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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!
Corn Salad
This vibrant corn salad is veggie-packed, lightly dressed for a fresh taste, and ready to brighten your plate in under 15 minutes!
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Broccoli Salad
Simple broccoli salad recipe delivers a hearty and satisfying crunch with a vibrant mix of fresh ingredients smothered in a creamy dressing.
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Asian Ramen Salad Recipe
Fresh & lightly dressed Asian Ramen Salad is filled with cabbage and bits of almonds and ramen, giving it bright color and crunchy texture!
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Strawberry Harvest Salad Recipe
Strawberry Harvest Salad tastes just like the salad at Zupa's! It's topped with a homemade Strawberry Vinaigrette dressing.
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Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad Recipe
This delicious copycat Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad is topped with breaded chicken and tossed in a flavorful Asian dressing!
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Fruit Salad Recipe
This fruit salad recipe includes an array of colorful and healthy fruits, making it a delicious side dish for any meal.
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Easy Tortellini Salad Recipe
Fresh and filling Tortellini Salad whips up in minutes for a delicious summer salad topped with creamy ranch dressing.
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Potato Salad Recipe
This perfect Potato Salad is a famous family recipe. It's simple, packed with flavor, and our most requested side for parties!
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Pasta Salad Recipe
This easy pasta salad recipe takes minutes to make. It's a classic side dish, perfect for BBQs, picnics, or any night of the week!
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Cobb 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.
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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!
Macaroni Salad With Ham
A favorite for generations, our kid-approved macaroni salad with ham is a potluck winner made in only 20 minutes!
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Mozzarella Pasta Salad Recipe
Easy & Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Salad is light, delicious, and flavorful. This simply dressed salad is a favorite!!
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Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad recipe
Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad is a light dish with a bold flavor, making it perfect for potlucks, parties, BBQ's, and get togethers!
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Greek Orzo Salad Recipe
Orzo Salad is a Greek pasta salad loaded with Orzo, veggies, and feta topped with an easy, homemade Greek dressing.
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Chinese Pasta Salad Recipe
Chinese Pasta Salad – filled with lettuce, noodles, fried wontons and more tossed in a delicious homemade dressing.
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Chicken Pasta Salad
Creamy chicken pasta salad is quick, easy, and packed with hearty ingredients for a filling side or main dish!
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Asian Noodle Salad Recipe
Asian Noodle Salad – coleslaw, linguine, chicken, and fried wonton strips covered in a delicious homemade Asian dressing!
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Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
Delicious Taco Pasta Salad filled with beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado and more!!
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Layered Pasta Salad Recipe
A dish that is appealing to both your tastebuds and your eyes! This beautiful Layered Pasta Salad is filled with your favorite ingredients including pasta, chicken, peas, lettuce, celery, and more.
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Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Greek pasta salad is packed with traditional Greek flavors and covered in a tasty dressing! It's perfectly light and refreshing.
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Cashew Chicken Salad Recipe
Creamy and fresh Cashew Chicken Salad is tossed in a delicious homemade dressing. It's a perfect summer salad!
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Tuna Salad Recipe
Chopped Tuna Salad Recipe is filled with fresh crisp veggies and tossed in a light and refreshing lemon vinaigrette!
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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.
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Simple broccoli cauliflower salad is packed with veggies and ready in 20 minutes for a creamy crunch that is sure to be a hit!
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Broccoli Strawberry Salad Recipe
Strawberry broccoli salad is creamy and refreshing with pops of juicy fruit. It can easily be made ahead and enjoyed later!
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7 Layer Salad Recipe
Deliciously customizable 7 Layer Salad is filled with just the right amount of goodness. It's perfect to make ahead!
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Wedge Salad Recipe
This fresh wedge salad is a classic. It's crisp and refreshing, smothered in creamy dressing and topped with crumbles of cheese and bacon.
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Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
Fresh, vibrant Cucumber Tomato Salad is a simple salad perfect for summer and your bounteous harvest. It's a quick side for any meal!
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Snickers Salad
Our 10-minute Snickers salad is a sweet and tart dessert where bright pops of apples perfectly complement chewy chunks of Snickers.
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Mexican Corn Salad Recipe
Grilled Mexican corn salad is a quick, easy twist on Elote. It's a perfect side for pairing with your Mexican favorites!
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Chicken Caesar Salad
This chicken Caesar salad is jam-packed with filling ingredients. It's so flavorful, you won't believe how simple it is to make!
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Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
Sweet + savory Ramen Noodle Salad is topped with a simple homemade dressing. It's easy, delicious, and whips up in only 15 minutes!
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Potato Salad Recipe
This perfect Potato Salad is a famous family recipe. It's simple, packed with flavor, and our most requested side for parties!
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Green Bean Salad Recipe
Crisp and flavorful green bean salad is seasoned with garlic, feta, and lemon for a tasty side, perfect to accompany any dinner!
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Frito Corn Salad Recipe
Fresh and tasty frito corn salad is bursting with sweet corn and covered in a perfectly spicy creamy sauce. It is perfectly refreshing.
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Broccoli Slaw Recipe
Broccoli slaw is layered with green onions, oriental ramen noodles, peanuts, and sunflower seeds in a delicious dressing!
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Asian Citrus Chicken Salad Recipe
Bright & Flavorful Asian Citrus Chicken Salad topped with crunchy wontons and a fruity vinaigrette is a family favorite!!
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Ambrosia Salad Recipe
Ambrosia Salad will take you straight back to your childhood. This Southern creamy fruit salad is filled with mini marshmallows!
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Cheesecake Fruit Salad Recipe
Cheesecake Fruit Salad is the perfect combination of creamy, fluffy, light, and fresh! It's the perfect side or crepe filling!
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Pistachio Salad Recipe
Pistachio salad dessert is always served at our family gatherings. With whipped cream and marshmallows, it's always a hit!
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Southwest Salad Recipe
Our favorite Southwest Salad recipe is healthy and hearty and topped with a delicious homemade cilantro ranch dressing.
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Tomato Mozzarella Salad
Our favorite fresh tomato mozzarella salad delivers big flavors with just 4 simple ingredients in under 10 minutes!
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Chicken Taco Salad Recipe
Crunchy and fresh chicken taco salad is a weeknight dinner dream! Easy, flavorful, and a recipe that everyone will enjoy.
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Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad Recipe
Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad – a simple, delicious and quick salad perfect for dinner or for BBQs and get togethers. So many great flavors!
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Southwest Quinoa Salad Recipe
Southwest Quinoa Salad is bursting with freshness. It's got a ton of texture going on and a whole lot of flavor!
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Honey Mustard Chicken Salad Recipe
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad is one of the heartiest, most delicious salad recipes you'll try! With greens, fruits, nuts, and a tangy dressing, it's a real winner.
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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!
Cafe Rio Dressing
This homemade Café Rio dressing is creamy, flavorful, and has a perfect hint of spice—just like the original!
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Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
A delicious salad with tomatoes, chicken, craisins, sunflower seeds and a delicious homemade lemon poppy seed dressing. The dressing only requires 4 ingredients and takes minutes to make!
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Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
Delicious homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is made in minutes and is better than any store bought version!
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Creamy Pesto Dressing Recipe
This simple creamy pesto dressing is delicious on any salad! Plus, it only requires 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to make.
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Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Recipe
Cilantro lime vinaigrette is light and refreshing. The lime adds a brightness and cilantro a flair of flavor!
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Strawberry Vinaigrette Recipe
Quick and simple, this Strawberry Vinaigrette is delicious. It's sweet, tart, and goes wonderfully on top of a bed of greens.
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Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
Whip up a tasty caesar salad dressing recipe in minutes with just a few ingredients. It will become your new go-to for salads!
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Cilantro Lime Dressing
With fresh herbs and a hint of spice, cilantro lime dressing can be used to dress salads and Mexican dishes, or marinate meat and veggies!
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Greek Dressing Recipe
Flavorful homemade Greek dressing is perfect for salads and marinades! It comes together quickly with only a handful of ingredients.
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Chipotle Ranch
This thick and creamy chipotle ranch has a splash of citrus and just the right amount of kick for all of your spicy dipping needs.
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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
This collection of summer salad recipes features all of the best savory salads, sweet salads, pasta salads, and dressings to enjoy all summer!
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
Calories: 396kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 159mg, Sodium: 347mg, Potassium: 990mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 10112IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 167mg, Iron: 3mg
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!