Object I've put into the salad (6)
I believe the answer is:
endive
'the salad' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'object i've' is the wordplay.
'object' becomes 'end' (both can mean a goal or purpose).
'end'+'ive'='ENDIVE'
'put into' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for endive that I've seen before include "Salad plant related to chicory" , "salad ingredient" , "Salad plant with crisp curly leaves" , "Type of chicory" , "Edible plant" .)