Is a salad considered a soft food?

That depends...what type of salad are you referring to?

Moist meat salads, which include tuna, egg, dark meat chicken or turkey mixed with mayonnaise were on my allowed foods for the soft foods stage, Weeks 4 and 5 of my post op diet..

Raw salad veggies were not on my approved list of foods until I was 6 weeks post op. I was advised to have only dark leafy greens, so I began returning to raw vegetables with raw spinach. I have since transitioned to romaine lettuce for my daily salad.

Every surgeon seems to have some variation of their approved list of foods; it's always the best idea to consult with your surgeon about your diet.

I concur with the above poster - ask your dr. I specifically asked about salad, I am really missing it and he said no way no how until I can eat solids (almost there!). I explained about missing it and he said too bad basically and then listed some softer veggies I could have, mostly squashes, potatoes and well cooked broccoli. Check with yours to be sure.