Summer Salads
Summer is the perfect time to indulge in fresh, vibrant, and delicious summer salads that celebrate the season’s bounty. Whether you’re looking for a light lunch, a side dish for your BBQ, or a refreshing dinner, our collection of summer salad recipes has got you covered. Packed with colorful veggies, juicy fruits, and tantalizing dressings, these salads are not only easy to make but also bursting with flavor and nutrition.
From classic favorites like Caprese and Caesar salads to unique combinations like watermelon feta and grilled peach salads, there’s something here for every palate. These recipes are ideal for those hot summer days when you crave something cool and satisfying. So, grab your salad bowl, and let’s dive into these mouth-watering summer salad ideas that are sure to become your go-to dishes this season!
Tips For Serving Fresh Summer Salads
Use Seasonal Produce: Summer offers a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Opt for in-season produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, peaches, and leafy greens for the best flavor and nutritional value.
Prep Ahead: Wash and chop your vegetables ahead of time. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge to keep them fresh. This makes assembling your salad quick and easy.
Keep It Crisp: To keep leafy greens crisp, store them in a salad spinner or wrap them in a paper towel before placing them in a plastic bag or container. This absorbs excess moisture and prevents wilting.
Layering: When assembling your salad, layer the ingredients with the heaviest at the bottom and the lightest at the top. This prevents delicate items from getting squished and keeps your salad looking beautiful.
Dress It Right: Add the dressing just before serving to prevent your salad from becoming soggy. You can also serve the dressing on the side so everyone can add as much or as little as they like.
Balance Flavors: Aim for a balance of sweet, salty, tangy, and savory flavors. Add a hint of sweetness with fruits, a bit of saltiness with cheese or nuts, tanginess with citrus or vinegar, and savoriness with herbs or proteins.
Add Some Crunch: Incorporate nuts, seeds, croutons, or crispy vegetables like bell peppers or radishes for added texture and crunch.
Fresh Herbs: Use fresh herbs like basil, mint, cilantro, or dill to add a burst of freshness and elevate the flavors of your salad.
Protein Boost: Add a protein source like grilled chicken, tofu, beans, or quinoa to make your salad more filling and nutritious.
Presentation: Serve your salad in a large, shallow bowl to showcase the colorful ingredients. Garnish with a sprinkle of nuts, seeds, or a few whole herbs for a professional touch.
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Cucumber Tomato Salad With Bacon
Looking for a refreshing and flavorful side dish to complement your next meal? Look no further than this delicious Cucumber, Tomato Salad with Bacon! Bursting with crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and savory bacon, this salad is a perfect balance of flavors and textures that will leave your taste buds craving more.
Taco Salad Recipe
This taco salad recipe is easy to make, healthy, totally versatile, and perfect to enjoy throughout the entire year. With a few basic ingredients like seasoned ground beef, avocado, onions, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce you will be enjoying all your favorite taco ingredients mixed together all in one delicious bite!
Steak Salad
Steak salad is an excellent dish to switch up your boring steak dinner. The steak combined with dijon vinaigrette and light and crunchy greens, blue cheese crumbles, and flavorful extras creates a robust and dynamic flavor combination that cannot be beaten.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Buffalo Chicken Salad has tender juicy air-fried chicken that is seasoned with spicy buffalo sauce on top of a bed of romaine lettuce with lots of veggies then topped with a homemade dressing.
Hawaiian Cheesecake Salad
Hawaiian Cheesecake Salad is the ultimate summer dessert, made with fresh tropical fruit, whipped cream, yogurt, and cheesecake pudding. It comes together in minutes and bursts with flavor in every bite!
Oriental Chicken Salad
This Oriental chicken salad AKA Applebees oriental chicken salad is always a huge hit! It combines a delicious mix of vegetables topped with chicken, the most flavorful Asian dressing, and then topped with sliced almonds and crunchy chow mein noodles. It is one salad that everyone loves eating!
7 Layer Salad
This traditional 7 layer salad with layers of lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, peas, bacon, cheese plus a creamy dressing is the perfect make-ahead salad for any party or family gathering.
Chopped Salad
This Chopped Salad is the perfect side dish. It is quick to throw together and rounds out any dinner in the best way.
Cobb Salad with Chicken and Bacon
The Best Cobb Salad Recipe will never let you down! This salad is absolutely LOADED with treasure ingredients (you know, the ones you’re always hunting for) like chicken, bacon, hard boiled eggs, and cheese. Plus 2 dressing recipes to try!
Santa Fe Chicken Salad
This tasty Santa Fe Chicken Salad is a Chili’s copycat recipe, topped with crispy tortilla chips, and loaded with tender, spicy chicken and fresh veggies like tomatoes and avocado.
Honey Hot Chicken Salad
Let me introduce basically my ALL TIME FAVORITE salad; Honey hot chicken salad! It is something I have been making for the last 10 years at least, and I am not stopping any time soon! It is like having honey hot chicken wing pieces on a SALAD. Kind of a chicken wings made kind of healthy thing…
RAMEN NOODLE SALAD
This crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad combines green cabbage, red cabbage, ramen noodles, green onions, carrots, and toasted almonds, all tossed in a honey garlic ginger sesame dressing.
TEX-MEX CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD
This Tex-Mex Chicken Chopped Salad is filled with crunchy romaine lettuce, corn, black beans, grilled chicken and more. The taco-flavored ranch dressing finishes it off to perfection!
Italian Grinder Salad (Chopped Sub Salad)
This Italian Grinder Salad is a low carb version of the TikTok viral grinder sandwich! Made with crunchy lettuce, savory deli meats, provolone and parmesan cheese, and a creamy, tangy dressing … this fresh and colorful salad is full of different textures and flavors that make it absolutely irresistible.
BBQ CHICKEN SALAD
This BBQ Chicken Salad is one of the best grilled chicken salad recipes EVER! Featuring juicy BBQ chicken, a medley of fresh vegetables, crunchy corn chips, and a simple BBQ Ranch Dressing, this BBQ Chicken Salad is full of flavor, texture, and protein.
BLT Salad
This BLT Salad brings the delicious flavors of the classic sandwich to your new favorite salad! Tossed in creamy garlic dressing for the win!
THE BEST STRAWBERRY CHICKEN SALAD
This Strawberry Chicken Salad is truly the best! Grilled chicken, strawberries, sliced apples and more top this incredible salad. It’s so refreshing and delicious!
Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad with Honey Dijon {Paleo}
This grilled chicken Cobb salad is packed with all the goodies! Perfectly seasoned grilled chicken, crispy bacon, sliced eggs and avocado plus an easy and delicious honey dijon dressing that’s ready in under a minute! This Cobb salad makes a healthy, hearty, low carb meal that’s gluten free, paleo, dairy free and a family favorite!
spicy southwest salad (with spicy ranch dressing)
My Copycat Chick-Fil-A Southwest Salad recipe is what dinner dreams are made of! Featuring juicy marinated and grilled spicy chicken breast, fresh greens, black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, avocado, and tortilla strips all drizzled with a spicy southwest salad dressing, this entrée salad is hearty enough to fill up even my firefighter hubby!
Chinese Chicken Chopped Salad
Chinese Chicken Chopped Salad is a restaurant favorite that is crunchy, packed with flavor, and easy to make.
GREEK CHICKEN PASTA SALAD
This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad is perfect for meal prep, summer picnics, potlucks, or just a quick and easy meal. The fresh flavors of Mediterranean food are paired perfectly with chicken and pasta for a full and hearty meal or flavorful side dish!
Mediterranean Chopped Salad
A light, refreshing dish packed with loads of chopped vegetables, this Mediterranean Chopped Salad is perfectly sublime. Plus, it’s super simple to toss together for any occasion!
Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Salad
This Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Salad is tender marinated chicken that’s grilled to perfection and then served over baby spinach with cherry tomatoes, corn, and avocado. A hearty salad that’s packed with flavor and also happens to be full of nutrition.
Honey Lime Shrimp Salad
This Southwest Honey Lime Shrimp Salad is a delicious main dish salad! Topped with sweet and tangy shrimp, corn, tomatoes, avocado and crumbled queso fresco. So flavorful and easy to make!
BROCCOLI RAMEN SALAD
This broccoli ramen salad recipe is something a little different! It’s sweet, crunchy, and has a tangy Asian-inspired dressing. The perfect side for family gatherings, BBQs, or potlucks.
Wrapping up our summer salad round-up, we hope you’re as excited to try these refreshing and delicious recipes as we are. From the tangy Cucumber Tomato Salad with Bacon to the exotic Hawaiian Cheesecake Salad, and the savory Oriental Chicken Salad, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re looking for a light side dish or a hearty main course, these salads are perfect for any summer gathering. Dive into these vibrant, flavorful salads and make the most of the season’s freshest ingredients. Happy salad-making!
I’m Melissa, the imaginative force behind Sparkles to Sprinkles, where creativity comes to life, and sprinkles of joy are scattered generously. Melissa is a proud Jersey girl who found love with a New York boy. As a mom to four wonderful boys and a few fur babies, her journey into the world of blogging began after making the life-changing decision to stay home and raise her children. Previously a dedicated workaholic, Melissa’s blog became her creative outlet and passion project. Inspired by her mother-in-law, a masterful cook renowned for her delicious home-cooked meals and legendary holiday feasts (think mouthwatering sausage stuffing), Melissa honed her culinary skills through a combination of family recipes and countless cooking classes. She often attended these classes with her son Michael, who shared her enthusiasm for cooking from a young age. Melissa’s love for learning extends beyond familiar cuisines, as she enjoys exploring international recipes in hands-on cooking classes. Her blog features a diverse array of recipes, showcasing her expertise with various kitchen appliances such as the Instant Pot, air fryer, Slow Cooker, Ninja Foodi, Instant Vortex Plus, and more. Join Melissa on her culinary adventures as she shares tried-and-true family favorites alongside exciting new discoveries!
