It’s a green thing

While it might be hard for some of us to get excited about salad, the dizzying array of toppings and dressings at The Salad Shop turns that healthy lunch into a culinary adventure.

This small and brightly lit restaurant in the Acadian Perkins Plaza lets you build your own salad (like we did in the photo at right) or choose a signature salad to go or to eat in-house. You can also add toppings to a signature salad if what’s behind the glass seems too tasty to pass up.

That includes nearly 50 toppings, like edamame, a hardboiled egg, toasted almonds, quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes, hummus and plenty more.

Among the signature salads, we tried the Chirpin’ Chicken ($6.50), which includes a hefty amount of spinach, tender white chicken pieces, red onions, dried cranberries and ever-so-slightly-sweetened walnuts. We added avocado (a generously large half) and chickpeas for $1.50 more.

The dressings run the gamut from jalapeńo ranch to the local Hanley’s Sensation. We went with the light-yet-zesty lemon vinaigrette on the side.

The portions are huge, and if you’re feeling the need for carbs, they can turn it all into a wrap, too. thinksaladshop.com