57 nut-free dairy-free salads for two

The salad itself may contain no cheese, yoghurt, butter, or cream, while a pesto, dressing, toasted topping, or packaged grain adds nuts. Some sauces use ground nuts for body, and nut ingredients can also turn up in prepared croutons or seasoning mixes. Check the full ingredient list and allergen statement on every packaged component, even when the recipe looks safe.

Check dressings, pesto, sauces, spice blends, stock, fried toppings, and flavoured oils first. Nuts may be blended into a sauce, toasted over the salad, or present in oil used for frying, and cross-contact warnings matter if the allergy is severe. Plain vegetables, beans, grains, fruit, meat, and seafood are easier to assess, but packaged versions still need their own labels.

Choose salads with ingredients that can be stored separately, such as grains, beans, vegetables, and dressing, then combine portions when you eat. Make one clearly labelled dressing and keep bought toppings sealed until the label has been checked. If one person has a serious allergy, use clean utensils and a separate preparation area to reduce cross-contact, rather than relying on picking nuts out afterwards.