What To Serve With Salad As A Main Dish? 15 Delicious Choices

Do you know what to serve with salad as a main dish? I’ll show you the best and most delicious choices to combine with salad!

When we hear the word salad, something in the back of our minds hints at it as “diet food.” While salad is synonymous with healthy eating, it is also considered as joyless healthy eating. Most of us have grown up thinking salads to be dull.

We avoid ordering salads as they may leave us hungry and frustrated. This is the exact opposite of what healthy eating should make you feel, isn’t it? Beef steaks and cheese fries would never leave us unsatisfied. Instead, they entice our taste buds and make us happy like no other joy in the world. Why can’t we say the same for salads?

Well, let me clear this for you. Salads are not dull; you are just not preparing them right. Salads are a creative and balanced course of a meal. They can be a healthy, tasty, and nutritional meal that is fulfilling and easy to prepare. All they require is a perfect combination of veggies, protein, and salad dressing that would give you the right amount of nutrition and a balance of flavors.

What to serve with salad as a main dish? 15 alternatives

While salad as an individual course doesn’t bring in any hassle, pairing salads with entrées can be a pain. Not all salads can fit in the menu with every main course. To make your menu one of a kind, so your luncheons and dinners are always up to the mark, we have listed 15 alternatives of main dishes to serve with salad. 

1) Lebanese Shawarma

You are going up for Lebanese dinner night with tabbouleh or fattoush salad; an ideal main course can be Lebanese shawarma in chicken, beef, or turkey.

The choice of protein is up to you as it is delicious with all three options. The smoky, tender, and mouthwatering meat is paired with pita wraps, pickled vegetables, hummus, and tahini sauce.

Add this meal next time to your Lebanese dinner night, and you’ll thank us later. 

2) Shish Tawook

While discussing Lebanese food, you cannot be a Lebanese food fan and not know shish tawook. This is the most popular skewered chicken dish in the Middle East.

It has a perfect blend of savory and tangy taste. Think about a smoky, juicy chicken marinated in the Lebanese spice blend, yogurt, garlic, and lemon juice.

The ingredients are approachable, so it is easy to make and a scrumptious meal for lunch. It can be paired with fattoush or tabbouleh salad, and trust me, it doesn’t get better than this!

3) Crispy Falafel

This popular Mediterranean street food is a great main course with fattoush or tabbouleh salad.

The crispy Lebanese falafel is a vegan, protein-packed, and easy-to-make dish that will have you wanting more.

It is basically mashed chickpeas patties seasoned with Mediterranean spices and fried. It is mainly served with garlic sauce, tahini sauce, and hummus. 

4) Greek Baked Orzo

We all can’t seem to get enough Greek salads. The flavorful and refreshing fusion of tomatoes, mixed greens, and feta cheese in Greek salad dressing is addictive.

However, Greek salad alone is not presentable enough for dinner. Greek baked orzo is an ideal go-to main course with Greek salad. The one-pot dish is filled with rich tomato goodness and vegetables that make it hearty and comforting for long winter nights ahead. 

5) Dolmades

Still don’t know what to serve with salad as a main dish? We have another option!

Dolmades or stuffed grape leaves are a delicious meal for vegans and non-vegan alike. Ideally, this Greek dish is made with ground beef marinated in Greek spices and rice.

This mixture is stuffed into blanched grape leaves that are cooked in a zesty lemon broth.

A fantastic vegan alternative is to stuff grape leaves with more rice. These stuffed grape leaves make an excellent, light meal when paired with Greek salad and tzatziki sauce. 

6) Birria tacos

This delicious Mexican dish would perfectly pair up with Mexican chopped salad.

Most of us have had taco Tuesdays in our houses for as long as we can remember. It is like a weekly celebration when the whole family gathers for a Mexican dinner.

Nothing says Mexican louder than birria tacos.

This traditional Mexican dish combines sweet, sour, spicy, and an utterly savory beef stew slow-cooked in Mexican spices.

They are eaten with tortillas dipped and fried in beef stew and topped with cilantro, onions, and cheese. 

7) Enchiladas

Authentic Mexican enchiladas are one of the most famous Mexican savories and one of the most loved.

They are made in corn tortillas dipped in homemade enchilada sauce and filled with your choice of protein (chicken or beef), onions, and black beans.

In the end, they are topped with lots of gooey cheese. The Mexican treat can be paired with Mexican salsa and Mexican corn salad. 

8) Quesadilla

Another excellent option for a Mexican main course with Mexican chopped salad or Mexican grilled corn salad is a quesadilla.

Like enchiladas, they are made with corn tortillas filled with mushrooms, olives, onions, tomatoes, ground beef or chicken, salsa sauce, and lots of cheese. 

9) Mushroom Risotto

We have to give Italy credit for its outstanding food. The classic margarita pizza is with us, thanks to Italy. Apart from pizza, the fresh summer salad, Panzanella, is a treat on its own.

This Tuscan chopped salad is filled with nutritious veggies is lightweight. It can be paired with another popular Italian main course, mushroom risotto, not heavy on the stomach.

Risotto can be served with or without any meat and is a perfect pair with Panzanella salad for its savory flavors.

10) Lasagna

The light and refreshing bruschetta salad is often paired with lasagna in the main course.

The combination of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, and bagel chips makes it a fantastic salad on its own.

Lasagna as a main course with this salad will take your Italian menu to the next level.

While preparation for lasagna is time-consuming, the final product is rich tomato and cheese goodness in layers and layers.

11) Balsamic grilled chicken

This recipe is super easy to make and packed with rich nutrients and flavors. It can be topped with Caprese salad to make it into a fantastic meal for the summer.

The classic Caprese salad is a simple salad of thinly sliced mozzarella and tomatoes seasoned with salt, olive oil, and topped with basil leaves.

Paired with juicy and succulent balsamic grilled chicken, this meal is a quick way to make a restaurant-style meal.

12) Chicken Parmesan

While it does sound Italian, chicken parmesan has a considerable fan base in America.

It is mainly paired up with Caesar salad.

Even though Caesar salad is often taken as the main course meal, it pairs with chicken parmesan. The chicken is coated in panko and breadcrumbs and fried till crispy.

It is then topped with marinara sauce and sliced parmesan cheese. 

13) Thai coconut curry needle soup

Khao Si is a hearty, flavor-filled, and comforting Thai curry soup. It is a fantastic entrée when the weather turns cold.

The flavored coconut broth can be made with crispy tofu, chicken, and veggies. This protein-packed dish is often paired with Thai green papaya salad, som tam.

It is a perfect treat for lazy winter nights as it is easy to make and keeps you fulfilled. 

14) Pad Thai

Tell me anything better than pad thai, I will wait. This stir-fry dish is made with rice noodles, bean sprouts, tofu, dried shrimps, tamarind, and fish sauce.

This ultimate noodle dish goes straight to the heart and satisfies our noodle cravings.

It is often paired with Thai crunch salad in peanut dressing.

While restaurant-style pad thai is hassle-free, they are not a representation of authentic Thai cuisine. Make pad thai at your home next time, and you’ll have an authentic Thai meal in less than an hour.

15) Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Classic Texas-style, slow-cooked pork sandwich is a satisfying and gluttonous meal on its own. It is often topped with BBQ sauce and served with a buttered and toasted roll.

Since the entrée is so fulfilling, these sandwiches are served with coleslaw salads so that the savory meal has a sweet and light salad on the side dish.

While the cooking time is extended, you can never go wrong with pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw for dinner.

Conclusion

This mouthwatering list of entrée options from various cuisines should be evidence enough to emphasize the importance and value of salads in every part of the world.

Pairing the salad with an entrée can make or break your menu, which is why you must never forget to plan appropriately.

The entire menu must have a perfect balance of veggies, grains, and proteins.

The combination of flavors should complement a fusion of sweet, sour, spicy, and savory.

So, do you already know what to serve with salad as main dish? Feel free to leave your comments and delicious alternatives below!

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