59 Salad Recipes That Are Crisp And Refreshing
Summer entertaining can be a handful. From shopping to cooking to keeping your guests entertained, it's easy to get overwhelmed.
So, we rounded up some easy summer salads that'll take the load off — a mix of fresh veggies, delectable cheeses, and yummy add-ons, they're the perfect dishes to keep your guests healthy and happy all summer long.
1.Roasted Tomato and Burrata Caprese Salad
Burrata is an extra creamy version of mozzarella, but regular buffalo mozzarella will do.
2.Garlic Shrimp Noodle Salad
This Vietnamese cold noodle salad puts the world of banh mis to shame.
Recipe: Garlic Shrimp Noodle Salad
3.Spicy Southwestern Salad with Avocado Dressing
Sweet potatoes and beans make this vegetarian salad super filling.
4.Thai Beef Salad
Use your sharpest knife to slice the beef that thin.
Recipe: Thai Beef Salad
5.Chopped Quinoa Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing
Throw in a little Southwest flair when you toss together this fresh treat.
6.Panzanella with Marinated Chickpeas and Chimichurri
A panzanella is a salad that has huge chunks of bread it in. I'm SOLD.
7.Chopped Greek Quinoa Salad
Packed with succulent white beans and tangy flavors from a lime spritz and strong kalamata olives, this salad is full of freshness.
Recipe: Chopped Greek Quinoa Salad
8.Loaded Cobb Salad
This puts every other Cobb salad to shame.
Recipe: Loaded Cobb Salad
9.Goat Cheese, Beet, and Basil Pasta Salad
Here's a surefire way to make a salad delicious: just add pasta.
10.Roasted Chickpea Taco Salad
If you like ~crispy and delicious things~, now's the time to try roasted chickpeas.
Recipe: Roasted Chickpea Taco Salad
11.Strawberry, Avocado, and Chicken Spinach Salad
Yes, strawberries and chicken do, in fact, go together.
12.Loaded Summer Cauliflower Salad
Cauliflower's having a bit of a moment right now — from buffalo cauliflower to cauliflower rice, it's hard to go wrong. Luckily, this salad proves that it can complement the most unique of accompaniments, and with a little bacon, anything can taste amazing.
Recipe: Loaded Summer Cauliflower Salad
13.Zucchini “Noodles” with Sesame-Peanut Sauce
Put your spiralizer to work and make some aesthetic zoodles for this veggie bowl that'll rekindle your love for zucchini.
14.Arugula, Kale, and Reggiano Salad
This pretty plate pays homage to the most underrated of cheeses and the best of summer produce.
15.Chicken Tikka Pasta Salad
A little bit of spice never hurt anyone, ESPECIALLY in a summertime salad.
Recipe: Chicken Tikka Pasta Salad
16.Summer Vegetable Ribbon Salad
This simple salad might LOOK super fancy, but as long as you have a vegetable peeler, you're good to go!
Recipe: Summer Vegetable Ribbon Salad
17.Mexican Street Corn Salad
This take on elote is the perfect, welcome change to all that corn on the cob you've been eating. Feel free to throw in any other veggies you like, change it up, and if you want to get a dose of traditional elote, add a dollop of mayo to your dressing for good measure.
Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Salad
18.Simple Greek Salad Skewers
These flavor-packed skewers are the perfect fresh bite for the messy eater.
Recipe: Simple Greek Salad Skewers
19.Watermelon Cucumber Salad
This is literally all your summer favorites in one. You can't get any fresher than this watermelon-loaded plate, and you won't believe how easy it is to throw together.
Recipe: Watermelon Cucumber Salad
20.Snap Pea Salad With Buttermilk Dressing
This burst of bright green will remind you why snap peas deserve a spot on your grocery list again.
21.Strawberry and Mango Chopped Quinoa Salad with Sesame-Lime Vinaigrette
There's no better way to celebrate mango season than with this star-studded salad.
Recipe: Strawberry and Mango Chopped Quinoa Salad With Sesame-Lime Vinaigrette
22.Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad with Cucumber and Feta
This tangy bite will impress pasta and rice lovers alike.
23.Berry Caprese Salad
Not everyone likes raw tomatoes. Luckily, with this twist on a classic, you don't have to.
Recipe: Berry Caprese Salad
24.Rainbow Grilled Chicken Salad
This loaded bowl is the perfect way to eat the rainbow and, well, enjoy it.
Recipe: Rainbow Grilled Chicken Salad
25.Orzo Summer Salad
If these colors aren't enough to convert you to Team Salad, you're doing summer wrong.
Recipe: Orzo Summer Salad
26.Rosemary Chicken and Bacon Avocado Salad
With bacon, watercress, and cherry tomatoes, this is pretty much like a BLT but with avocado instead of bread.
27.Cantaloupe and Mozzarella Caprese Salad
Make this salad not only to become an expert at scooping melon.
28.Thai Cashew and Mango Slaw Salad
This salad is packed with shredded vegetables, mango slices, and cashews pieces and tossed with a tangy coconut-lime vinaigrette. Just oozes summer vibes, no?
Recipe: Thai Cashew and Mango Slaw Salad
29.Zucchini and Tomato Salad With Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Zucchini ribbons FTW.
Recipe: Zucchini and Tomato Salad With Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
30.Strawberry Mango Salad
Because fruit salads reign supreme.
Recipe: Strawberry Mango Salad
31.Greek Three Bean Salad
All the beans, all the veggies.
Recipe: Greek Three Bean Salad
32.Chopped Summer Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Ranch
First, pile on the croutons and bacon. Then, top with a creamy buttermilk dressing to kick things up a notch. Final step: devour.
33.Arugula Salad with Grapes and Black Pepper Vinaigrette
How about adding red grapes to salad for a pop of sweetness?
Recipe: Arugula Salad With Grapes and Black Pepper Vinaigrette
34.Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Lemon Pasta Salad
Asparagus just screams "I'm fancy AF."
35.Crunchy Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing
*drizzles peanut dressing over everything*
36.Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad
Add grilled veggies with dressing to a bowl of pasta for the ultimate flavor factor.
37.Grilled Peach and Sweet Potato Salad With Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
A salad served warm or cold.
Recipe: Grilled Peach and Sweet Potato Salad With Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
38.Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Just plain ol' arugula and shaved Parmesan cheese dressed in lemon vinaigrette for when you want to keep things ~simple~.
39.Cucumber Noodle Prawn and Mango Salad
When you're in the mood to spiralize all the veggies, try this cucumber and mango number.
40.Tofu Noodle Salad with Almond Butter Sauce
Noodles and greens in one dish, why not?
41.Fresh Corn and Mango Salad
Another salsa-salad possibility to entertain a crowd.
Recipe: Fresh Corn and Mango Salad
42.Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets and Pear
Because leafy greens can get boring.
43.Warm Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Stems
Waste not, want not.
44.Fried Egg and Chickpea Salad
The ultimate combination.
Recipe: Fried Egg and Chickpea Salad
45.Tomato Avocado Salad
Crazy easy.
Recipe: Tomato Avocado Salad
46.Apple-Citrus Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is love.
Recipe: Apple-Citrus Quinoa Salad
47.Fancy Fig, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Salad
Step away from the Fig Newton.
48.Duck Breast Salad with White Wine Pear Sauce
Gettin' fancyyyy.
49.Ruby Red Grapefruit and Shrimp Salad
Salad food porn.
50.Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Salad
Because sweet potatoes are bae.
51.Mexican Corn Salad
Love me some summer corn.
Recipe: Mexican Corn Salad
52.Watermelon Mint Salad
So fresh, so clean.
Recipe: Watermelon Mint Salad
53.German-Style Potato Salad
Da best.
Recipe: German-Style Potato Salad
54.Vegetarian Mashed Chickpeas Salad
Game. Changer.
55.Fennel and Orange Salad
Amazing.
Recipe: Fennel and Orange Salad
56.Tomato Gorgonzola Salad
Could this be any easier?
Recipe: Tomato Gorgonzola Salad
57.Lemon Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
Get basic.
Recipe: Lemon Caesar Salad With Homemade Croutons
58.Avocado Egg Salad
Doesn't hurt to add bread.
Recipe: Avocado Egg Salad
59.Four-Step Basil-Balsamic Pasta Salad
Carbo load.
This article contains content previously curated by Lindsay Hunt, Lavanya Narayanan, and Krysten Peck. It was compiled by Lavanya Narayanan.
