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Salads are mouthwatering, fresh, and deliver the most amazing flavors! It doesn’t matter if they are made from pasta, or lettuce, or fruit because no matter what, they are unique and delicious!
Refreshing and tasty, I love how salads add an extra element to a meal. There are so many options and they are all amazingly delicious! This is the ultimate guide to help you find the best salad for what you are looking for! They are fantastic because you can load up on the seasonal fruits and veggies without having to sit behind a hot stove cooking. Which is especially tempting during those hot summer months! But…gone are the days that you just have them in the summer. Here, you will find a bunch of them that I love to include in my holiday meals and potlucks! Beautiful, colorful and each very unique, these recipes are sure to be a hit at any party throughout the year!
Salads can be either the main dish or the best supporting side. I have rounded up my very favorite recipes which include both for you to choose from. These tried and true recipes are simple and easy to make and there is a huge variety of options! Salads are no longer just some simple greens with a choice of a few dressing options. They are bold, flavorful, and mix up so many delicious ingredients. Try adding one to your delicious meal or try one as the main course for your lunch! They are all SOO good that I am positive you won’t be able to stop at trying just one!
Quick Tips
Salads are made up of ingredients that you want to keep looking and tasting fresh! I have gathered a few tips and tricks to making them stay this way so that you can enjoy them for as long as possible!
Clean those greens: If you have a lettuce spinner, now is the time to use it! Washing your greens and getting them prepped is just as important (if not more important) than even making the salad. Make sure to clean those greens!
Add opposite textures: Salads are the best when they have opposing elements. If you have something soft, add something crunchy. If you keep this up, they will have amazing taste and texture!
Adding dressing: For most green salads, you aren’t going to want to add the dressing until the last minute. That way your greens stay fresh and dont get soggy and wilty! For pasta salads, I like to add the dressing right away and let it soak into the noodles. Then, I add just a bit more to make sure it tastes fresh right before serving!
Chopping: When making your salad, save the chopping of things that brown (bananas, apples, etc) until right before serving. Then they look fresh and delicious in your bowl!
Quinoa Salad
5 from 1 vote
Packed with fuffy quinoa, crisp veggies, chickpeas, salty provolone cheese, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette, this easy Quinoa Salad is the perfect lunch on its own, or base for chicken, salmon or steak for dinner. 30 minutes and done!
Fresh crisp romaine lettuce, large shaved parmesan cheese, crunchy croutons and a creamy dressing make this Caesar Salad a must make. Caesar salad goes with so many things and it's always a family favorite.
Panzanella Salad is a perfect marriage of summer sun ripened tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and spinach tossed together with toasted bread and a light but flavorful dressing. This light but flavor packed salad is SO GOOD, and perfect for your next BBQ, potluck or dinner tonight.
Caprese Salad is made with layers of fresh tomato slices, basil, and mozzarella cheese, then drizzled with balsamic glaze and topped with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.ย It is the perfect summer meal that you will crave all year!
Greek Salad is a fresh, crunchy, vibrant salad with the BEST Greek dressing!ย Every bite is packed with color and the best flavors that will keep you digging in for more!
Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
5 from 9 votes
Fresh strawberries, sliced avocados, slivered almonds and feta cheese all tossed together with a homemade poppyseed dressing. This strawberry avocado spinach salad is so fresh and delicious and is a recipe that everyone will be raving about!
This fresh asparagus salad is one of my favorites and I can't wait to show you how to make it. With lemon vinaigrette dressing drizzled on top this salad has a light and flavorful crisp crunch in every bite.
An Antipasto salad is filled with sliced meats, soft cheeses, green and black olives with bright red cherry tomatoes that is simple to toss together and enjoy in a homemade light lemon olive oil dressing. This is an Italian salad that everyone loves!
Apple Bacon Brussels Sprouts Saladย is loaded with freshly shreddedย Brussel sprouts, crunchy apples, fruity cranberries, cooked bacon pieces, topped with pumpkin seeds and soft goat cheese all tossed together with an amazing maple dijon dressing. A bowl full ofย deliciousness!
Avocado, Tomato and Cucumber Arugula Salad is fresh, delicious and light and packed with amazing flavor! Tossed in a tangy lemon glaze and topped with feta cheese, you won't be able to get enough!
Chilled Cucumber Tomato Salad is a refreshing salad made with fresh ingredients that everyone can enjoy all year round. It's fast, easy, and can be made ahead which makes it perfect for potlucks!
Summer Cobb Salad is filled with fresh summer fruits and veggies. ย Itโs loaded with grilled chicken, bacon, hard boiled eggs, avocado, goat cheese, berries, cucumber, grilled corn and tossed in a simple balsamic lime vinegar dressing.ย Every bite is refreshing, bright, and summery!
This Summer Corn Salad definitely can enjoyed all year round! It's a fresh corn salad made with onion, bell pepper, avocado, and corn! Fresh or frozen corn will work!
Strawberry spinach saladย is a perfect combination of fresh spinach, juicy strawberries, crunchy onions, and soft feta cheese; all tossed together with a creamy poppyseed dressing! All the flavor, texture, andย deliciousness in one bowl!
Strawberry, Apple, and Pear Spinach Salad with an Apple Cider Poppyseed Dressing
5 from 6 votes
Strawberry, Apple, and Pear Spinach Salad is an easy to make spinach salad with crisp apples, pears and strawberries hidden throughout. Topped with feta cheese, crunchy pecans and tossed in a delicious apple cider dressing!
Avocado Chicken Salad is easy to make and you will never want to make your chicken salad without avocado again! Perfect on a sandwich, croissant or served with tortilla chips!
Autumn Chopped Salad with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
4.92 from 12 votes
Autumn Chopped Salad with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing is all of your fall salad dreams come true! Crisp chopped apples, pears, romaine lettuce, crunchy pecans, bacon, cranberries and feta cheese combine in a creamy dressing to bring you one unforgettable salad!
Grilled Chicken Caesar Avocado Salad is a mouthwatering classic salad with juicy grilled chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and topped with shaved mozzarella and crunchy croutons!
Grilled Berry Feta Chicken Salad with a Sweet Chipotle Dressing
5 from 3 votes
Grilled Berry Feta Chicken Salad is loaded with fresh summer berries, bacon chipotle seasoned grilled chicken and topped with a sweet chipotle dressing! You will be craving this mouthwatering salad all summer long!
Triple Berry Chicken Avocado Salad with a Creamy Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
5 from 4 votes
Triple Berry Chicken Avocado Salad with a Creamy Lemon Poppyseed Dressing is my all time favorite salad! Tender and juicy pan seared chicken with romaine lettuce, avocados, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Topped with pistachio nuts, feta cheese and drizzled in the best creamy dressing!
Harvest Cobb Salad with a Honey Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Harvest Cobb Chicken Salad with a Honey Apple Cider Vinaigrette is filled with crisp fall apples, roasted butternut squash, and all of the delicious things of fall come together in this mouthwatering salad.
Grilled Chicken, Bacon, and Pear Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
5 from 1 vote
Grilled Chicken, Bacon, and Pear Salad with Poppyseed dressing is made with crisp romaine lettuce, tender and juicy grilled chicken and pears. Topped with Walnuts, feta cheese, and a creamy poppyseed dressing this salad is phenomenal!
Triple Berry Kale Salad with Creamy Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing
5 from 1 vote
Triple Berry Kale Salad with Creamy Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing is made with delicious fresh summer berries and is tossed with kale, crunchy almonds and topped with feta cheese. A healthy and light salad that is perfect for summer!
Asian Pan Seared Salmon Salad with Honey Sesame Dressing
Asian Pan Seared Salmon Salad is bright and vibrant and complete with an amazing honey sesame dressing that takes this salad to a whole new level of delicious!
A delicious and simple toย salad with fresh sliced pears, avocado, cranberries and feta cheese. ย Drizzled with a lemon poppyseed dressing this salad is mouthwatering and full of flavor!ย
Chicken and Apple Salad with a Honey Dijon Vinaigrette is the perfect fall salad full of crisp apples, cranberries, crunchy pecans and bleu cheese. This salad is easy to put together and so mouthwatering!
Shrimp Avocado Taco Salad is full of fresh avocados, tomatoes, red onions, black beans and corn. The shrimp cook in a blend of delicious taco seasonings. Serve it with some tortilla chips and this salad is unforgettable!
Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.
thank you for all of these, nice to have a big bunch of salad recipes available in one place, and really like the pear and candied walnuts
Thanks for sharing. I sometimes run out of ideas for a different combination to make an interesting salad.
Linda