50 Salads For Spring And Summer Slideshow
We've assembled 50 salads that are ideal for the spring and summer season. They use a range of ingredients from unusual grains like farro, bulgur, and wheat berries to vegetables like beets, parsnips, zucchini, and carrots. There are classic combinations like the iconic Cobb salad, but there are also more modern salad interpretations such as a grilled halloumi and peach salad. Throw out any preconceived notions of what you thought a salad should be, and let these 50 recipes spark your imagination.
Beet Salad
Roasted beets offer a natural sweetness to salads and pair well with vinaigrette or acidic dressing. This is technically a salad, but it can also act as a side dish. One serving of this beet salad is only 143 calories.
Caprese Salad
The classic salad embraces the national flag of Italy. This salad is best with fresh, in-season tomatoes, fresh basil, rich mozzarella, and good balsamic vinegar.
Classic Zucchini Salad
This is a simple and fresh salad first published in the spring 1948 issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine. It offers some throwback flavor at less than 100 calories per serving.
Easy Greek Salad
The Greek salad is perfection on a plate. Kalamata olives contribute a salty pop, while fresh oregano contributes some extra depth. Just make sure to use your best extra-virgin olive oil.
Frisée Salad With Asparagus and Prosciutto
Frisée, also known as curly endive, is a sophisticated salad green with a faint, bitter flavor. Its spiny texture allows it to be the foundation of warm salads. This recipe calls for asparagus and prosciutto, and the whole thing is topped off with a poached egg.
Click here for the Frisée Salad With Asparagus and Prosciutto recipe.
Gorgonzola and Apple Salad
Honey and punchy Dijon mustard are whisked together in a delicious dressing for this easy-to-prepare salad. Serve this as a prelude to a main course of grilled pork chops or roast chicken.
Italian Tomato-Bread Salad
Panzanella is a classic Tuscan salad that uses stale bread, juicy tomatoes, lemon zest, and mint. This combination of flavors and textures makes for a very satisfying bite.
The Forge Chopped Salad
No salad-recipe roundup could be complete without some rendition of the chopped salad. This classic dish uses a variety of crisp and crunchy vegetables, diced in such a manner as to afford clean and simple eating.
The True Salade Niçoise
Salade niçoise is a classic French salad that originated in the city of Nice. This recipe stays true to classic interpretations of the salad, using hard-boiled eggs, olives, anchovy fillets, and olive oil.
Celery Citrus Salad with Feta
Salads are all about balance. Briny, salty feta is a natural complement to the sweet and juicy clementine and crisp celery.
Detox Kale Salad
Whether this salad will truly "detox" your body is debatable, but it certainly is healthy. Kale, carrots, cabbage, quinoa, and avocado make this salad a hearty lunch that will keep you satisfied until dinner time.
Gajar No Sambharo (Warm Carrot Salad)
Freshly toasted, whole spices accentuate this warm carrot salad. Top the dish with a dollop of yogurt to cool down the pungent aromatics.
Click here for the Gajar No Sambharo (Warm Carrot Salad) recipe.
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
This super healthy salad uses only the leaves of the Brussels sprouts to add a subtle cabbage note, which pairs well with the decadent manchego cheese and fibrous kale.
Lemony Asparagus Salad
Shaved asparagus is fresh and light, and benefits from the light marinade of Dijon mustard, honey, and lemon juice. The final garnish of fresh mint and parsley rounds out the flavor.
Mixed Green Mesclun Salad With Blackeye Pea Vinaigrette
Black-eyed peas are popular in Southern cooking, but they don't require a ham hock to be delicious. This dish uses black-eyed peas in both the salad and dressing, adding a creaminess and light brininess to the salad.
Click here for the Mixed Green Mesclun Salad With Blackeye Pea Vinaigrette recipe.
Muffuletta Olive Salad
The muffuletta was made famous in New Orleans by Italian immigrants. This salad is inspired by the sandwich, and uses a giardiniera (an Italian relish of pickled vegetables), olives, and plenty of spices, green onion, and fresh parsley.
Roasted Parsnip and Arugula Salad
When roasted, parsnips become sweet, but retain some of their pepperiness. The salad's accoutrements — apricots, sunflower seeds, and crumbed chèvre cheese — complement the parsnip, while a little bit of za'atar (a traditional Middle Eastern spice) makes the dish unforgettable.
Click here for the Roasted Parsnip and Arugula Salad recipe.
Spicy Yam Potato Salad
This spiced, lighter version of a classic potato salad will improve every summer picnic or potluck you're hosting. The salad is the perfect balance between sweet and savory with warm spices like cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon, and the cool notes of Greek yogurt, fresh mint, and parsley.
Zesty Dill Potato Salad
Forget traditional potato salads, heavy with mayo and salt. This dish highlights the natural beauty of perfectly cooked red potatoes with a light dressing of balsamic vinegar and dill so you can enjoy the potassium-packed potatoes as a healthful side dish at your next cookout.
Easy Soba Noodle Salad
This Asian-inspired pasta salad is seriously complex. The dressing made from a combination of white miso, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, ginger, and rice-wine vinegar is a lovely balance of sweetness, acid, and umami.
Gluten-Free Macaroni Salad
With a rising number of people identifying as gluten intolerant, it's necessary to have some gluten-free pasta salad options. Serve it at a barbecue or cookout — your family and friends won't even be able to tell the difference.
Melon and Prosciutto Pasta Salad
Melon and Prosciutto are a classic duo, but adding raw baby spinach and gemelli pasta transforms this appetizer into the perfect salad.
Orzo and Broccoli Salad
Broccoli is so much more than just a boring side dish. This salad moves the tasty florets to the forefront, upping their flavor with Italian dressing, feta cheese, and sliced almonds.
Pasta Salad in a Jar
Mason jars are convenient and portable, so packing one full of pasta salad makes for a simple and healthy lunch or midday snack. The salad calls for only a handful of ingredients and is easy to assemble.
Picnic Pasta Salad
It's not hard to see how anchovies may be perceived as unappetizing, but these piquant flavored fillets add an oceanic layer of saltiness whose taste can only be described as "fish bacon." This picnic pasta salad takes advantage of this extremely flavorful ingredient, along with sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, and fresh Italian parsley.
Spicy Gazpacho Pasta Salad
Along with all of the ingredients of a gazpacho, like tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers, this pasta salad also has a hint of spice from Tabasco in the vinaigrette.
Thai Noodle Salad
This simple shirataki noodle salad can be served cool, at room temperature, or even warm, depending on your mood. Add any vegetables you have on hand, like baby bok choy or broccoli.
Beet and Wheat Berry Salad
Whole grains are in-fashion because of their satiating fiber and mineral content. A wheat berry is a complete wheat kernel minus the hull; they are traditionally cooked down into a porridge, but this recipe uses wheat berries cooked al dente as a hearty foil to sweet golden beets. This can be served as a side dish or even as a vegetarian main course.
Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad
You can't do much better for less than 300 calories. Fresh jalapeño, green onions, and cilantro make every bite of this quinoa and black bean salad interesting. This salad is easy to make and even easier to eat; confidently bring it to any picnic or beach outing.
Easter Waldorf Rice Salad
The original Waldorf salad was created in New York City's Waldorf hotel in 1893, and it has been tantalizing taste buds with its clever combination of apples, celery, walnuts, and grapes ever since. This version uses rice (rather than chicken) to add some more depth and texture.
Farro With Artichokes and Herb Salad
Farro is a type of wheat, but it is commonly (and for the sake of simplicity) categorized as an ancient grain. It adds a unique crunch and texture to grain-based salad, and goes particularly well with artichoke.
Click here for the Farro With Artichokes and Herb Salad recipe.
Grilled Eggplant and Quinoa Salad
If you ever are stuck with leftover grilled eggplant, zucchini, or red bell pepper keep this recipe in mind. All you need is a couple cups of cooked quinoa, tahini paste, lemon juice, and some dried parsley to reinvent lowly leftovers into a terrific side dish.
Click here for the Grilled Eggplant and Quinoa Salad recipe.
Tabbouleh Salad
A classic Mediterranean salad, tabbouleh is unique because it is comprised of almost equal parts fresh parsley and bulgur (a textured cracked wheat). Lemon juice, green onion, and tomatoes make this salad super refreshing.
Blackberry-Lemon Salad
Blackberries are an elegant addition to savory salads. Lemon zest, dill, and sesame seeds make for a stimulating ensemble of tastes. This salad takes no time to make and will seriously impress your guests.
PointsPlus Mango Berry Salad With Ginger Glaze
Here's a quick and refreshing taste of summer that you can have just about all year round. Feel free to mix and match other types of tropical fruit or berries.
Click here for the PointsPlus Mango Berry Salad With Ginger Glaze recipe.
Grilled Halloumi and Peach Salad
Halloumi is a semi-soft cheese popular in Greek and Turkish cuisine that holds up very well to the heat of the grill. Pairing it with grilled peaches and salad greens creates a lively orchestra of flavor.
Mango and Watermelon Salad
Cubes of watermelon, thinly sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, watercress, and mango make for a salad that is sweet, savory, and refreshing. As spring approaches, this elegant appetizer can be served before the meal, or alongside a well-seasoned protein.
Raspberry Avocado Salad
Upgrade your colorful fruit salad with powerhouse ingredients including nutrient-dense avocado and refreshing herbs. If raspberries aren't in season, try experimenting with other fruits like blueberries, blackberries, or peaches.
Spinach Salad With Grilled Figs
Your assignment for the summer: Grill some fresh figs. A composed bite of warm fig, briny feta, and toasted pecan is a symphony of texture and flavor.
Crabmeat and Heirloom Tomato Salad
Tomatoes are in season and at their peak flavor from late May to early September. Use fresh tomatoes, herbs, and crab meat in this refreshing spring/summer salad.
Click here for the Crabmeat and Heirloom Tomato Salad recipe.
Jerk Shrimp and Citrus Salad
Jerk seasoning is a pungent spice blend essential to Caribbean cuisine. In this salad, shrimp are tossed with a jerk seasoning and set atop a salad of segmented citrus, fresh cucumber, red onion, and roasted beets.
Paleo Avocado Tuna Salad
This simple salad uses avocado in place of mayonnaise. The avocado's natural, monounsaturated fat adds that classic creaminess reminiscent of traditional tuna salads.
Seared Ahi Salad
If "Seared Ahi Salad" doesn't grab your attention, maybe "Mango Sriracha Dressing" will. This beautiful dish is not your normal tuna salad. Tuna steaks are quickly seared, and paired with crispy vegetables like shredded cabbage and carrots, julienned snow peas, and daikon sprouts.
Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
This recipe straddles the line between salad and main course. Shredded chicken, bacon, and green onion are combined with a yummy mixture of ranch dressing, Greek yogurt, and Dijon mustard, and then stuffed into hollowed-out tomatoes. The dish looks as good as it tastes.
Epic Taco Salad
Salads are all about balance, and this taco salad is certainly standing steady. It's loaded with superfoods like avocado, edamame, kale, and quinoa, but its flavor is enhanced with some fresh lime juice and thinly sliced jalapeño. "Epic" is not an overstatement.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Make this salad for your next summertime cookout. Grilling the romaine lettuce adds an extra dimension of flavor to this otherwise classic dish.
Chinese Tofu Chop Salad With Orange-Sesame Miso Dressing
Fresh, crunchy, sweet, and savory — this salad has it all. All of the vegetables are either shredded or chopped small so that the sweet and tangy dressing can evenly coat each bite. The boost of protein from the tofu makes it a wonderful lunch to fuel your afternoons as well. Prepare this salad fresh, or pack as a traveling lunch to enjoy within a few hours.
Click here for the Chinese Tofu Chop Salad With Orange-Sesame Miso Dressing recipe.
‘Deviled’ Egg Salad
The classic party time appetizer takes a while to assemble, but you can easily mimic its flavor in an egg salad. Just chop your hard-boiled eggs, and mix them with mayonnaise, onions, mustard, and spices. Spread the egg salad on toast, or add a scoop to a bed of greens.
French Picnic Lentil Salad
Lentils are rich in fiber, protein, and iron, and they provide a nice bite to this warm salad. Their earthy flavor is matched with a mustard vinaigrette.
Mock Tuna Salad
Cooking is all about ingenuity, and nothing represents that creative drive better than this mock tuna salad. Sunflower seeds and raw almonds mimic the dry, flaky texture of tuna, and the use of classic accoutrements like chopped pickles, dill, red onion, and celery will have you thinking you're eating the real thing.