Hello and welcome to my summer salad obsession! If you’re like me, a salad needs to be more than just lettuce to get you excited. It needs texture, flavor, and all the fun extras.
This list is basically my love letter to summer salads that are anything but boring. From total showstoppers to quick weeknight wins, I just know you’re going to find a new favorite.
And yes, some of these are what I lovingly call ‘dessert salads,’ and I’m not even a little bit sorry about it.
1. Panzanella Salad
This salad is a total showstopper. We’re talking big, bold, and just bursting with incredibly complex flavors. This is so much more than your standard lettuce and tomato situation, oh my goodness.
It’s packed with corn, tomatoes, peaches, and chickpeas. And bread! Yes, bread in a salad! You can get your bread all toasty for that amazing textural element, but leaving it fresh lets it soak up the dressing in the most perfect way.
I’ve served this with everything from burgers to chicken, but my favorite way to eat it has to be with roasted sausage tossed right into the bowl.
2. Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe
Remember when I mentioned some recipes use the word “salad” a little loosely? Yep, this is one of them. I truly have no idea how this got its name, but I am not complaining one bit.
Honestly, it’s basically a no-bake cheesecake with a crunchy, salty base and a beautiful strawberry topping. But I’m just going to keep calling it a salad, thank you very much.
The sliced strawberries on top look so impressive, but you could totally use raspberries or a mix of berries. Or just get wild and try it with pineapple. Why not?
3. Greek Salad
When I’m in a hurry, this is the salad I reach for every single time. I always seem to have peppers, red onion, and cucumber ready to go. And really, who doesn’t keep a can of black olives in the pantry?
Just a heads up, the dressing can be seriously sharp, so you’ll absolutely need the feta to balance out all that flavor. If you want to keep it vegan, they do make some pretty good feta substitutes. Or you could just add some extra avocado for that creamy goodness.
4. Caprese Salad
Let’s be real, a Caprese salad just isn’t complete without a good balsamic dressing. That would be like having a margarita without any tequila!
But balsamic can be pretty strong, and sometimes it just takes over the whole dish. That’s what this recipe gets so right.
Instead of drenching everything in balsamic, you toss your ingredients in a heavenly garlic-herb vinaigrette first. Then you can finish with a little drizzle of balsamic over the top. A little really does go a long way here.
5. Cobb Salad
If I could only eat one salad for the rest of my days, it would be a Cobb salad. The ingredients are just made for each other, and it’s so good that even the pickiest eaters I know go back for more.
My vegan friends might want to look away, because you just can’t make this without the boiled eggs and bacon. They are the absolute backbone of the whole thing!
And that’s not even mentioning the chicken and blue cheese, which are just to die for. Sometimes I’ll swap in feta if it’s all I have. Once I have it all chopped up, I love to sprinkle on some homemade everything seasoning and chopped scallions. YUM.
6. Copycat Earl’s Santa Fe Salad
If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying a Santa Fe salad, let me just tell you. It’s a super tasty mix of chicken, avocado, black beans, and corn, all brought together with a honey-lime and garlic avocado dressing that you will want to pour on everything.
I absolutely love the Tex-Mex vibe you get from this salad. If you’re a fan of spicy food, try adding some jalapeños into the dressing. Or, you could always swap in some spicy chips instead of the crispy tortilla strips.
7. Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber
As a huge fan of salty-sweet combos, I knew right away that I would absolutely love this simple summer salad. Watermelon not only brings amazing texture, moisture, and sweetness to the party, but it’s just so beautiful to look at.
I love how it plays off the crunchy cucumber and pairs just perfectly with the creamy feta. This one is a winner.
8. The Best Bacon Pea Salad
Just like with that amazing corn salad, this simple dish is such an easy way to bring some fantastic color to your table. When peas are fresh, they have this incredible sweet flavor, and it only gets better when you mix in the creamy dressing, bacon, and cheese.
No fresh peas on hand? No problem at all! Frozen will work great here. Just make sure you let them thaw completely and drain off any extra liquid.
9. Fresh Corn Salad
This corn salad has to be one of the sunniest on the whole list. You really can’t beat fresh corn for adding some gorgeous color to your plate.
The combination of mild cucumbers, peppery red onion, and sweet tomatoes just works to make the corn’s sweetness shine, making every single bite totally drool-worthy.
If you want to make it a little heartier, try adding a can of rinsed chickpeas. They’ll add some protein, too!
10. Easy Fruit Salad
You might be thinking you don’t need a recipe for something as simple as fruit salad, but did you know there’s a super easy trick to make yours even better? It’s all about the sauce, my friends.
I used to just add a splash of orange juice, thinking that would be enough to keep things fresh and sweet. But this recipe is on another level.
By using orange juice, orange zest, lemon juice, lemon zest, and honey, you’ll see how that little touch of sweetness just amplifies all the fruity flavors and makes the whole bowl sparkle. Literally!
11. Summer Peach Spinach Salad with Avocado, Toasted Almonds + Goat Cheese
I mean, come on, if you’re already making a summer peach salad with avocado and toasted almonds, why wouldn’t you throw in some goat cheese, too?! Seriously, the title might be long, but every single ingredient plays its part perfectly.
Sweet and tender summer peaches are the real star of this show, so make sure you get them when they’re perfectly ripe. I like to dice my avocado pretty small so you get a little bit in every single bite.
And since those first two ingredients are on the softer side, you really need those toasted almonds for a bit of crunch.
12. Apple Pecan Arugula Salad
I’ve been putting thinly sliced apple in my salads, sandwiches, and even grilled cheese for years. In my opinion, that acidic, crisp texture is just what a savory dish needs to really make the salty goodness pop.
This salad also has some dried cranberries for a nice chewy texture. But it’s the incredibly simple dressing that you’re going to fall in love with.
It only takes four ingredients, salt included, and a quick whisk. You’ll never want to buy store-bought dressing again!
13. Old Fashioned German Potato Salad
If you ever come to a BBQ at my place, you can bet you’ll find at least two different potato salads on the table. As much as I love a good creamy, classic version, I just absolutely adore this German style.
You can serve it warm or cold, and it has a light dressing made with mustard and vinegar. If you want to make it super authentic, try using bacon grease instead of olive oil. I also love to add roasted red peppers to mine. The dressing pairs so perfectly with them!
14. Antipasto Salad
This salad seriously packs a punch. Between the zesty vinaigrette, onions, artichokes, pepperoncini, and olives, this one is not for the faint of heart.
For this recipe, you’ll be lightly pickling the red onions, which gives them a softer texture and a little bit of tang. But feel free to skip that step and just throw them in raw if you prefer.
I really enjoy the crunch and peppery texture you get from red onions, but you could even use scallions for something a bit milder.
15. French Grated Carrot Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
It actually wasn’t until I started traveling that I realized you don’t need to add lettuce to make something a salad. This simple recipe is sort of like a slaw made with only carrots, but it’s really the dressing that gives it that wow-factor.
It might not sound like much, just dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, vegetable oil, olive oil, salt, and pepper, but that’s all you need for a quick, sweet, tangy dressing. And how amazing does that bright orange look on the plate?
16. Pina Colada Fluff Salad
If you read the Ambrosia salad recipe and thought it was just a little too healthy, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. This fluff salad is creamy, sweet, and absolutely packed with mini-marshmallows and pineapple.
While the Ambrosia salad is on the lighter side, this one is much thicker, using cream cheese and coconut pudding to create a silky smooth finish that’s almost like a faux-cheesecake. YUM.
17. Blueberry Cucumber Summer Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette
I honestly can’t decide what my favorite part of this salad is. Is it the blueberries, the creamy dressing, or the sugared almonds?
If you’ve never tried a creamy balsamic before, you are in for such a treat. It has a much more mellow flavor but is still absolutely bursting with tang.
Even though the sugared almonds are a true delight in this recipe, you can always just toss in some chopped nuts instead to save yourself some prep time.
18. Fresh Tomato Salad
When tomatoes are in season, I always make a beeline for them at the farmer’s market. I get them in every shape, size, and color I can possibly find and put them in just about everything.
But this sensational salad is, hands-down, my absolute favorite way to celebrate the humble tomato. Using a whole selection gives you so many amazing flavors, all from the same fruit.
Cherry tomatoes are on the sweeter side, and full red tomatoes are usually super juicy. Whatever you can get your hands on, just go nuts!