A small salad that accompanies an entree. Side salads fall into four categories:
1. That which is automatically included with an entree at a restaurant
2.That which may be selected from several included accompaniments for an entree at a restaurant (e.g. "would you like soup, salad, or fries to go with that?")
3. That which must be purchased separately from the menu of a restaurant
4. That which has been prepared to accompany other foods (e.g at a dinner party)
Side salads are often served as the accompaniment to sandwiches, soup, pasta, and meat dishes. They can also be seen as a low-cost, lazy, and unwanted add-on to dishes- a way for restaurants to obscure an entree's lack of quantity/quality with variety.
"I will have the spaghetti with a side salad. If the salad is on top, I send it back!"
-Michael Scott