Top 5 Salads
1
Macho Salad
The salad that started it all. Prior to our dearly beloved Macho, no salad had ever been credited with organizing a group of people and inciting a societal movement. No small feat for a salad. Now, close you eyes and picture a world where salads can talk. Mmm, hold onto that image tightly. Still have it? Good. In that lush, bountiful world stretching out before you, Macho is our universal language — a “Great Unifier” deserving of highest praise and fanfare. Behold! Open your eyes and experience why Chicagoans go out of their way and brave Michigan Avenue crowds just to stick a fork in this thing. Not to discredit the rest of this list, but if you only try one of the Top 5 Salads, I feel sad for you, but you best make it Macho.
Ingredients
- Mixed Greens
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Avocado
- Dates
- Goat Cheese
- Almonds
- Corn
- Cornbread Croutons
- Vinaigrette Dressing
2
Antique Taco Salad
¡Ay dios mío! Call me loco, amigo. But the best damn dish at this here taco joint has absolutely nada to do with tacos. Unless tortilla strips count? Maybe they do count. Anyway, this little ensalada packs a mighty big punch with crunch. It’s like a fiesta in your mouth, and this is one party you won’t want to miss. Quite possibly the best kept salad secret in the city. Run don’t walk to Wicker Park today. Surprise and delight the server behind the counter. ¡Sí! Place your order with confidence to flex your insider salad knowledge and impeccable taste. ¡Sí! De nada, amigo. De nada.
Ingredients
- Add: Avocado
- Kale
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Red Pepper
- Onion
- Queso Fresco
- Spicy Peanuts
- Cranberries
- Sesame
- Tortilla Strips
- Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing
3
Health Nut Salad
I’m nuts about this salad. All hits, no filler. It’s got exactly what the people want, nothing more. Just make sure to toss it all in a giant bowl before eating. They tend to serve it in layers — which frankly is unacceptable. You gotta have even ingredient distribution, know what I mean? That’s Salad 101. Salads violating this foundational principle with compressed layers of ingredients are but two bread slices away from being a sandwich. And this isn’t Top 5 Sandwiches, now, is it? Didn’t think so. That’s a completely different website. But I digress, I’ll let it pass. A testament to how good this salad really is.
Ingredients
- Add: Roasted Turkey
- Field Greens
- Spiced Almonds
- Podda Pecorino Cheese
- Avocado
- Cucumbers
- Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing
4
Shaw’s Signature Seafood Salad
Ahoy, matey. Feast your eyes on the most decadent salad pearls can buy. It shivers me timbers two different ways. First, it costs a whopping $32 (!!!). Yar, you read that right. So if you’re looking for cheap eats, maybe don’t start with this one. Second, if you do decide to belly up, it’s actually KINDA SORTA WORTH IT, if you can even believe that statement. Thirty-two U.S. dollars! Indulgent to say the least. But for that price, thankfully, it’s definitively as seafood-forward as any one salad can possibly be. Allergic to greens? Walk the plank with relative ease. Shellfish allergy? Abandon ship immediately. Here’s a pro tip: If you just can’t bring yourself to plunk down all your hard-earned booty on this here beauty, save your coins by splitting it with a friend. That brings the ransom down to just $16, a relative steal on the high seas.
Ingredients
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Crab Claws
- Shrimp
- Avocado
- Hard Boiled Egg
- Tomato
- Hearts of Palm
- Black Olives
- Cucumber
- Vinaigrette Dressing
5
The Chickpea
Purpose-built for salad skeptics. If you’re skeptical of salads, well then I’m not sure what you’re doing reading a salad website in the first place. But if you have doubts — or if you happen to know someone who does — then boy are you in luck, because this salad is made especially for you. It’s loaded with so many delicious non-salad distractions: gigantic chickpea fritters, crispy fried chicken strips, tzatziki sauce that’s not so subtly disguised as dressing, the list goes on... You might just forget you’re eating a salad, for cryin’ out loud. You’re welcome.
Ingredients
- Add: Fried Chicken
- Kale
- Chickpea Fritters
- Crispy Onion Straws
- Chopped Veggies
- Mont Amore Cheese
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Chee Vinaigrette Dressing
Is there a salad that should make this list?