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This collection of summer salad recipes features all of the best savory salads, sweet salads, pasta salads, and dressings to enjoy all summer!
More Collections: Summer Recipes, Summer Desserts, Summer Dinner Ideas
Summer Salads to Love!
I always love a good salad, but especially in the summertime when produce is fresh and in season, I tend to REALLY crave a refreshing salad.
Serve these summer salad recipes as a main dish or a side, at brunch or barbecues! We have a recipe for every occasion.
Why we love summer salads:
- Feast for the eyes. The colors of summer and spring salad recipes are as beautiful as they are tasty.
- Homemade dressings. Easily change up the flavor of a salad simply by using a different homemade salad dressing from creamy dressings to vinaigrette recipes.
- Time-saving. Many of the recipes are quick and easy to prepare and several can be made ahead of time!
Seasonal Produce
In-season produce is cost-effective and gives the freshest best-tasting fruits and veggies for your best summer salad recipes.
Summer fruit:
- apples, apricots, avocado, cantaloupe, cherries, figs, grapes, limes, mangos, nectarine, peach, pear, plums, cherry tomatoes, and watermelon
- blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries
Summer vegetables:
- bell pepper, beets, carrots, sweet corn off the cob, cucumbers, garlic, green beans, red onion, peas, radishes, and zucchini
- chard, collard, romaine lettuce, or spinach
- herbs such as fresh basil, rosemary, dill, parsley, mint
Salad Tips
- Add protein. Make a hearty and filling salad by including protein such as beans, Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs, Bacon, shrimp, Chicken Tenders, Honey Glazed Ham, beef, or Easy Baked Salmon. Feta cheese, goat’s cheese, mozzarella, and cotija are also great options.
- Crunch. Toss in some Homemade Croutons, pine nuts, Candied Pecans, or Roasted Chickpeas.
- Transporting. Keep your salad in a cold cooler while you travel. This ensures it stays cold until you’re ready to serve it.
- When serving, only set out as much as can be eaten within 30 minutes. Refill the salad bowl as needed.
- Setting platters and bowls on a tray of ice will help keep them cool while sitting out.
Best Summer Salads
From classic Quick Caprese Salad to watermelon salad, we have our favorite summer sides! Try any of these classic summer salads at your next picnic or BBQ!
1 Summer Corn Salad Recipe
2 Broccoli Salad Recipe
3 Asian Ramen Salad Recipe
4 Strawberry Harvest Salad Recipe
5 Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad Recipe
6 Fruit Salad Recipe
7 Easy Tortellini Salad Recipe
8 Potato Salad Recipe
9 Pasta Salad Recipe
10 Cobb Salad
Summer Pasta Salad Recipes
We love pasta salad recipes and have gathered our favorites for summer!
Most, if not all of these can be made ahead of time and actually get better as the flavors meld together!
11 Macaroni Salad
12 Mozzarella Pasta Salad Recipe
13 Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad recipe
14 Greek Orzo Salad Recipe
15 Chinese Pasta Salad Recipe
16 Chicken Pasta Salad
17 Asian Noodle Salad Recipe
18 Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
19 Layered Pasta Salad Recipe
20 Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
21 Cashew Chicken Salad Recipe
22 Tuna Salad Recipe
More Summer Salad Ideas
I really do love salads so here are even more tasty options to choose from! Also, check out my favorite easy salad recipes if you’re like me and can’t get enough.
23 Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
24 Broccoli Strawberry Salad Recipe
25 7 Layer Salad Recipe
26 Wedge Salad Recipe
27 Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
28 Snickers Salad
29 Mexican Corn Salad Recipe
30 Chicken Caesar Salad
31 Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
32 Potato Salad Recipe
33 Green Bean Salad Recipe
34 Frito Corn Salad Recipe
35 Broccoli Slaw Recipe
36 Asian Citrus Chicken Salad Recipe
37 Ambrosia Salad Recipe
38 Cheesecake Fruit Salad Recipe
39 Pistachio Salad Recipe
40 Southwest Salad Recipe
41 Tomato Mozzarella Salad
42 Chicken Taco Salad Recipe
43 Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad Recipe
44 Southwest Quinoa Salad Recipe
45 Honey Mustard Chicken Salad Recipe
Summer Salad Dressings
Don’t forget the dressings! The perfect dressing can make or break a salad. A drizzle of olive oil and vinegar or a spritz of lemon juice is always refreshing, but here are my favorites to complement your every summer salad need!
46 Cafe Rio Dressing Recipe
47 Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
48 Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
49 Creamy Pesto Dressing Recipe
50 Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Recipe
51 Strawberry Vinaigrette Recipe
52 Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
53 Cilantro Lime Dressing
54 Greek Dressing Recipe
55 Chipotle Ranch
We Love a Filling Salad!
This simple Cobb Salad is so full of tasty ingredients it’s a meal all on its own. It is quick to make and utterly delicious.
Here is the recipe:
50+ Summer Salad Recipes
Ingredients
- 6 cups romaine hearts, chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, cubed or grated
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 chicken breast, seasoned, fully cooked and cubed
- 1 cup corn, sautéed or broiled
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 boiled eggs, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Rinse and dry greens thoroughly.
- Using a large platter or bowl, spread the greens out evenly.
- Using your preferred toppings, layer over the top of the greens. Then finish with chopped green onions. Drizzle with a quality ranch dressing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Incredible Summer Salads
We hope you enjoy all of the incredible summer salads listed above. No need to heat your oven this summer with so many quick, easy, and delicious salad recipes to choose from!
More Collections: Healthy Dinner Ideas, Spring Salad Ideas, Pasta Salad Recipes
Strawberry harvest salad at cafe zuppas is my favorite and so that was my first try off the summer salad list. Yummy definitely a good make at home substitute.
I just bookmarked this post! I love the list of summer salad recipes compiled! Already tried some of them and am excited to try them all!
I’m determined to work my way through this list of summer salad. Every one looks SO GOOD! I’ve already tried the cheesecake fruit salad and everyone was in love.
Cant go wrong with salads during the summertime. Great selection and variety of the best salads!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful list of salads! I made the potato salad recipe and it was a huge hit! Can’t wait to try more this summer!