Salads. *Yawn*. But that need not be the case, dear AsianSupperer! 

Have you stopped to wonder why you think salads are boring? Could it be because you’re largely confining yourself to some sort of green leafy vegetable, then maybe mixing it up with some different vegetables & so on? Mmmm hmmm. Exactly. Salads do not equal lettuce! Salads are really anything cold and mixed up in my book ... after all, think potato salad, or pasta salad. 

Stretch your imagination. And then stretch it some more, with these 4 unique Asian salads.

Think noodles. Cold or room temperature noodles are a great base for salads. Thai Yum Woon Sen Gai is perfect in this regard. My sister practically lived off this stuff last year after I shared the recipe with her. 

Think weird gelantinous substances. If you’re not Korean, I can guarantee you’ve probably never had Dotorimuk salad. Chilled acorn paste (yes, acorn paste), cut into blocks and mixed with a savory sauce & garnished with greens. Weird but good. And don't worry, you make the acorn paste out of powder. 

Think unconventional veggies. Banana flowers may not be easy to find, but papayas are. Try Vietnamese Nộm hoa chuối or Thai papaya salad -- both are tangy, spicy and fresh.

So, no more getting bored with salads. Try one of these or try them all -- only you can decide which one should win this salad-off. And if you think you can do better, go ahead -- we dare you: share your salad recipe on AsianSupper.

Yum Woon Sen Gai (ยำวุ้นเส้นไก่)  

Dotorimuk Salad (도토리묵)  

Banana Flower Salad - (Nộm hoa chuối) 

Thai Papaya Salad - Som Tam (ส้มตำ)