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Get ready to enjoy summer with these 40 easy and delicious salad recipes. They’re perfect for those warm days when you want something light and refreshing.
In this roundup, you will find a salad for everyone, from vegan options packed with plant-based goodness to protein-rich varieties that will satisfy even the heartiest appetites. And if you have a sweet tooth, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with a selection of refreshing fruit salads that are perfect for dessert or a light snack.
I’m a big fan of salads because they’re incredibly easy to whip up, requiring minimal time in the kitchen and absolutely no need for the oven. With just a few simple ingredients and a tasty dressing, you can have a satisfying and nutritious meal ready in no time.
What Are The Main Ingredients In Salads?
Salads are incredibly versatile, so the main ingredients can vary widely depending on the type of salad being prepared. However, some common main ingredients in salads include:
- Greens: Lettuce (such as iceberg, romaine, arugula, spinach), kale, mixed salad greens.
- Vegetables: Tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, onions, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, avocados, etc.
- Protein: Grilled chicken, shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, tofu, chickpeas, beans (such as black beans, kidney beans), quinoa, tuna, salmon, turkey, bacon bits, etc.
- Fruits: Strawberries, blueberries, apples, oranges, grapes, mangoes, pears, etc. (commonly found in fruit salads or mixed into green salads).
- Cheese: Feta, goat cheese, blue cheese, cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella, etc.
- Nuts and Seeds: Walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, etc.
- Dressings: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey mustard, ranch, Caesar, Italian, vinaigrettes (various flavors).
How Can I Make My Salad More Filling?
To make your salad more filling, try adding protein-rich ingredients like grilled chicken, chickpeas, or quinoa. You can also include healthy fats such as avocado or nuts, which can help keep you satisfied for longer.
Can I Meal Prep Salads In Advance?
Yes, absolutely! Many salads can be prepped in advance and stored in the refrigerator for several days. Just be sure to keep wet ingredients separate from dry ingredients and add the dressing right before serving to prevent wilting.
What Are The Best Salad Dressings?
The best salad dressings depend on personal taste preferences and dietary considerations. However, here are some of our favorite salad dressings:
- Balsamic Vinaigrette: A classic choice, balsamic vinaigrette is made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and seasonings. It offers a perfect balance of tanginess and sweetness.
- Italian Dressing: Italian dressing typically consists of olive oil, vinegar (such as red wine vinegar), garlic, herbs (like oregano and basil), and sometimes Parmesan cheese. It’s flavorful and versatile, great for a variety of salads.
- Ranch Dressing: Creamy and indulgent, ranch dressing is made with buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, herbs (like dill and parsley), garlic, and onion powder. It’s a favorite for salads and dipping veggies.
- Honey Mustard Dressing: Sweet and tangy, honey mustard dressing is a combination of honey, Dijon mustard, vinegar (such as apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar), and sometimes mayonnaise or Greek yogurt. It pairs well with both green salads and chicken salads.
- Caesar Dressing: Creamy and rich, Caesar dressing is made with ingredients like anchovies, garlic, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and olive oil. It’s a staple for Caesar salads and can also be used on other greens.
- Tahini Dressing: Nutty and savory, tahini dressing is made from tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, garlic, water, and sometimes additional flavorings like soy sauce or maple syrup. It’s popular on Mediterranean-style salads or drizzled over roasted vegetables.
- Ginger Sesame Dressing: This Asian-inspired dressing combines ingredients like sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and honey. It’s perfect for adding a burst of flavor to salads with Asian-inspired ingredients like cabbage, carrots, and edamame.
Tik Tok Green Goddess Salad
Learn how to make the best Tik Tok Green Goddess Salad with our easy and delicious recipe. Made from easy-to-find and fresh ingredients, this salad recipe is both visually stunning and bursting with so many delicious flavors.
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Asparagus Avocado Salad
If you're looking for a refreshing and nutrient-packed keto vegetarian recipe, this asparagus avocado salad with cucumber is a great choice! This salad is packed with healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins, and is perfect for a light lunch or dinner. Plus, it's quick and easy to make, so you can enjoy a healthy meal in no time.
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Grilled Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
A delicious and summery Grilled Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette! Topped with peaches, shallots and toasted hazelnuts, you will fall head over heels for this fun new recipe to get in your veggies!
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Grinder Salad Recipe
This Italian Grinder Salad is inspired by the viral TikTok grinder sandwich. It transforms all the bold flavors of an Italian sub into a delicious low-carb salad. Packed with crunchy lettuce, savory deli meats, provolone, and a creamy, tangy dressing, it's a fresh, colorful side dish that's simply irresistible.
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Avocado Strawberry Caprese Salad
Avocado Strawberry Caprese Salad – The Addition Of Avocado And Strawberries Make This Simple Caprese Salad Extra Special! It Is A Great Salad For Spring!
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Easy Italian Caprese Salad
This Caprese Salad or the Insalata Caprese is a classic Italian dish that is loaded with juicy, perfectly ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fragrant basil. It’s topped with olive oil and a delicious balsamic glaze. The balsamic glaze brings together all the favors for an incredible Italian inspired meal, appetizer or snack. It is super easy to whip up, vibrant, yet incredibly tasty and naturally low carb.
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Easy Burrata Caprese Salad
Experience pure Mediterranean delight with this Easy Burrata Caprese Salad featuring creamy fresh burrata, succulent cherry tomatoes, and aromatic basil pesto.
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Halloumi Salad
This vibrant Halloumi Salad is a delightful blend of halloumi cheese, crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado, all tossed together in a zesty dressing. Indulge in the refreshing flavors of this Mediterranean-inspired dish for a true taste of summer.
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Easy Spinach Strawberry Salad
This strawberry spinach salad recipe is a crowd-pleaser and makes a great side dish or delicious lunch. A simple poppy seed dressing pairs perfectly with fresh baby spinach, juicy strawberries, roasted pecans, and feta cheese. Make this easy spinach and strawberry salad in less than 15 minutes.
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Colorful Strawberry Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
This large strawberry salad is colorful and delicious! It’s made with arugula, strawberries, goat cheese, sunflower seeds and balsamic vinaigrette. Recipe yields 4 large or 8 side salads.
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Delicious Watermelon Salad
This delicious Watermelon Salad is a must-try for its irresistible sweet and savory combination of juicy watermelon and salty feta cheese. Learn how to make the best watermelon salad with feta and cucumber that's super refreshing, thanks to the mint and lime dressing.
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Melon Salad with Chile and Lime
Are you looking for something a little different to serve with your burgers at your next cookout? My melon salad is a Mexican inspired fruit salad with an attitude. This unique salsa-style salad adds a colorful fresh crunch to everything you’re serving. If you’re not a fan of spice you can leave it out, but why would you? Sweet juicy melon paired with the mild warmth of chiles are a favorite in a country that knows how to eat to beat the heat.
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Pico De Gallo
Pico De Gallo is a Mexican classic tomato dip also named "Salsa Fresca" in Spanish or "fresh salsa". It's the freshest dip ready in less than 10 minutes and needs just 6 ingredients.
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Greek Salad
Refreshing, tasty, healthy, and made from cheap ingredients, this Greek salad is the perfect choice for those moments when you want to eat something good and quick to make.
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Cucumber Tomato Salad
This cucumber tomato salad is refreshingly simple and delicious! Fresh veggies dressed lightly, ideal as a side for any grilled meal.
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Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
Every year when I bite into the first summer tomato, I wonder what on earth it is I’ve been eating the whole rest of the year. It’s a feeling I can compare to slicing into a perfectly ripe avocado: the delicious sensation of striking ingredient gold. Here to celebrate them both, I have a light and refreshing Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad.
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BLT Salad Recipe
This BLT Salad recipe basically a deconstructed sandwich made with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon pieces, and croutons, tossed together with a creamy dressing. It's creates a refreshing, delicious, and healthy dish.
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BBQ Chicken Salad
Fresh and flavorful BBQ chicken salad is always a crowd pleaser! It’s topped with juicy chicken, creamy ranch and tangy BBQ sauce.
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Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Learn how to make the best Broccoli Cauliflower Salad that's both vibrant and nutritious. This quick and easy salad recipe offers a colorful blend of fresh ingredients, creating a perfect balance of flavors. With the crunch of broccoli and cauliflower and a luscious creamy dressing, it's sure to be a hit at any BBQ.
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Keto Broccoli Salad
This Keto Broccoli Salad is a delicious, simple, and low carb dish that you can throw together in no time! Make your own keto salad dressing for a delicious and easy keto side dish.
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Antipasto Salad
Learn how to make the most FLAVORFUL antipasto salad recipe you have ever tried. Ready in only 10 minutes, this salad is easy to make and customizable, and it can be made ahead of time for those busy days.
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Salmon Cobb Salad {Whole30, Keto}
This salmon cobb salad is packed with veggies and protein with flavorful, tender salmon plus all the usual cobb salad goodies and a simple lemon garlic vinaigrette. It’s paleo, Whole30 and keto friendly.
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Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Arugula Salad
When it comes to an arugula salad recipe, this combination of smoked salmon, avocado and arugula is one of my favorites. It’s light yet filling and simple yet impressive.
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Shrimp Avocado Salad
If you’re looking for a high protein, high fat type of salad that’s still loaded with lots of nutrition, I think you’re going to love this Shrimp Avocado Salad. I usually make this in the summer because it has really light and fresh flavors that’s perfect for a picnic or barbecue. But it works any time of the year, especially for those looking for keto or low-carb recipes.
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HHomemade Keto Caesar Salad
Here’s how you can make a classic Caesar salad at home, with keto-friendly ingredients. We add plenty of Parmesan cheese and dressing but skip the croutons in favor of crispy bacon. If you’ve already got leftover chicken on hand, then you could make this for lunch in no time at all.
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Roasted Pepper Salad with Feta, Pine Nuts & Basil
Take your summer gatherings to the next level with this colorful, make-ahead roasted red pepper salad—perfect alongside your favorite grilled dishes.
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Keto Goat Cheese Salad with Caramelized Walnuts
Salads make easy all-year-round lunches, but they are at their best during summertime. This flavorful, yet simple and easy-to-make salad tastes especially good when prepared from high-quality, fresh ingredients. The fewer ingredients you use, the better their quality should be!
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Greek Raw Zucchini Salad
This Greek raw zucchini salad is the perfect substitute for a pasta salad when you are on low carb or keto diet. Full of all those delicious fresh flavors of creamy feta cheese, kalamata olives, tomatoes and a tasty Greek vinaigrette. This is a healthy and tasty low carb side salad and takes just 10 minutes to make!
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Keto Brussels Sprouts Salad
Combining pungent shaved parmesan cheese with spiced almonds and seeds with a zesty olive oil dressing, this is an easy keto-friendly Brussels Sprouts Salad with loads of delicious texture.
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The Best Creamy Cucumber Salad
This German creamy cucumber salad is easy, refreshing, and crunchy. It’s a summertime staple in our kitchen that’s perfect for a potluck, BBQ and it’s ready within minutes.
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Creamy Homemade Coleslaw Salad Recipe
This Homemade Coleslaw is exceptionally creamy, fresh, and crispy. It’s a breeze to make, a family favorite and goes well with almost any main dish.
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Easy and Healthy Low Carb Tuna Salad Recipe (a Keto Classic)
This is a perfect recipe for anyone watching their carbs or just looking for an easy salad packed with protein. This tuna salad recipe is also gluten-free and dairy-free. Plus, it’s also perfectly aligned with the Trim Healthy Mama eating framework.
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Best Easy and Healthy Tuna Salad
This Tuna Salad Recipe is my go-to meal on warm summer days. Made with wholesome ingredients like flaky tuna, Greek yogurt, celery, and red onion, it's both delicious and nutritious.Enjoy it in sandwiches, on a bed of greens, wrapped in lettuce, or fill avocado boats for a satisfying work lunch or easy weeknight meal.
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Easy Wedge Salad Recipe
This wedge salad recipe si super crunchy, refreshing, and topped with a rich blue cheese dressing, bacon crumbles, and cherry tomatoes. It’s an easy salad recipe perfect for a quick meal or appetizer.
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Keto Italian Chopped Salad Recipe
Salads are my fave! This amazing keto salad recipe with my homemade Italian dressing will fill you up for hours! This low carb salad is loaded down with all the good stuff…chopped salami, pepperoncini's, grape tomatoes, black olives and yummy provolone cheese.
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Green Bean Tomato Feta Salad
Making this green bean tomato feta salad is easy. Eating it is easier! Green beans and tomatoes are tossed in a lemon and mustard dressing with creamy Feta cheese.
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Easy Taco Salad Recipe
This taco salad it's super easy to make in just 20 minutes from scratch with wholesome ingredients. It's a healthy salad recipe with ground beef, fresh lettuce, avocado, and cheddar cheese. Loaded with flavor, you have to try this taco salad recipe that's delicious, creamy, and perfectly spiced.
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Big Mac Salad – Keto Cheeseburger Salad Recipe
This Big Mac salad is loaded with hearty ground beef, fresh lettuce, tomato, and an incredible big mac sauce that tastes just like the original. In under 20 minutes, make the best gluten-free keto cheeseburger salad that’s nutritious and crazy delicious!
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Pita Panzanella Salad with Meatballs
This Mediterranean-inspired salad combines the flavors of Greece with the format of a traditional Tuscan bread salad for a refreshing, yet hearty meal.
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Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing
This impressive Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing is made with a colorful mix of crisp veggies and a creamy dressing that creates an incredible combination of flavors and textures.
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Low Carb Fruit Salad
Looking for a low carb fruit salad that is still absolutely delicious? Loaded with watermelon, berries, starfruit, this low carb fruit salad will keep carbs in check but without sacrificing flavor!
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Easy Fruit Salad
This Easy Fruit Salad with Cool Whip is the perfect side for a picnic, party, or just a busy weeknight supper. Add any fruit you have on hand for a deliciously refreshing dish!
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