Introducing Food52’s Tournament of Salads: Lettuce Play

A salad can mean anything. Butter lettuce, farro, favas, a jar of tuna—it’s hard to think of an ingredient that doesn’t “belong” in a salad. It’s as easygoing as a dish can get, especially in spring, prime salad-making season, which makes it the perfect subject of our first Food52 recipe tournament.

We know you love competitions, and this one features some of our favorite salad recipes from our community, cookbook authors, and chefs. Only one will be crowned the champion. Will it be a Caesar? A wedge? Something you’ve never made before? Let’s find out, together.

The first round is simple—winnow the field of 16 salads to 8 by casting your vote below. (If you want to be extra-thorough and educate yourself about the salads on the ballot, the recipes follow.)

Once we’ve got our 8 contenders by April 12, we’ll enter the judging portion of the competition—which is where you come in. We’re seeking a few volunteers to make a pair of salads and decide which one should advance to the next round. Click here if you’re game.

By April 22, we’ll post the salad finalists that will move on to Round 3, along with our judges’ color commentary.

Round 4 is the ultimate showdown—The Salad Bowl, of course!—where the last two salads will go head to head. Everyone will be invited to make the finalists and help us declare one the champion. The author of the winning salad recipe will receive a golden fork, and our judges will get a special thank-you gift.

Still with us? Tell us the 8 salads that should make it to Round 2 by April 12. May the best salad win!

Our next tournament subject is summer side dishes. Do you have a recipe we should consider? Submit it by May 15. If it’s an existing recipe, just click the edit button below the photo of your recipe and tag your recipe Tournament of Summer Sides in the “Special Considerations” field. For new recipes, follow the same tagging instructions when you add it to the site here. Questions? Get in touch.