Salads That Are Perfect To Make In The Summer

Our favorite meals to dig into in the summer? Quick and easy salads. They require minimal time over a hot stove or in front of the oven. They're also easy to serve out on the patio or bring on a picnic to take full advantage of the sunshine, warm weather, and abundantly fresh ingredients.

Salads can be hearty and filling, and boast lovely contrasts in flavors, colors, and texture: like the Coronation Chicken Salad, Macaroni Salad, or Deviled Egg Potato Salad. When you've got the bounty of summer produce at your disposal, fresh veggie and green salad ideas abound. Try a Strawberry Salad, TikTok-inspired Green Goddess Salad, or a Wilted Spinach Salad. Far from being forgotten, these salads are the true stars of any meal.

Whether you're looking for a side dish to serve at your cookout or a main dish salad that combines protein, fat, and carbs for a filling and satisfying meal on its own, we have 74 Salad Recipes gathered here for you.

This healthy salad will take you on a trip to the Greek Isles without the need for buying tickets, packing, or hours spent on an international flight. Made with crisp iceberg lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomato, and olives, the salad is rich in texture and flavor. A generous sprinkle of tangy feta cheese and a slightly creamy dressing made with garlic, fresh lemon juice, and a touch of oregano brings everything together nicely.

Recipe: Greek Salad

If you're on the lookout for a main dish salad that won't disappoint, Cobb salad has remained a resolute summer stalwart for a reason. Made with chicken, bacon, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and blue cheese scattered atop a bed of romaine, it boasts the perfect combo of protein, fat, and fiber to make this salad filling and hearty. Finish it with a drizzle of bottled or homemade ranch dressing. The recipe makes four servings. 

Recipe: Cobb Salad

Mediterranean tabbouleh combines bulgur wheat and fresh herbs for a light salad that's filling and flavorful. With tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, and a refreshing combo of mint and parsley, it's the ideal side dish for grilled chicken or fish or even for homemade falafel. It can also be served with hummus and baba ghanoush as part of a mezze assortment. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top for even more flavor.

Recipe: Tabbouleh

Just five ingredients unite in the recipe for a classic Caprese salad — a summertime staple from the Italian island of Capri. Slices of mozzarella and ripe, summer tomatoes are layered with leaves of fresh, fragrant basil. A drizzle of high-quality olive oil and slightly sweet balsamic finish things off with flair and flavor. Since this salad is so simple, it's paramount to choose the very best produce available to you. Shop for just-picked local tomatoes, and they will not disappoint.

Recipe: Caprese Salad

Is there anything more satisfying than a simple Caesar salad? Crisp romaine topped with creamy dressing and crunchy croutons — there's a reason it's still a classic after all these years. In this version of the steakhouse staple, cherry tomatoes, and raspberries (yep, you read that right!) join the base ingredients for a pop of color and delightfully tart flavor. Serve it topped with grilled chicken or shrimp to turn it into a filling main meal.

Recipe: Caesar Salad

This salad pairs two summery veggies at the peak of perfection for one phenomenal side dish. Ripe tomatoes and cucumbers are married with the piquancy of red onion and a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and fresh herbs. The recipe makes four generous servings that are ideal to serve alongside your favorite grilled meats. A slice of crusty bread is a welcome accompaniment to soak up all that flavorful dressing. 

Recipe: Cucumber Tomato Salad

This salad is a great way to use up cooked shrimp from last night's dinner. However, even if you need to cook up some shrimp specifically for this salad, it's still a dish that's ready in less than 20 minutes. The whole shrimp are tossed in a mixture of mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper, and diced veggies. The shrimp salad is nice for lunch or a light dinner spooned into soft rolls or with a green salad.

Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Salad

Creamy avocado dresses up pretty much anything you pair it with, from toast to crispy bacon to tortilla chips. In this salad, avocado is married with fresh garden tomatoes and corn for a summery salad showing off produce at the peak of perfection. It's dressed with slices of red onion and a drizzle of rich balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with fresh parsley for a pop of bright green color.

Recipe: Avocado Tomato Salad

When this salad first appeared on the scene 130 years ago at New York City's Waldorf Hotel, it was made of just three ingredients: apples, celery, and mayonnaise. Since then, it has been adapted and changed in countless ways, and people still love it. Our take on this classic recipe swaps the mayo for Greek yogurt and adds in grapes, walnuts, and a bed of green lettuce. Dried fruit like cranberries or raisins are delicious here, too.

Recipe: Waldorf Salad

Is this salad the best thing that ever happened to broccoli? It's entirely possible because it is just so delicious. Plus the whole salad comes together in about a half hour, and that includes time to cook up the bacon. Chopped broccoli, bacon, cheddar cheese, and sunflower seeds are tossed together in a creamy mayonnaise-vinegar dressing. A touch of agave nectar or honey gives a little extra sweetness — if you don't have any, add a pinch of sugar to the salad instead. 

Recipe: Broccoli Bacon Salad

Even better than turkey on the holiday table are all the dishes to be made in the days that follow with the leftover turkey, like a really good turkey salad served on bread or sliced croissants. Just fold chopped turkey into a dressing of celery, mayonnaise, mustard, and dill. If you're craving this flavorful salad later on in the year, pick up a cooked turkey from the deli or roast a small turkey breast at home. The recipe makes four cups of turkey salad.

Recipe: Deli-Style Turkey Salad

This salad is a classic, making appearances at picnics, luncheons, and even on cafeteria lunch trays. Not only is it a flavorful salad that's simple to make, but it's also packed with protein, too. Pick up cans of garbanzo beans and kidney beans, plus canned or frozen green beans. Then toss them with an oil and vinegar dressing and fresh parsley. The salad also makes a tasty side dish with dinner. 

Recipe: Three Bean Salad

Compared to American potato salads — made with a mayonnaise base and served cold — German potato salads are unique. They're made with a sweet-tangy dressing made from sugar, vinegar, and mustard. Crispy bits of bacon are tossed with red and yellow potatoes, and the salad is traditionally served warm. It's always a hit at barbecues, but it can also be served as a potato side dish with roasted meats for dinner. The recipe makes enough salad to serve ten.

Recipe: German Potato Salad

Making this copycat recipe for Trader Joe's Wine Country Chicken Salad at home means you won't have to wait for it to be back in stock at the store, or stand in a long line to buy some. Cubes of cooked chicken breast are tossed with cranberries and pecans, and mixed with a creamy, poppy seed-honey dressing. The easy recipe makes enough chicken salad for several lunches — fold it into flaky croissants, or enjoy it on crisp lettuce leaves.

Recipe: Trader Joe's Copycat Chicken Salad

Green Goddess dressing was first created at the historic Palace Hotel in San Francisco in the 1920s, and it's so iconic that it's still on the menu there today. The creamy, herby dressing was originally mayonnaise-based, but here is made with a lighter olive oil base. Our recipe is based on the viral TikTok salad, a sort of cole slaw made with cabbage, cucumbers, and scallions. The veggies are tossed in Green Goddess dressing: basil, spinach, garlic, and walnuts. Not a basil fan? Try other green herbs like parsley or cilantro instead. 

Recipe: TikTok-Inspired Green Goddess Salad

Get out your best glass bowl or casserole dish for this salad. The ingredients are assembled in striking layers, making it an eye-catching centerpiece of the potluck, reception, or barbecue. Our recipe details the best way to layer each ingredient, including peas, iceberg lettuce, cooked bacon, and a sweet-tangy, creamy dressing. The chilled layers are mixed together just before serving. This salad serves six people and can be assembled in just 30 minutes.

Recipe: Seven Layer Salad

When you think of tuna salad, you may not picture a dish that looks as beautiful and composed as this one. This is a restaurant-quality creation that pairs just-seared ahi tuna steaks with fresh vegetables and a soy-ginger dressing. Incredibly, the recipe takes less than 15 minutes, with the longest step being the quick sear on the tuna steaks. Use your vegetable peeler to create long, elegant ribbons of cucumber that can be arranged around the lettuce, avocado, and fish.

Recipe: Seared Ahi Tuna Salad

It's hard to improve on a classic, like a good deli-style chicken salad. Make your own, super-fresh version at home for a fraction of the price. This recipe makes enough for six servings to enjoy with a green salad or between slices of soft, bakery sourdough bread. Cooked chicken breast is cubed and tossed with mayonnaise, diced apples, celery, and slivered almonds. The salad is seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and you can always add in other spices, like smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, or ground sage. 

Recipe: Classic Chicken Salad

Balela is a Middle-Eastern dish with chickpeas as the star ingredient. This salad requires some chopping, but it's so worth it in the end. Balela is packed with flavor and texture, and the array of colors makes it lovely to look at, too. Along with chickpeas, the salad includes black beans, tomatoes, cucumber, sundried tomatoes, basil, and more. The recipe makes enough balela to serve six people, and it's sure to be the star of the next party you bring it to.

Recipe: Balela Salad

The apples, celery, and mayonnaise combination of a traditional Walford Salad is a perfect base for homemade chicken salad. Our recipe, which makes six servings, adds a few more ingredients to give this salad texture and flavor, like chopped walnuts, red grapes, and Dijon mustard. It's delicious in sandwiches, of course, but this chicken salad can also be used to stuff bell peppers or to top a chopped salad. 

Recipe: Waldorf Chicken Salad

The sweetness of carrots and golden raisins balances beautifully with the sharp flavor of fresh herbs and aromatics in this salad. Shred your own carrots or make it easy on yourself with pre-shredded carrots from the store. The dressing is a blend of honey, mustard, and curry powder. The whole salad takes only 15 minutes to put together, and it's very versatile: Add protein to the salad for a light lunch or serve it as a side for chicken or beef dishes.   

Recipe: Moroccan Carrot Salad

When you taste macaroni salad purchased from a grocery store, it's inevitable that you'll wish it had been made a little differently: with less mayonnaise, less soupy, with more flavor, etc. However, you can make your own macaroni salad at home in only 15 minutes, and it's going to taste exactly the way you want. Adjust the amount of minced green pepper, onion, and celery to your liking. Add more cayenne for more kick. Add as much or as little mayo as you want. Make this macaroni salad your own.

Recipe: Macaroni Salad

We don't hate Panera for getting us hooked on its fresh sandwiches and salads, but heading to the chain every day for lunch gets really expensive really fast. This copycat Panera recipe is the answer to that dilemma. The chain's Fuji Apple Salad is easy to make at home with spring greens, apple chips, chicken breast, feta cheese, and a white wine vinaigrette. The recipe makes six servings for lunches all week.

Recipe: Copycat Panera Fuji Apple Salad

Fresh spinach softens beautifully when exposed to heat, and that's why it's a favorite for warm green salads like this one. Sliced mushrooms are sautéed with shallots and balsamic vinegar until soft, then the spinach goes in for just a minute or two. Garnished with pine nuts, it's a flavorful meat-free dish to enjoy for brunch or lunch. You can also top the salad with a fried egg or serve it alongside omelets or frittatas. 

Recipe: Wilted Spinach Salad

Bacon, avocado, diced chicken breast, and ranch dressing over a fresh green salad — how delicious does that sound? Wendy's Southwest salad is just an incredible combination of savory flavors that we could eat for lunch or dinner any day. While it's no guarantee that a fast food salad will always be prepared well, this homemade, copycat version will always be exactly the way you want it.

Recipe: Copycat Wendy's Southwest Avocado Salad

It's a chicken salad, but not the mayonnaise kind. This is a protein-packed, fresh, green salad with a fiery kick. Thin chicken breast cutlets are coated in Cajun seasoning (look for blends in the spice aisle at the store) and then quickly cooked on the stovetop. Build the salad with greens, pickled jalapeños, avocado, and black beans, then top it with sliced strips of spicy chicken. Our recipe dresses the salad very simply with sour cream and makes two servings.

Recipe: Cajun Chicken Salad

A grain bowl is a healthy and hearty salad option for gatherings, as a side dish, or for lunch. Farro is a type of whole-grain wheat that when cooked has a nutty flavor and chewy texture. For this 15-minute salad, pick up a package of quick-cooking farro. Once that's done and cooled, it's just a matter of adding chopped ingredients like cucumber, tomato, artichoke hearts, olives, and parsley. Chickpeas add protein and texture to the salad as well. The salad is dressed with a simple apple cider vinaigrette.

Recipe: 15-Minute Greek Farro Salad

Seafood and summertime are made for each other. Capture the vibes in this cold pasta salad with a creamy texture and lots of flavor from ingredients like olives and sundried tomatoes. If possible, pick up fresh crab meat for this recipe, as it will have a much better flavor than imitation crab. The dressing is an easy blend of mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, and fresh parsley. The recipe makes a huge amount so it's perfect for sharing.

Recipe: Creamy Crab Pasta Salad

Cook a pot of green lentils to keep in the fridge, and throw together this salad together in minutes whenever you're hungry. It's a simple but filling combination of fresh, baby spinach, lentils, and a red wine vinegar dressing. Salty olives and tangy feta cheese give the dish a Mediterranean feel, and it has crunch from two kinds of onions. Tofu, chicken, or lamb can be added to the salad for an extra boost of flavor and protein.

Recipe: Lentil And Spinach Salad

A salad for breakfast? Of course! Fruit salads are a morning favorite, whether at Sunday brunch buffets or casual breakfasts at home. This fruit salad is unique because it only contains one fruit: sliced grapes. They're tossed with chopped pecans (or any nut or mixture of nuts you like) and then folded with a rich and creamy dressing of cream cheese and Greek yogurt. It has the old-fashioned appeal of ambrosia-style desserts but with far less sugar. 

Recipe: 10-Minute Grape Salad

This salad is a great way to work out any lingering anger or frustrations — you get to bash some cucumbers. Use the end of a rolling pin or a kitchen mallet on English cucumbers; it breaks down the cucumber structure and softens the skin so that the veggie can soak up the spicy, soy-sesame dressing. Try this 5-minute salad as a side for chicken or burgers hot off the grill.

Recipe: Smashed Cucumber Salad

Here's a recipe that's similar to a deli macaroni salad, except with more emphasis on fresh veggies and a lighter dressing. Broccoli florets get a brief blanching to enhance the color and make them slightly tender. Diced red onion adds more color, and cooked bacon gives it a delectable savory flavor. Instead of mayonnaise, this salad is dressed with plain yogurt and a little vinegar. Add salt, pepper, and for a little kick, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Recipe: Broccoli Pasta Salad

Don't bother with cans of heavily processed deviled ham. This salad is made with fresh ingredients that come together easily using a food processor. The word "deviled" in recipes refers to adding spices or chilis to food to give them a little kick. (Although today's canned deviled ham is actually pretty mild.) Our recipe includes cubed ham, celery, and onion chopped finely and blended with mayonnaise. You can add in other ingredients too, like sweet pickles or bell peppers. A dash of cayenne pepper or a little sriracha will make it a truly deviled ham salad.

Recipe: Deviled Ham Salad

There are so many healthful ingredients packed into this salad. The star of the dish is dinosaur kale, which softens beautifully when massaged with lemon juice and salt. Sliced Brussels sprouts and broccoli slaw add lots of crunch to the salad, along with pumpkin seeds. Apples, maple syrup, and dried cranberries balance the salad with their sweetness. (Here are our favorite hacks to keep the sliced apples from turning brown.) The recipe makes six servings.

Recipe: Sweet Kale Salad

Turn an ordinary Greek salad into a colorful pasta salad. The key component of this flavorful salad is the easy, homemade dressing made with red wine vinegar, honey, fresh garlic, and oregano. To make sure every bite of salad holds the dressing, choose pasta shapes like twisted fusilli, cavatappi, or tube shapes like penne. Other ingredients include cucumbers, olives, and tomatoes. The recipe makes a big batch that feeds six.

Recipe: Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mayonnaise gives chicken salad a creamy texture, but it doesn't have to do the job alone. Our recipe has cubes of avocado tossed with diced chicken breast and just a little mayo, for a more healthy salad that still has a wonderful texture. Cilantro and lime juice complete the salad. Use leftover, cooked chicken breast or meat from a rotisserie chicken to make this recipe. There's enough salad to serve four.

Recipe: Avocado Chicken Salad

We're used to seeing potato salads made with white potatoes, so here's a delicious change-up — a potato salad made with sweet potatoes! They're roasted until tender and browned, then tossed with chickpeas and so many flavorful ingredients. Minced garlic, tahini, and lemon juice combine to dress the salad, along with a generous handful of fresh parsley. Try out this recipe for the next barbecue — everyone will love it.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Salad