Salad gets easier to write off when every bowl starts looking like the same pile of greens. These 19 salads take a wider route with chicken, salmon, tuna, pasta, potatoes, bread, grains, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, tomatoes, and several different dressings. Some are creamy and substantial, while others stay crisp, vinaigrette-based, or built around warm ingredients. That range gives the table side dishes, lunch-ready salads, and fuller main-course options without repeating one formula.
Italian Broccoli Salad
Blanched broccoli stays crisp in Italian Broccoli Salad, which serves six with shallot, toasted almonds, peperoncini, red bell pepper, olives, and provolone. Olive oil and red wine vinegar form the vinaigrette, and the salad rests for at least 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers keep for up to four days, while the broccoli and dressing can be prepared ahead separately. Serve it chilled or at room temperature beside grilled steak, sausage, chicken, sandwiches, or pasta.
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Old-Fashioned Panzanella Salad
Day-old bread gives Old-Fashioned Panzanella Salad enough texture to stand apart from leafy salads while making six servings in 30 minutes. Toasted bread cubes mix with cherry tomatoes, red onion, basil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, and honey. The finished bowl rests for 20 to 30 minutes so the bread absorbs the tomato juices and dressing without falling apart. Serve it at room temperature beside grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or other summer mains.
Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Panzanella Salad
Yellow Bean & Potato Salad
Yellow beans bring color and crunch to Yellow Bean & Potato Salad, a six-serving side ready in 20 minutes. Baby potatoes, yellow beans, celery, red bell pepper, and green onions get coated in mayonnaise, sour cream, whole-grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, and honey. The salad works warm or chilled, and green beans can replace yellow beans when needed. Bring it to a cookout or serve it beside grilled chicken, kabobs, burgers, or smoked meat.
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Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Hard-boiled eggs turn Deviled Egg Pasta Salad into eight creamy servings with elbow macaroni, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dijon, celery, red onion, and red bell pepper. The main prep and cooking take 20 minutes, followed by at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator before serving. Mashed yolks go directly into the dressing while chopped whites stay in the pasta. Smoked paprika and chives finish the bowl for potlucks, barbecues, sandwiches, or grilled-meat dinners.
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Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
Roasted beets give Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts four servings with mixed greens, crumbled goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and fresh dill. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and Dijon make the vinaigrette, while the full recipe takes 1 hour and 5 minutes. The beets can be roasted a day ahead for quicker assembly. Serve the salad as a starter or pair it with grilled chicken, salmon, steak, soup, or crusty bread.
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Italian Pasta Salad
A scratch vinaigrette keeps Italian Pasta Salad ready for eight servings with fusilli, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, black olives, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. The 1-hour-32-minute total includes an hour of chilling. About one-quarter of the dressing stays reserved until serving so the pasta gets another coating after refrigeration. Make it a few hours or a day ahead, then place it beside grilled meat, shrimp, or other cookout dishes.
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Southern Ham Salad
Five ingredients keep Southern Ham Salad straightforward across six servings with only 10 minutes of prep. Ham, cream cheese, green onions, parsley, and grainy mustard pulse together in a food processor until combined, then at least an hour of chilling improves the flavor. Refrigerated leftovers keep for up to five days. Spread it on bread, tuck it into croissants, spoon it onto crackers, add it to greens, or serve it with cucumber slices for a salad that eats more like lunch.
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Horiatiki Salad
Ripe tomatoes sit at the center of Horiatiki Salad, a four-serving Greek salad ready in 10 minutes without any lettuce. Cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano complete the bowl. Vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes work especially well when available. Serve it fresh with pita for catching the juices at the bottom, or put it beside grilled pork, chicken, lamb, or another warm-weather main.
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Mediterranean Salmon Salad With Barley
Flaky salmon makes Mediterranean Salmon Salad With Barley substantial enough for six servings in 45 minutes. Pearl barley joins cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, radish, pistachios, feta, and dill, while Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and more dill form the dressing. The barley cools before mixing, and the salmon goes over the salad at the end. Keep the dressing separate for advance prep, then serve it as a full lunch or dinner.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Salmon Salad With Barley
Chef Jenn’s Warm German Potato Salad
Warm bacon dressing makes Chef Jenn’s Warm German Potato Salad different from the chilled mayonnaise-based versions, with six servings ready in 35 minutes. Yukon Gold potatoes cook with bacon, red onion, apple cider vinegar, broth, grainy German mustard, sugar, and parsley. The sliced potatoes simmer briefly in the dressing before the bacon goes back in. Serve it warm beside grilled meats, roasted sausage, baked chicken, or a German-style pot roast when the table needs a hot salad.
Get the Recipe: Chef Jenn’s Warm German Potato Salad
Steak & Pasta Salad
Leftover beef gives Steak & Pasta Salad enough weight for eight servings while farfalle, spinach, cherry tomatoes, radishes, corn, blue cheese, red onion, and optional candied walnuts fill out the bowl. A buttermilk ranch combines mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs. The salad takes 25 minutes before a 20-minute chill. Serve it cold as a substantial side or lunch when a vegetable-only salad would not be enough.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad
Copycat Costco Chicken Salad
Deli-style texture gives Copycat Costco Chicken Salad six servings after 15 minutes of prep and a 30-minute chill. Three cups of cooked chicken mix with mayonnaise, sour cream, celery, sweet onion, lemon juice, garlic powder, and parsley. The short ingredient list keeps the chicken at the center while the chilling time firms the mixture. Spoon it onto croissants, toasted sourdough, sandwich bread, crackers, lettuce cups, or greens when the salad needs to carry lunch rather than sit beside it.
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Mexican Street Corn Salad
Grilled corn anchors Mexican Street Corn Salad, which gives six servings with red bell pepper, green onion, jalapeño, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, cilantro, and cotija. Preparation takes 30 minutes, then the salad should chill for an hour or two before serving. It keeps for three to four days and develops more flavor overnight. Put it beside tacos, fajitas, seafood, enchiladas, grilled chicken, or smoked meat when the table needs corn without whole cobs.
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Greek Salad With Chicken
Chicken and feta make Greek Salad With Chicken a four-serving main salad ready in 15 minutes. Cucumber, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta join the cooked chicken before a Greek yogurt dressing with lemon, red wine vinegar, Dijon, garlic, and oregano goes on. Keep the dressing separate until serving when preparing it ahead so the vegetables stay crisp. Pita, hummus, grilled vegetables, soup, or Mediterranean rice can round out the meal.
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Shirazi Salad
Ten minutes puts Shirazi Salad on the table with eight servings of Roma tomatoes, English cucumber, red onion, mint, parsley, dill, lime juice, and olive oil. No cooking is needed, which keeps the vegetables crisp and the preparation short. Leftovers keep for about two days before the lime and salt begin softening the vegetables. Set it beside grilled or smoked dishes when the meal needs a cold salad built almost entirely from chopped vegetables and herbs.
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Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts
Sweet cranberries and toasted nuts give Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts four servings in 10 minutes. Two cups of cooked chicken mix with walnuts, dried cranberries, sour cream, mayonnaise, green onions, celery, parsley, salt, and pepper in one bowl. Refrigerated leftovers keep for three to four days when the chicken is fresh. Spoon it onto a croissant, serve it with crackers, or add a scoop beside soup or leafy greens for an easy lunch.
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Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes
Chewy grains give Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes eight servings with tuna, tomatoes, green onions, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice. The wheat berries cook for up to an hour before being rinsed and cooled, bringing the full timing to 1 hour and 10 minutes. No extra chilling is required after mixing. Serve it as a light main or lunch, or pair it with soup when the salad needs enough protein and grain to stand on its own.
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Classic Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing
Crunchy vegetables run through Classic Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing, a six-serving dish ready in 30 minutes. Noodles are tossed with red cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and peanuts, while soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, lime, ginger, garlic, and sriracha form the dressing. Serve it right away or chill it for about 30 minutes. Grilled salmon, chicken, tofu, dumplings, or spring rolls can make the meal more substantial.
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Greek Cauliflower Salad
Lightly blanched cauliflower gives Greek Cauliflower Salad six servings with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta, parsley, and dill or mint. Lemon juice, zest, garlic, oregano, and olive oil make the dressing before the salad chills for 20 to 30 minutes. The full timing is 55 minutes. Since it keeps for up to three days and improves as the flavors settle, this vegetable-heavy bowl can be prepared before a picnic, cookout, or busy dinner.
Get the Recipe: Greek Cauliflower Salad