Craving a light and refreshing salad but bored of the same mixed greens salad? Well, if you are looking for some major salad inspiration, the you have come to the right place. We are sharing this collection of our 40 best and most popular salad recipes so that you don't have to look any further when wondering "how to make the best salad". You will find everything from classic summer salads, salads with fruit, Mexican salads, Asian-style salads (hello cold noodles!), fall and winter salads, and more! Plus, make any of these salads a complete meal by adding in some protein (if it doesn't already have it), so that you can whip up a big plate of salad for dinner in under 10 minutes.
Classic Summer Salads
The perfect Greek salad with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, green peppers, romaine lettuce, olives and feta cheese tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.
Italian pasta salad is delicious, wholesome, and easy to make. Make it up to three days ahead for your summer picnics and cookouts. You can't get more classic than Italian Salad on Memorial Day!
Simple tomato cucumber avocado salad with a delicious lemon vinaigrette is a light and refreshing salad that comes together in literally 5 minutes.
Chicken Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing
Chicken garden salad with ranch dressing is fresh, healthy, hearty, and colorful. It's a filling and wholesome lunch or dinner that is versatile too.
Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
Quick and easy Mediterranean orzo pasta salad packed with fresh vegetables and herbs is tossed in a Greek lemon vinaigrette. Healthy, light and delicious.
Take fresh-off-the-grill corn on the cob and turn it into a light, flavourful summer corn salad, topped with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and cheese.
Mediterranean Chickpea Wedge Salad
Mediterranean chickpea wedge salad combines chickpeas, crunchy vegetable toppings, and hummus dressing for a delicious deconstructed falafel flavour.
Fresh, crisp, classic coleslaw salad is a must-have recipe for a summer barbecue or picnic, or as an easy make-ahead lunch. Make it in less than 10 minutes.
Classic Caesar Salad is fresh, crisp, delicious, and flavorful. With three simple ingredients tossed in a creamy Caesar dressing, it's ready in minutes.
Mediterranean Buckwheat Salad is quick, easy, and delicious. Loaded with superfood buckwheat, this salad is healthy, naturally gluten-free, and vegetarian.
Grilled shrimp salad is a quick and easy, healthy summer meal that is loaded with fresh, flavorful ingredients, all tossed in an easy homemade dressing.
Tomato and Mozzarella Caprese Salad
Quick and easy tomato and mozzarella caprese salad is a fresh, light, and delicious summer salad, made with just a few simple ingredients in 10 minutes.
Take a bite into this refreshing, gluten-free quinoa and spinach salad bursting with colourful tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins.
Chickpea Greek salad is a fresh, healthy, vibrant, and colorful salad, packed with traditional Mediterranean ingredients, superfoods, and nutrients.
Classic macaroni salad is a creamy and delicious pasta salad that is easy to throw together. It's the perfect side to bring to a summer potluck or BBQ.
This creamy cucumber salad is the easy, refreshing snack and side dish your summer cookouts have been missing. Make it ahead with just 5 minutes prep. Another one of the classic Memorial Day recipes.
Quick easy homemade garden salad is simple and delicious. Ready in minutes, it's loaded with crisp leafy greens, fresh garden veggies, and crunchy croutons.
Mediterranean White Bean Salad is loaded with cannellini beans, veggies, feta, and fresh herbs, tossed in a homemade Greek dressing. Perfect for meal prep!
Lemon kale salad is a simple, flavorful, and healthy meal that’s thrown together in just minutes with fresh ingredients. The perfect quick lunch or dinner.
Greek chicken salad is fresh, healthy, and delicious, packed with classic Mediterranean flavors. Perfect as a light lunch or dinner, or for meal prep.
Easy homemade potato salad is loaded with baby potatoes, eggs, and green onions and tossed in a mayo sauce and is a go-to for summer barbecues and picnics.
Greek Pasta Salad is quick and easy, loaded with Mediterranean flavors, and delicious. Serve it at a summer cookout or potluck, or meal prep weekly lunches.
Southwest Salad is a delicious and hearty salad that is loaded with classic southwestern flavors with a Tex-Mex twist, tossed in a homemade salad dressing.
Kale Caesar Salad is a delicious, healthy twist on classic Caesar salad with all the traditional flavors but added crunch and rich earthiness of fresh kale.
Bright and colorful caprese pasta salad is the ultimate summer side dish. It's fresh, light, and loaded with vibrant summer flavors. Quick and easy too!
Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad
Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad loaded with veggies and tossed in a Greek dressing is filling, healthy, nutritious, gluten-free, and easy to make.
Creamy broccoli slaw salad is healthy, delicious, and flavourful. It's packed with crunchy vegetables, salty feta, sweet raisins, and a creamy dressing.
Persian Shirazi Salad with Cucumber and Tomato
Healthy, light and refreshing Persian Shirazi salad with cucumber and tomato is a simple salad packed with herbs and tossed in an olive oil and lime dressing.
Salad with Fruit
Loaded with fresh ingredients, strawberry avocado salad with poppy seed dressing is the ultimate summer salad -- light, vibrant, fresh, sweet, and tangy.
Watermelon feta salad with cucumbers and mint is a simple and delicious refreshing summer salad that you can toss together in 5 minutes.
Peach arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette is an easy delicious summer salad made with a handful of simple ingredients that packs on lots of flavor.
This Summer Citrus Salad is delicious, tangy, and colorful. It’s loaded with fresh fruit including oranges and grapefruit tossed in a citrus dressing.
Thai mango salad is a refreshing and healthy dish that makes a great summer lunch or side dish. Easy to throw together in 10 minutes.
This Summer Fruit Salad is colorful, delicious, and naturally sweet (no processed sugar!). It's easy to make with fresh fruit tossed in a homemade dressing.
Mexican Salads
Shrimp taco salad with cilantro lime dressing is flavourful, delicious, and easy to make. It has all the fixings and of shrimp tacos, but without the mess.
Beef taco salad is a simple, filling, and delicious meal loaded with your favorite taco fillings, and a creamy lime dressing. Make it in 20 minutes.
This Mexican Caesar Salad is loaded with Mexican ingredients. It's fresh, light, delicious, flavorful — and might even taste better than the original!
Mexican street corn salad adds a twist to a classic street food, loaded with freshly grilled corn, a creamy cheesy dressing, and authentic flavor.
Cilantro lime slaw is fresh, light, crunchy, and zesty. Ready in 5 minutes, it’s the perfect pairing for tacos, burgers, sandwiches, and barbecued meats. =
Mexican Chicken Caesar Salad is a delicious, flavorful twist on a classic Caesar salad with Mexican flavors and ingredients tossed in Caesar dressing.
Asian-Style Salads
There’s nothing better on a hot day than a cold and refreshing vegan soba noodle salad, tossed with fresh vegetables and a delicious saucy dressing.
Asian chopped salad is a delicious and colorful salad, loaded with refreshing crisp vegetables, plant-based protein, and a homemade creamy sesame dressing.
Kani Salad is loaded with thin strips of crab, julienned vegetables, and a creamy mayo dressing (which can be made spicy for a Spicy Kani Salad).
Nothing screams summer more than a crispy, crunchy, Asian cold noodle salad infused with a refreshing peanut, cilantro and lime dressing.
Light, refreshing and crisp Chinese garlic cucumber salad is a quick and easy, simple salad tossed in an Asian dressing and packed with a ton of flavour.
Vietnamese chicken salad (known as goi ga) made with shredded chicken and nuoc cham dressing is a fresh, tangy salad full of flavor, color, and texture.
Spring Salads
Chopped asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette is the easiest and best spring salad ever - colourful, vibrant, flavourful, light, and crunchy.
Spring Pesto Pasta Salad with Asparagus
Spring pesto pasta with asparagus and chives is light and made with simple ingredients in under 20 minutes. Serve it hot for dinner or cold as pasta salad.
Fall and Winter Salads
Fall Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash and Apple
Fall harvest salad with roasted butternut squash and apple is the only salad recipe you need this fall or winter. It's healthy, wholesome, and nourishing.
Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Throw together crisp apples, crunchy walnuts, and sweet cranberries for a taste of the holidays in this fall apple walnut salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Winter Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette and Spiced Pecans
Cozy winter kale salad with apple cider vinaigrette is easy to make with crispy apples, tangy goat cheese and crunchy spiced pecans in under 10 minutes.
Arugula Salad with Apple and Pecan
Arugula salad with apple and pecan is a quick and easy fall salad made with fresh seasonal ingredients in just minutes. Perfect for a holiday dinner table.
Butternut squash salad is a light meal that's loaded with fall flavors — roasted butternut squash, baby kale, walnuts, dried cranberries, and feta.
This fresh and festive Christmas Salad is made with delicious winter fruits and has a gorgeous wreath-like appearance. It’s earthy, sweet, nutty, and tangy.
Arugula and Roasted Carrot Salad
Arugula and roasted carrot salad is one of the best spring salads, packed with a delicious combination of sweet and sour flavours, plus easy to make.
This Sweet Kale Salad is loaded with hearty greens, veggies, and homemade poppy seed dressing — inspired by the Taylor Farms salad kit from Costco.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad is a delicious fall salad packed with fresh sprouts, apples, cranberries, and crunchy seeds, tossed in a homemade vinaigrette.
This Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad is easy to make, ready in under an hour, delicious, and loaded with health benefits. It's the perfect fall salad.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad
Roasted brussels sprouts salad with creamy potatoes, crispy string beans, tender brussels sprouts, is tossed in a delicious homemade dijon vinaigrette.
This simple and healthy Thanksgiving Salad is loaded with greens, seasonal veggies, pomegranate seeds, and pecans, all tossed in a homemade vinaigrette.
Goat Cheese and Tangelo Winter Salad
Healthy and light, goat cheese and tangelo winter salad with creamy caesar dressing is flavourful, crunchy and takes just minutes to prepare.
Warm Lentil Salad with Butternut Squash
This warm lentil salad with butternut squash and shiitake mushrooms is the most comforting salad. Add it to your holiday dinner this fall.
Mandarin orange salad is fresh, vibrant, tangy, and sweet, bursting with flavour, and topped with a delicious orange salad dressing.
Best Salad Dressing Recipes
Homemade Italian dressing is easy to make, delicious, and tastes way better than store-bought salad dressing. Make it in a matter of just minutes.
Homemade Greek salad dressing is light, fresh, and flavorful. Quick and easy, and so much better, tastier, and healthier than store-bought.
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing is rich, creamy, and flavorful. It's a quick simple dressing made in minutes with a classic salty, earthy, and umami taste.
Homemade poppy seed dressing is sweet, savory, and fresh. It's a quick and easy olive oil and balsamic salad dressing that is loaded with poppy seeds.
Nothing beats homemade creamy cilantro lime dressing. It's fresh, vibrant, easy to make in 5 minutes, and tastes better than store-bought salad dressing. Serve it over salads, tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, grilled vegetables and meat.
Homemade Southwest Salad Dressing is creamy and flavorful with a little spicy kick. This quick and easy yogurt-based dressing is ready in just minutes.
Quick and easy creamy sesame dressing will elevate your favorite meals. It's delicious, savory, and nutty. Perfect for salads, as a marinade, or sauce.
Tips for Storing Salad
- Make ahead instructions: Almost all of these salads can be made ahead of time. My biggest suggestion is to store the ingredients separately from the dressing, and toss when ready to serve. To prep ahead of time, you can chop up all the ingredients and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- How to store: If you do have leftovers, most salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Refer to the specific recipe post for complete storing instructions.
- How to customize. Most salad recipes are versatile and completely customizable. You can add in different vegetables or add in extra protein such as grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, salmon, or tofu.
Did You Make Any of These Salad Recipes?
Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of easy salad recipes at home. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
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40 Best Salad Recipes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
Browse over 40 best most popular salad recipes including classic summer salads, salad with fruit, Mexican salads, Asian salads, and fall and winter salads.
Ingredients
Refer to each post for required ingredients.
Instructions
- Make ahead instructions: Almost all of these salads can be made ahead of time. My biggest suggestion is to store the ingredients separately from the dressing, and toss when ready to serve. To prep ahead of time, you can chop up all the ingredients and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- How to store: If you do have leftovers, most salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Refer to the specific recipe post for complete storing instructions.
- How to customize. Most salad recipes are versatile and completely customizable. You can add in different vegetables or add in extra protein such as grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, salmon, or tofu.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 120
Keywords: 40 best salad recipes, best salad recipes, salad recipes, how to make salads, salad inspiration, summer salads, fall salads, winter salads
Jennifer Roach says
I work on a ship and was just thrown into the 'cold side' in the galley, and everyone is sick of the make-you-own salad bar of chopped lettuce, carrot sticks and bell pepper strips. YOU ARE A LIFESAVER!! I am actually looking forward to work now instead of dreading it. THANK YOU for all of the brilliant ideas!!
★★★★★
kevin says
Love the salad recipes! You should try Merci Mon Ami Dressing for any of these. Amazing, tasty, healthy, and a wonderful company!
★★★★★
Lisalia says
I love when you've posted recipe collections in the past. It's been fun to work my way through many of them and let my family try some new favorites! I'm looking forward to using this collection of 40 salads to carry us through the rest of the summer heat! Thanks Sam!
★★★★★
Hanna says
Thank you for compiling so many great recipes in one place. I have been bored with my go-to salads and now I can't wait to try some new ones! The Mediterranean one looks amazing!
★★★★★