22 Contemporary & Straightforward Salad Recipes


Whether or not you serve them as a aspect or as a light-weight important dish, these simple salad recipes are assured winners! They’re healthful, scrumptious, and pair with a variety of flavors and cuisines.

Once you make your personal salad, the world is your oyster and the choices are countless! 

A graphic image featuring four different green salad recipes. Title in the center reads

Whereas I really like the comfort of bagged salad mixes and store-bought dressings, in relation to taste, freshness, and selection, they simply don’t evaluate to DIYing it.

(Plus, whenever you make your personal salad, it’s an ideal alternative to make use of up what’s in your crisper drawer and pantry. Win!)

Greatest Salad Recipes for Each Event

Pair these scrumptious salad recipes with certainly one of my pasta recipes, convey them to work for lunch, or toss one collectively for an simple summer season dinner concept.

On this assortment, you’ll discover all the things from conventional inexperienced salads to some favourite classics like potato salad and pasta salad recipes, too! There’s a salad for each event and craving.

Ideas

  • Salads are fabulous for making forward of time, however all the time retailer the salad and the dressing in separate containers within the fridge, then mix them simply earlier than serving.

  • You can also make (nearly) any salad a meal by including a easy protein like baked rooster breast, lemon pepper salmon, or rosemary rooster.

  • Be happy to make any of those salad recipes your personal. Swap in your favourite dressing, use the substances you’ve gotten available, and put your personal spin on them!

Spring Salad Recipes

Handheld Endive Salad

Spring is the tail-end of endive season, and this elegant salad is the right option to put this crispy relative of radicchio to make use of! Endive leaves are a crunchy vessel for a easy salad, giving this recipe an air of sophistication—you’ll undoubtedly really feel such as you’re having fun with dinner at a high-end restaurant whenever you make this dish.

An endive salad laid out on a white platter.

Easy Spring Salad

A very good spring salad embodies the freshness of the season with a mix of crisp greens, colourful add-ins, and a light-weight French dressing. This spring salad recipe has all of those components and extra!

Contemporary berries add sweetness, blue cheese provides a salty distinction, and candied walnuts add a pleasant crunch (and extra sweetness!) to each chew. The champagne French dressing is the right completion.

A white bowl full of a fresh pot luck salad, wooden spoons to the side..

Strawberry Salad

We simply can’t get sufficient of strawberries within the spring, particularly after they’re added to salads. Whereas many strawberry salads are paired with a wealthy, creamy, overly candy poppy seed dressings, we maintain issues mild right here through the use of a poppy seed French dressing.

The acid within the dressing brings out the very best of the spring berries, permitting their taste to essentially pop.

Strawberry salad with poppyseed vinaigrette

Arugula Salad with Lemon French dressing

Child arugula leaves are peppery and just a bit bit bitter, which implies they’re flavorful sufficient to be the star of this salad. Lemon is a traditional pairing with arugula so we use it because the acid in our easy French dressing, then add freshly floor black pepper to amp up the pepper taste on this dish.

Thick shavings of Parmesan are pungent and salty, and their texture provides a pleasant distinction to the crisp greens.

Arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette

Summer time Salad Recipes

Pink White and Blue Salad

This pink, white, and blue salad is a colourful aspect dish good for summertime gatherings, picnics, and barbecues!

Toss all of it collectively for on a regular basis enchantment, or prepare the substances into an American flag for Memorial Day and 4th of July events. 

A red white and blue salad shaped into an American flag, on a white platter.

Peach Salad with Honey Dijon French dressing

Is there something higher than juicy, ripe summer season peaches? Your first thought may be to make use of them in one thing candy (or simply eat them as-is!), however they’re additionally a wonderful addition to salad!

This recipe combines the sweetness of contemporary peaches with the tanginess of a zippy honey Dijon dressing. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to grilled rooster or fish, making it an excellent dish for a summer season barbecue, however I additionally adore it for a simple lunch.

Summer Peach Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Insalata Mista

Insalata Mista is a traditional Italian dish that interprets to “combined salad” in English. Whereas there are a number of variations of this dish, my recipe is ideal for summer season, with peppery arugula leaves paired with juicy grape tomatoes.

I add pine nuts for crunch, shaved Parmesan cheese for some saltiness, and it’s all tied along with a candy and tangy do-it-yourself balsamic French dressing. 

A white plate with insalata mista and a gold fork.

Mexican Avenue Corn Salad

All of us love Mexican road corn, however let’s be trustworthy: it’s type of messy. This Mexican road corn salad has all of the deliciousness with out the mess, which implies it’s good for a celebration.

Whereas you need to use frozen corn to make it year-round, it’s an actual deal with when you can also make it with native candy corn in the summertime. You’ll love the daring, contrasting flavors, with sweetness from the corn, saltiness from the cheese, and creaminess of the dressing. 

A white bowl of esquites (Mexican street corn salad).

Fall Salad Recipes

Apple Salad

Crispy apples add some crunch to this fall-inspired salad! I really like pairing it with pork as a substitute of the usual applesauce, and it’s the type of salad that’s simple to toss collectively whereas your important dish cooks.

Along with the greens and contemporary apple slices, we add blue cheese for some pungent, salty taste, thinly sliced pink onions, and a tangy sherry French dressing to distinction with the candy apple.

Apple cider vinegar dressing in a glass pitcher next to a plate of fresh salad.

Roasted Beet Salad

Beets are a type of love-‘em-or-hate-‘em sorts of veggies, however I completely love their candy, earthy taste after they’re roasted within the oven. This salad couldn’t be extra good for fall—the golden beets remind me of the colour of leaves after they simply begin turning!

There are many contrasting textures right here, from crisp jicama to tender beets, chewy dried figs, crunchy walnuts, and wealthy, creamy goat cheese.

A white plate full of an easy beet salad recipe, topped with sliced jicama, dried figs, and roasted golden beets.

Cabbage Salad

Cabbage is harvested on the finish of fall, however this crispy-crunchy salad is one you’ll need to make all 12 months lengthy! As a substitute of pairing shredded cabbage with a creamy dressing, this recipe makes use of a peppy sweet-and-tangy French dressing, which will get a lift in taste from the addition of minced garlic.

Serve this cabbage salad as a aspect dish, or use it as a topping for tacos, burgers, sizzling canines, and extra.

Pear Salad

This pear salad is an ideal mix of crisp greens, juicy pears, candied walnuts, and tangy white wine French dressing. Gorgonzola provides a punchy chew to stability the sweetness of the pears and nuts, so don’t skip it! 

Even higher, pear salad is flexible; serve it as a aspect dish with pork or rooster or as a light-weight important course.

A white bowl full of pear salad, with arugula, walnuts and gorgonzola.

Traditional Salad Recipes

Seven Layer Salad

Seven layer salad is a traditional American recipe beloved for its contrasting flavors and textures, together with its lovely presentation. Because the identify implies, this salad has seven distinct layers of substances, every bringing a distinct style and texture to the desk.

This dish is commonly served at potlucks, picnics, and different informal gatherings, and it’s certain to be a crowd-pleaser at any occasion. Simply ensure you serve it in a glass bowl so everybody can see the layered impact!

Seven layer salad topped with bacon on a marble countertop

Italian Salad

On the lookout for the right aspect dish to serve with pasta or pizza? Look no additional than an Italian salad! Greatest recognized for its zesty pink wine French dressing, my Italian salad recipe contains artichokes, pimentos, and pink onions tossed with romaine lettuce and completed with grated Parmesan.

That is additionally a flexible salad, although, so you may add no matter veggies you occur to have available. Cucumbers and tomatoes are additionally nice right here!

italian salad

Creamy Potato Salad

A staple of deli counters all over the place, this creamy potato salad is a traditional aspect for pairing with sandwiches, sizzling canines, and burgers. (Are you able to actually have a cookout or potluck with no huge bowl of potato salad?!)

Customise this old style recipe to your private preferences and tastes; it’s an ideal dish for cooks who like to experiment with completely different flavors. 

homemade potato salad with eggs in a white casserole dish

Traditional Greek Salad

Greek salad usually incorporates tomatoes, cucumber, onions, and bell peppers, which implies it’s huge on freshness and crispy textures. The veggies are tossed in a easy French dressing, then feta and olives end it off for plenty of salty, briny taste.

This salad is commonly a aspect dish, however you can even get pleasure from it as a light-weight important dish, particularly in the course of the summer season when all of its substances are in season. 

Overhead view of Greek salad on platter with two wedges of feta set over the top

Pasta Salad Recipes

Spaghetti Salad

Spaghetti salad is a scrumptious dish that has gained recognition lately as a enjoyable spin on the normal pasta salad. As a substitute of macaroni, shells, or bow ties, use lengthy spaghetti noodles to make this zippy, veggie-packed salad.

The olives and salami give it the flavour of a traditional antipasto platter, whereas an assortment of greens convey a number of freshness and texture.

Spaghetti salad in a white bowl with wooden spoons for serving.

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Are you able to make a complete dinner out of pasta salad? You’ll be able to when it’s made with tortellini! Not solely is cheese tortellini scrumptious, it’s additionally additional satisfying.

I additionally love how the form of tortellini holds onto the pink wine French dressing and oregano, guaranteeing that each single chew is totally bursting with taste.

A white serving bowl full of tortellini pasta salad, gold serving spoon on the side.

Italian Pasta Salad

Some pasta salads are heavy, with creamy dressings and even sugar added to the combination. This Italian pasta salad is the precise reverse, with a light-weight pink wine French dressing and simply sufficient grated Parmesan so as to add taste with out weighing issues down.

The important thing to an ideal Italian Pasta Salad is utilizing high-quality substances like completely cooked al dente pasta that retains its form and texture, and incorporating quite a lot of colours, flavors, and textures together with your add-ins.

I take advantage of artichoke hearts, pink onion, and pimentos, however be at liberty to make it your personal!

Veggie Pasta Salad

We love this veggie pasta salad as a aspect with grilled rooster or a do-it-yourself panini. The lemon juice within the French dressing offers it an surprising twist, as does the addition of pink pepper flakes—simply sufficient warmth to make issues attention-grabbing!

Because the identify suggests, there are many contemporary greens within the combine right here, however relatively than protecting them uncooked, they’re given a fast sauté, making them completely tender and concentrating their taste.

A white bowl full of veggie pasta salad.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Additionally recognized by their Italian identify, farfalle, bow tie pasta is a wonderful base for pasta salad due to its form and measurement.

I really like this dish with contemporary basil leaves and cherry tomatoes, which pair fantastically with a flavorful French dressing and salty feta, however you can also make it caprese-style by swapping in a balsamic French dressing and contemporary mozzarella.

pretty bowtie pasta salad with pasta salad dressing

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A graphic image featuring four different green salad recipes. Title in the center reads

22 Straightforward Salad Recipes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook dinner Time 0 minutes

Whole Time 10 minutes

Whether or not you serve them as a aspect or as a light-weight important dish, these simple salad recipes are assured winners! They’re healthful, scrumptious, and pair with a variety of flavors and cuisines.

Stop your display from going darkish

Directions

  • Prep – Collect substances and chop in response to instructions.

  • Combine – Gently combine all salad substances instantly earlier than serving.

  • Serve – Garnish as directed and luxuriate in!

Ideas

  • Salads are fabulous for making forward of time, however all the time retailer the salad and the dressing in separate containers within the fridge, then mix them simply earlier than serving.
  • You can also make (nearly) any salad a meal by including a easy protein like rooster, shrimp or salmon.
  • Be happy to make any of those salad recipes your personal. Swap in your favourite dressing, use the substances you’ve gotten available, and put your personal spin on them!

Diet Info

Energy: 329kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 38g (13%), Protein: 12g (24%), Fats: 15g (23%), Saturated Fats: 3g (15%), Polyunsaturated Fats: 4g, Monounsaturated Fats: 2g, Trans Fats: 0.03g, Ldl cholesterol: 29mg (10%), Sodium: 717mg (30%), Potassium: 33mg (1%), Fiber: 3g (12%), Sugar: 6g (7%), Vitamin A: 14IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 112mg (11%), Iron: 2mg (11%)









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