30 Last-Minute Holiday Salads

Bacon Pear Salad with Parmesan Dressing

This simple salad is an elegant side dish for any menu. With a blend of fresh pears and warm, comforting flavors, it’s perfect for special meals. —Rachel Lewis, Danville, Virginia

Shredded Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

This salad is a simple and delicious way to eat your superfoods! It gets even better in the fridge, so I make it ahead. I use my homemade honey mustard dressing, but any type works just fine. —Alexandra Weisser, New York, New York

Sweet Potato Panzanella

This is my favorite fall lunch dish. It is filled with flavor and texture but isn't too high in calories. —Mary Leverette, Columbia, South Carolina

Merry Berry Salad

Dried cranberries, crunchy apple chunks and toasted almonds dress up this crisp green salad. It's drizzled with a sweet-tart dressing that's a snap to blend. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Brussels Sprouts Salad

My husband and I like Brussels sprouts, so I'm always looking for new ways to use them. I most often serve this colorful salad with roast pork or duck. —Nancy Korondan, Yorkville, Illinois

Holiday Lettuce Salad

Light with a hint of sweetness, this lettuce salad recipe will make everyone excited to eat their fruits and vegetables. —Bryan Braack, Eldridge, Iowa

Bacon Pea Salad

My husband absolutely loves peas. My middle son isn't the biggest fan, but he loves bacon. So, I combined the two, and it was perfect! This pea salad is an awesome side dish, especially for barbecue. —Angela Lively, Conroe, Texas

Simple Waldorf Salad

This is my go-to salad when I need a quick little something for a meal. When I want a sweeter taste, I use whipped cream instead of yogurt. —Wendy Masters, East Garafraxa, Ontario

Orange Pomegranate Salad with Honey

I discovered this fragrant salad in a cooking class. If you can, try to find orange flower water (also called orange blossom water), which perks up the orange segments. But orange juice adds a nice zip, too! —Carol Richardson Marty, Lynwood, Washington

Roquefort Pear Salad

Guests at a barbecue we hosted one summer brought this cool, refreshing salad. Now it's a mainstay at many of our gatherings year-round. The mingling of zesty tastes and textures instantly wakes up the taste buds. —Sherry Duval, Baltimore, Maryland

Apple Walnut Slaw

A co-worker shared this slaw recipe with me. Now it's a favorite at my house, too. Apples, walnuts and raisins are a fun way to dress up coleslaw. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

Pear Harvest Salad

We came up with this delicious salad trying to use up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. We think you'll love it, too! —Nancy Prewitt, Beaverton, Oregon

Antipasto Salad Platter

This salad is made for nights when it's just too hot to cook. I used to work in a pizza and sub shop, where this platter was the most popular. —Webbie Carvajal, Alpine, Texas

Red & Green Salad with Toasted Almonds

During a long Midwest winter, I crave greens and tomatoes from the garden. These leaf lettuces and grape tomatoes have a fantastic out-of-the-garden taste. Thank goodness we can get them year-round. —Jasmine Rose, Crystal Lake, Illinois

Hot Spinach Apple Salad

With a light sweet-tangy dressing, the spinach doesn’t wilt and the apples retain their crunch. We serve this salad with homemade bread. —Denise Albers, Freeburg, Illinois

Savory Steak Salad

Caramelized onion and sirloin steak seasoned with a cinnamon rub make this main dish salad different from typical versions. It’s easy to toss together with a packaged greens, blue cheese, dried cranberries and store-bought vinaigrette. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Yellow Squash Turkey Salad

With a wonderful mix of flavors, colors and textures, this impressive salad can be made in minutes for lunch with a friend or for a light dinner with your sweetie. It’s my favorite fast recipe! —Mildred Sherrer, Fort Worth, Texas

Cranberry-Sesame Spinach Salad

For a feast or any occasion, we love this snappy fall salad that balances sweet and sour with good crunch from almonds and sesame seeds. —Stephanie Smoley, Rochester, Minnesota

Candy Bar Apple Salad

This creamy, sweet snickers salad with crisp apple crunch is a real people-pleaser. It makes a lot, which is good, because it will go fast! —Cyndi Fynaardt, Oskaloosa, Iowa

Sesame Almond Slaw

Crunchy veggies and noodles are coated in a tangy dressing in this pleasant slaw. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Chinese Spinach-Almond Salad

This recipe combines power-packed spinach, a good source of vitamins A and K, with other veggies, lean meat and crunchy, heart-healthy almonds. Reduced-fat dressing adds a light Asian flavor and touch to each hearty serving. Mary Ann Kieffer - Lawrence, Kansas

Ham Caesar Salad

“One bite, and you’ll fall in love with this combo! Serve with fresh iced tea and banana splits for a casual menu that won’t heat up your kitchen.” Mary Ann Schlabach - Sarasota, Florida

Balsamic-Salmon Spinach Salad

This spinach salad is really healthy and super fast. It's an absolute cinch to make after a long workday. —Karen Schlyter, Calgary, Alberta

Feta & Cranberry Orzo Salad

It takes only minutes to make this awesome pasta salad. While the orzo is cooking, assemble the rest of the ingredients and it will be ready to go. My husband devoured this side dish.—Antigone Papoutsis, Nederland, Texas

Spinach Pear Salad with Chocolate Vinaigrette

Tangy from balsamic and mellowed with chocolate, the light vinaigrette stays well-blended. It would add an interesting twist to berries or watermelon, too. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Green Salad with Baked Goat Cheese

I combined my favorite parts of a variety of salads to create this masterpiece. The warm baked cheese and crunchy croutons are wonderful complements to the crisp salad greens.—Deb Morris, Wevertown, New York

Zesty Steak Salad

Stir-fried steak and veggies give this hearty salad a cozy kick. Add any of your favorite salad ingredients like shredded cheese, croutons, mushrooms or cucumber. —Leah Carrell, Quitman, Texas

Three-Pepper Coleslaw

There are never any leftovers when I make this dish for a picnic, barbecue or any social gathering. —Priscilla Gilbert, Indian Harbour Beach, Florida

Perfect Winter Salad

This is my most-requested salad recipe. Serve it as a side salad along with your holiday meal, or enjoy it for lunch the next day with cubed turkey or chicken on top. —DeNae Shewmake, Burnsville, Minnesota

Potluck Antipasto Pasta Salad

I love trying new recipes, and this one for Italian pasta salad tops all other varieties I've tried. With beans, cheese, sausage and vegetables, it's a hearty complement to any meal. —Bernadette Nelson, Arcadia, California