugula and radicchio, can stand up to bolder flavors. Something like romaine works with just about everything.

[Your guide to salad greens, plus tips to pick, prep and store them]

No matter what you decide, be choosy in what you pick and how you treat it. In general, ATK prefers whole lettuces or leaves over chopped leaves in packages (sturdy romaine is one exception) to stave off spoilage. Be sure to peruse your local farmers market for the freshest options. A salad spinner is a great tool for cleaning unwashed greens, but you can also get the job done under cool running water or by swishing them around in a bowl filled with cool water several times. Be sure to dry your greens well in the spinner or with clean kitchen towels to avoid watering down your salad.

Proteins

1 pound or 1 to 2 cups diced, shredded or sliced

Chicken or tofu (grilled/marinated)

Beef (seared and a little rare)

Eggs (hard-boiled or jammy)

Salmon or shrimp (grilled/broiled)

Cooked beans or lentils

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In “Salads Are More Than Leaves,” Elena Silcock refers to these types of ingredients as “bulk,” which is a good way to frame the category. This is where you can try to “make a real meal” out of the salad, she says. Consider items that can be batch-cooked for the salad and other dishes you might have throughout the week. Need a shortcut? There’s always the store-bought rotisserie chicken or high-quality tuna in olive oil.

[7 hearty salad recipes to make for dinner]

But don’t just think about heft. Many of these ingredients can be taken in different directions for a wide spectrum of tastes and textures. Eggs can range from firm (hard cooked) to soft (poached). Add smoky flavor by grilling chicken, searing steak or broiling shrimp. Use chickpeas straight from the can or crisp them in the oven. Fried tofu is also an excellent option. Incorporate your preferred flavor profiles with spice rubs or blends, marinades (these soy-brined eggs come to mind) or glazes.

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Crunch

1/4 to 1/2 cup

Croutons, ideally homemade

Pumpkin or sunflower seeds

Chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds

Raw, chopped cucumber, carrots or snow peas

Crispy bacon or chickpeas

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Here’s where you can get especially whimsical, pulling together crunchy additions based on what you have or creating something totally new. Whatever you use, be sure to maximize the flavor before you add it to the salad. That means first toasting nuts or seeds and, if desired, tossing them in your choice of spices. Ditto croutons, which should be a rich, golden brown — tearing them by hand increases the textural variability and gives you plenty of places for dressings and other toppings to cling to.

[How to make crispy, flavorful croutons to upgrade your salad]

Of course, you can add more than one crunchy element, and some may overlap with other categories here. Diced apples, for example, also fall under bright/acidic. Your arsenal may include a mix of ready-to-use options, such as chili crisp and pita chips, and items that you prep yourself, such as a savory granola or a nut-and-seed mixture or microwave-fried shallots.

[Top your salad with these nut and seed clusters for a crunch you’ll want to munch]

Acidity

1/2 to 1 cup

Pickled onions, pepperoncini or olives

Chopped tomatoes, apples or oranges

Dried cranberries, cherries or mango

Feta, Parmigiano-Reggiano or aged cheddar

Pomegranate seeds

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Salads are all about contrast, in flavors and textures, and one way to make yours sing is to include at least one ingredient that can cut through everything else. Options run the gamut, including fresh and pickled fruit and vegetables, dried fruit and cheeses.

[Make your own quick-pickled onions]

Drain and pat dry ingredients packed in brine to avoid watering down the dressing. Season tomatoes a little ahead of time with salt to enhance their flavor and remove excess liquid. Cut fruit prone to oxidizing, such as apples, as close to serving as possible. Make sure to add cheeses last, so that they remain intact, visible and attractive.

Richness

1/2 cup

Avocado

Blue cheese, brie or burrata

Hummus

Cooked baby potatoes

Thinly sliced prosciutto or ham

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Fat and richness are the foil and complement to brightness and acidity. Soft cheeses are a great accent, or even the star in the case of something like a sphere of burrata. Thinly sliced or diced meats, such as ribbons of prosciutto or cubes of ham, contribute to the whole picture without necessarily stealing the show the same way a bulk protein would.

Plant-based ingredients are also welcome. Fat-rich avocado isn’t the only way to go, either; steamed or boiled baby potatoes are a delightful addition for creamy mouthfeel.

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Dressings

1/4 to 1/2 cup

Balsamic vinaigrette

Buttermilk ranch

Green goddess dressing

Tahini dressing

Citrus-soy dressing

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As with everything else on this list, the amount of dressing you use is a personal decision. Be sure to check out my colleague G. Daniela Galarza’s full guide to creating the salad dressing of your dreams, where she recommends a flexible range of 1 to 2 tablespoons per serving, with vinaigrettes on the lower end of the spectrum and creamier on the higher end.

[Salad dressings 101: Two formulas to get your ideal flavor every time]

In “Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession,” Jess Damuck offers a few dressing best practices. Regardless of whether you’re following a recipe or winging it, taste as you go so you can adjust seasoning and balance as needed. To avoid wilting and other unpleasantness, don’t dress a salad until you’re ready to serve it, unless a recipe instructs you to. Start with less dressing than you think you’ll need, because you can always add more, but you can’t take it away. Damuck prefers serving creamy dressings on the side, drizzling them on top or creating artful swirls on the plate under the other ingredients, which not only looks pretty but decreases the risk of an overdressed, soggy salad.

To see specific recipes for the dressing options above, check out Balsamic Vinaigrette; Buttermilk Ranch Dressing; Green Goddess Salad Dressing; Tahini Salad Dressing; and this citrus-soy dressing.

About this story

Editing by Matt Brooks. Art direction, design and development by Christine Ashack. Additional development by Leo Dominguez and Jake Crump. Design editing by Amy Cavenaile, Rachel Orr and Matt Callahan. Animation by Emma Kumer. Copy editing by Jim Webster.

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