Salad is a term applied broadly to many food preparations that are a mixture of chopped or sliced ingredients. A salad can be served cold or at room temperature, although it can also form the filling for a sandwich. Though it can be made with meat or eggs, it usually includes at least one raw vegetable or fruit, most often lettuce. Often it is prepared or served with a dressing.

A salad may be served before or after the main dish as a separate course, as a main course in itself, or as a side dish.

Salad may refer to a blended food item - often meat, seafood or eggs blended with mayonnaise, finely chopped vegetables and seasonings - which can be served as part of a green salad or used as a sandwich filling.

In Scandinavia, salad also refers to a blend of vegetables in a dressing used as a condiment on top of the open sandwich and with meats.

The word "salad" comes from the French salade of the same meaning, from the Latin salata, "salty", from sal, "salt".