My significant other ate cucumbers and onion with some ranch. I called it a cucumber onion salad. She says there aren’t enough ingredients to call it a salad, because “it takes multiple ingredients”. I pointed out she had three and asked what the minimum is. She refuses to answer so I ask Lemmy.
I grew up eating green salads without dressing, because the dressings my parents favored were so salty and acidic they hurt my mouth. Lettuce, sliced tomatoes, carrots, celery, maybe cucumber.
These days I usually go for a “Mediterranean” salad with greens, olives, feta or similar cheese, cucumber, tomato, bell peppers, herbs, and a splash of olive oil.
If you’re making it for a group of people, finding a good mix of vegetables for a salad involves excluding the ones that someone doesn’t like. I don’t like zucchini or asparagus. One of my housemates can’t abide celery. One friend doesn’t like jicama. Another friend is okay with red bell pepper but can’t abide green bell pepper. Making a salad everyone enjoys seems to be partly about getting all these preferences right and then balancing what’s left.