Our 30 Best Salad Recipes

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Updated on June 1, 2024

Chopped Power Salad with Chicken — Photo: Jason Donnelly

These highly rated salad recipes are the best for a reason: They make your favorite fruits and veggies an even more delicious experience! Whether you're looking for a side salad to pair with dinner or a filling salad to pack for lunch, these tasty and healthy options are sure to satisfy. Recipes like our Loaded Broccoli Salad and Chopped Power Salad with Chicken are nutritious dishes you'll want to make over and over.

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Loaded Broccoli Salad

Loaded Broccoli Salad — Photographer / Brie Passano, Food Stylist / Annie Probst, Prop Stylist / Holly Raibikis

This is the broccoli salad you will get special requests for. The combination of bacon, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions and Cheddar is hard to resist. And the addition of rice vinegar or cider vinegar sharpens all the flavors.

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Cucumber Vinegar Salad

Cucumber Vinegar Salad — Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Ruth Blackburn

This cucumber vinegar salad has the perfect balance between sweet and sour flavors, plus a hint of fresh dill. The red onion adds a nice crunch. Enjoy this salad right after you're done making it, or store it away to snack on for later.

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Simple Cabbage Salad

Simple Cabbage Salad — Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless

Cabbage maintains a nice crunch when it's tossed with an easy dressing in this simple cabbage salad recipe. This easy salad is perfect for fall when cabbage is at its sweetest.

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White Bean & Veggie Salad

White Bean & Veggie Salad

This meatless main dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.

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Chopped Power Salad with Chicken

Chopped Power Salad with Chicken — Jason Donnelly

Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor.

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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

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No-Cook Black Bean Salad

No-Cook Black Bean Salad

A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.

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Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta

Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta — Kelsey Hansen

This quick and easy chopped salad is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean, including chickpeas, cucumber and feta. A garlicky oil and vinegar dressing brings everything together.

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Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing

We've replaced chicken with shrimp in this delicious and easy spin on the classic Cobb salad. This satisfying salad takes just 20 minutes to make, so it's perfect for weeknight dinners, but it's elegant enough to serve to guests.

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Sesame Kohlrabi & Chicken Salad

Sesame Kohlrabi & Chicken Salad — Charlotte & Johnny Autry

Kohlrabi (a bulbous vegetable related to broccoli and Brussels sprouts but with a milder, sweet flavor) and almonds add crunch to this crowd-pleasing salad. Baked tofu or shrimp can be used instead of the chicken.

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Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

This version of sunomono uses more readily available English or slicing cucumbers, but if you live near an Asian market, you could substitute Japanese cucumbers. Some recipes call for salting the cucumbers first, but we found that squeezing them in paper towels removed enough excess moisture without adding additional sodium. This Japanese-inspired salad is cool, crisp and simply delicious.

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Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.

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Radish, Celery & Cucumber Salad

Shaved Radish, Celery & Cucumber Salad — Eva Kolenko

It's worth using that special bottle of olive oil and seeking out Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is bolder than basic Parm, for this simple salad. Use a mandoline to shave the veggies if you have one.

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Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad

One of our most popular salad recipes, Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts (see Associated Recipes), gets a makeover in these simple yet totally satisfying meal-prep spinach salad bowls. They require minimal prep and can be customized to your taste. Swap in roasted salmon for the chicken thighs, and almonds or pecans for the walnuts, and use any fresh berry that looks good at your market.

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Quinoa-Black Bean Salad

Enjoy this quinoa and black bean salad as a delicious and quick vegetarian main dish or as a side for grilled chicken or steak. And don't forget the leftovers! They make an easy lunch on the go.

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Apple, Fig & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.

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Cucumber Pasta Salad

This light and tangy cucumber pasta salad is fresh and bright. The orecchiette pasta holds the dressing for flavor in every bite, but you can use another small pasta shape if you like. This easy salad is perfect for a warm day or to serve as a lunch dish for company! For a fruitier flavor, try apple cider vinegar in place of white distilled vinegar.

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Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens

Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.

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Grilled Chicken Taco Salad

Peppery arugula, grilled corn and a tangy lime vinaigrette give this healthy taco salad recipe a serious upgrade. This recipe is the perfect vehicle for using the crushed-up tortilla chips at the bottom of the bag.

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Watermelon & Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Watermelon & Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette — Jason Donnelly

In this watermelon and goat cheese salad, the contrasting flavors and textures of crisp, sweet melon and creamy, tangy goat cheese are magical partners. Top with sliced grilled chicken to make it a meal.

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Kale Salad with Balsamic & Parmesan

a bowl of kale topped with Parmesan cheese — Jason Donnelly

In this healthy kale salad recipe, you massage the dressing into the kale, tenderizing the leaves and infusing the salad with a sweet balsamic flavor. Creamy pine nuts and salty Parmesan cheese added at the end balance the flavors. Enjoy this salad on its own as a side dish or add cooked chicken, shrimp or steak to make it a full meal.

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Shrimp & Avocado Salad

Shrimp & Avocado Salad — Jennifer Causey

Peppery fresh radishes complement sweet shrimp and creamy avocado in this quick salad. Enjoy this healthy salad as a quick light dinner or for lunch.

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Avocado Caprese Salad

Avocado Caprese Salad — Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely

This avocado caprese salad has all the flavors of a classic caprese salad with the addition of creamy avocado. The sweet and tangy balsamic dressing pulls everything together, with fresh basil adding a refreshing pop of color. Add capers for an even bigger flavor.

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Grilled Corn Salad with Chili-Miso Dressing

Grilled Corn Salad with Chili-Miso Dressing

Serve this Asian salad with grilled steak, chicken or firm white fish like halibut. You can also double the recipe and bring it to your next potluck. If you can find tatsoi, a peppery Asian leafy green, use it instead of mild-mannered spinach. Store-bought Thai sweet chili sauce and umami-packed white miso build fast flavor in this easy summer salad.

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Roasted Brussels Sprout & Butternut Squash Salad

Roasted Brussels Sprout & Butternut Squash Salad

Serve this hearty and healthy fall salad with roasted pork tenderloin, chicken or salmon, or with your Thanksgiving meal. All of the vegetables are roasted on the same pan, so this recipe is easy to prep, and it tastes great warm or at room temperature so it's perfect for holiday buffet tables and potlucks. Cranberries add a sweet-tart edge, while the maple-tahini dressing provides depth.

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Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad

This cold pesto pasta salad will cool you off on a summer day. Fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers add a pop of bright color and juiciness here, but any of your favorite pasta-salad veggies, like blanched broccoli and fresh bell peppers, would be delicious too.

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Roasted Cranberry, Squash & Cauliflower Salad

Serve this healthy salad as a main course or as a starter for a special meal. To speed up prep, look for precut butternut squash in the refrigerated area of the produce section at your grocery store.

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Charred Corn & Pepper Salsa

The roasted pepper and corn salsa that tops this gorgeous tomato salad has a kick from the tart sherry vinegar and moderately spicy and fruity Aleppo pepper. Red-wine vinegar and ground ancho chile are good alternatives. Grill some chicken, fish or other protein along with the corn for an easy summer dinner.

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Quinoa Avocado Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Persimmons add sweetness to this tossed green salad that sports a healthy salad dressing. A sprinkling of crispy fried quinoa adds unexpected crunch, putting the salad over the top in the best way.

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Tortellini Salad

A tomato-rich dressing boosts the flavor and lowers the calories and fat in this tortellini salad (the dressing is also great on green salads or grilled fish). Roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes add a good dose of vitamins A, C and fiber.

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