74 Summer Salad Recipes to Enjoy All Season
Updated: Nov. 16, 2023
These summer salad recipes—including leafy greens, pasta, potato and fruit salads—are so good, you can bet your family will come back for a second serving!
What screams summer more than fresh and vibrant salads? Nothing! These fresh summer recipes aren’t just your ordinary summer dishes either. They’re unique, fun and perfect to bring to any summertime cookout or picnic.
If you’re a pasta lover, we have the best cold pasta recipes for you. More into leafy greens? We have you covered with bright and vibrant salad options. From quick summer dinners to summer potluck recipes to lighter and refreshing options, this collection has it all!
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Watermelon and Spinach Salad
Summer’s the perfect time to toss up this watermelon salad for loved ones. The combination of fresh fruit and spinach makes an impactful cooling punch even on the hottest days.
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Summer Salad by the Lake
This summer salad is the perfect mix of sweet, earthy and savory. While the combo of peas, couscous and pineapple may raise a few eyebrows, you can expect this to be a hit for even the skeptical folks.Find more tasty dishes to celebrate the start of summer with these Memorial Day barbecue recipes.
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Spicy Cajun Potato Salad
Turn up the heat with these fiery potatoes that everyone will love. The Cajun seasoning adds the perfect amount of spice to the classic potato salad dish.
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Bacon Pea Salad
Let’s be honest, anything with bacon on it is amazing and this salad proves that point further. This is a dish to remember.
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Antipasto Pasta Salad
This hearty pasta salad is a delightful summery mix of tang and sweetness. The addition of chickpeas, peppers and salami make every bite a mouthful of Italian flavors!
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Strawberry Kale Salad
This fresh, zingy salad is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser! The strawberries and mint give this salad an extra fresh feel, while the crumbled bacon adds a nice savory bite.
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Melon-Berry Salad
Yogurt and coconut milk make this dressing delectable and oh so creamy. You can’t go wrong with fresh fruit on a hot summer day.
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Southern Potato Salad
This potato salad recipe is perfect for summer potlucks or barbecue parties. The sweet pickles add an extra sweetness to this southern-style salad.
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Campers’ Coleslaw
This crispy and crunchy coleslaw is the perfect side salad for summer get togethers. It’s an old family recipe.
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Watermelon Tomato Salad
Watermelon and tomatoes may seem an unlikely pair, but they team up to make a winning combination in this juicy and beautiful salad.
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Berry Chicken Salad
With sweetness from the berries and tanginess from the goat cheese, this salad is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
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Fast Macaroni Salad
Chopped fresh veggies provide crunch, and cherry tomatoes add vibrant color to this refreshing and creamy pasta salad.
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Skinny Cobb Salad
This skinny Cobb salad has all the taste and creaminess with half the fat and calories. It’s crunchy, healthy and tasty.
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Avocado Fruit Salad with Tangerine Vinaigrette
This cooling salad with a fruity dressing is a perfect addition to any potluck. With fresh blackberries, raspberries and mangoes, it truly tastes like summer.
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Green Bean and Potato Salad
This crispy and refreshing green bean salad is tasty, satisfying and surprisingly light. The green beans add a refreshing flavor when combined with the starchy potatoes.
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Avocado & Artichoke Pasta Salad
The lime and avocado bulk up this pasta salad and add a slight zing to every bite. You’re going to want to come back for seconds.
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Peach Mango Caprese Salad
When the weather is scorching, this salad will be your cooling hero. The peaches and mangoes in this salad are bursting in flavor and the mozzarella cheese adds substance.
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Creamy Fruit Salad
This fruit salad is the creamy delicious cooling treat you have been waiting for. Made with simple ingredients, this will only take a couple minutes to whip up.
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Cool & Crunchy Chicken Salad
When the weather sizzles, get your chill on with a cool chicken salad. The celery and pecans add a wonderful crunch!
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Apricot Fluff
This creamy and decadent recipe is simple and will be ready to go in minutes. Feel free to experiment with different yogurt and gelatin flavors, like strawberry.
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Garden Tomato Salad
Sometimes, simplicity is key for the best tasting recipes. This garden tomato salad is the perfect addition to any potluck or gathering. It’s a fresh and light dish that is perfect when the weather warms up.
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Sparkling Fruit Salad
Pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, strawberries and grapes are treated to a dressing of wine and sparkling club soda in this delightful salad. Serve in dessert dishes or set the whole bowl on the table for a fetching presentation.
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Layered Cornbread Salad
Fresh vegetables layered with cornbread and sweet relish comes together in a beautiful salad that everyone will enjoy.
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Grilled Firecracker Potato Salad
If you’re tired of classic potato salad, try out this recipe that adds some zest and spice to every bite. You won’t want to go back to ordinary potato salad ever again.
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Salmon and Spud Salad
This flaky salmon dish is perfect no matter if you’re watching your weight or wanting to have a healthier lifestyle. It’s just as nutritious as it is yummy!
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Island Mango Slaw
The cooling effect of fresh mango and Greek yogurt pairs perfectly with the spicy jalapeños. This slaw will make you feel like you’re on vacation in a tropic island.
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Pesto Corn Salad with Shrimp
This recipe showcases the beauty of summer with fresh corn, juicy tomatoes and aromatic basil. In order to encourage browning of the salad, simply spritz the salad with lemon juice.
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Sesame Chicken Slaw Salad
This sesame chicken slaw is the perfect mix of ginger and spice that will have your tastebuds dancing. The wonton strips add a delightful crunch to every bite.
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Blueberry Cantaloupe Salad
The simple citrus and poppy seed dressing works great with fresh berries and melon. While this salad only has a few ingredients, it packs a punch in terms of flavor.
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Bacon and Broccoli Salad
This recipe gets most of its flavor boost from bacon, toasted pecans, dried berries and a mayo dressing. It’s creamy, slightly sweet and has a ton of crunch thanks to the pecans.
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Garden Pesto Pasta Salad
In the summer, when the garden is bursting with fresh vegetables and it’s too hot to cook, use the season’s veggies for pasta salads like this one!
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Tangy Poppy Seed Fruit Salad
For a fruit salad that’s delightful and cooling, the combination of berries and citrus with a honey-lime dressing screams summer.
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Summer Splash Chicken Salad
This recipe is simple, easy and no fuss. The savory rotisserie chicken and juicy mangos, watermelon and grapes is a summer winner.
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Rosey Raspberry Salad
This is a beautiful raspberry salad that is almost too stunning to eat. Emphasis on almost!
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Shrimp & Nectarine Salad
The combo of shrimp, corn, tomatoes and nectarines with a drizzle of tarragon dressing is delightful and fresh. It’s best served chilled.
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Refreshing Tropical Fruit Salad
Want a family-friendly side dish? This colorful medley is kid-pleasing and a great way to get your fruit in for the day.
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Tropical Layered Chicken Salad
With fresh avocado, this chicken salad tastes creamy and delicious in every bite. Say goodbye to boring chicken salads for life.
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Sour Cream Cucumbers
This creamy cucumber salad is cooling and perfect for a hot summer day. The sour cream adds a wonderful tangy flavor when combined with the fresh cucumbers.
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Vibrant Black-Eyed Pea Salad
This southern classic is popular for a reason. You simply can’t go wrong with a vibrant salad like this one.
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Twisted Eggs Benedict Salad
Salad for breakfast? Absolutely. You can prep everything except the dressing and chill it overnight. In the morning, dress the salad and poach the eggs.
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Southwestern Pasta Salad
This fun and colorful southwest salad is bursting with flavor thanks to salsa, lime juice and a ton of other exciting ingredients.
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Salmon Caesar Salad
You can’t go wrong with Caesar salad in the summer. When you add a perfectly cooked salmon to the mix, it elevates the salad effortlessly.
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White Bean Arugula Salad
This red, white and green salad is inspired by the Italian flag. Top it with shaved Parmesan for a delicious finish.
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California Burger Bowls
You won’t even miss the buns when you try this dish. If you want to add more spice, add some chili powder to the mayo.
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Homemade Potato Salad
Classic dishes work well for a reason. Make a crowd favorite time and time again with this creamy dish.
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Pina Colada Fruit Salad
Taste the tropics on warm summer days with this refreshing fruit blend. For a little extra punch, you might add a splash of coconut rum.
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Ground Beef Taco Salad
Craving tacos but don’t want something super heavy? Then this ground beef taco salad is for you.
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Orange Chicken Spinach Salad
For a salad with refreshing color and crunch, the combination of chicken and spinach make this dish a real winner.
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Turkey Almond Salad
This fun salad is a perfect mix of savory, sweet and crunchy. With each bite, you’ll be met with the perfect flavor harmony.
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Strawberry-Turkey Spinach Salad
This light, refreshing salad is a true showstopper, with fresh strawberries and yellow pepper strips tossed with fresh baby spinach. Serve with warm whole wheat rolls.
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Fluffed Fruit Salad
This fluffy and fun salad is sweet, but light enough that you won’t feel weighed down after getting seconds.
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Mediterranean Cobb Salad
This salad provides you with fresh mediterranean flavors. From tomatoes, to the eggs, to the avocados, every bite packs insane flavor.
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Veggie Nicoise Salad
With the hard-boiled eggs and kidney beans, this tasty salad delivers a ton of protein to keep you full all afternoon.
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Spinach & Bacon Salad with Peaches
Peaches and bacon? Yes, please! This fresh and savory salad with ripe peaches will have your loved ones coming back for seconds.
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Sunflower Strawberry Salad
This colorful and vibrant salad is just as yummy as it is beautiful. The fresh strawberries add a wonderful juicy sweetness to the dish.
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Arugula & Brown Rice Salad
You can’t go wrong with hearty brown rice topped with peppery arugula. It’s light and healthy.
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Coleslaw with Poppy Seed Dressing
This salad is packed with flavor thanks to the creamy poppy seed dressing. Hint: the more you leave it in the fridge, the better the flavor.
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Pina Colada Molded Salad
This fun salad has a tropical twist from the coconut, pineapple and macadamia nuts. It’s soft, sweet and cooling on a hot summer day.
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Sesame-Ginger Cucumber Salad
This crispy salad offers loved ones wonderful Asian flavors. From the creamy sesame and spicy ginger, your tastebuds will be having a party.
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Swiss Cobb Salad
Topped with ham, roast beef, bacon and other fixings, this hearty salad has an excellent blend of flavors. A from-scratch vinaigrette adds the refreshing final touch.
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Creamy Grape Salad
This salad is perfectly refreshing and creamy. For a special finishing touch, sprinkle it with brown sugar and pecans.
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Garden Chickpea Salad
Combine colorful crunchy veggies with soft feta cheese and good-for-you garbanzo beans. If you want more protein, add sliced chicken.
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Khmer Pickled Vegetable Salad
This pickled salad is delightfully crunchy and refreshing. This is a wonderful side to any kind of protein like barbecue chicken or a medium-rare steak.
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Strawberry-Blue Cheese Steak Salad
If you love a good tangy blue cheese dressing, then you gotta try this salad. It’s savory, it’s sweet, and it’s full of color.
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Steak & New Potato Toss
This colorful and vibrant potato salad won’t disappoint anyone. It’s pretty, too, with the red pepper, green broccoli and white potatoes.
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Creamy Macaroni Salad
For a barbecue party or potluck, this creamy salad is sure to be a crowd favorite. It’s simple to throw together and bring along with you.
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Layered Veggie Tortellini Salad
Tortellini and a Parmesan dressing give this layered salad an unexpected twist. It’s simply delicious.
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Bow Tie & Spinach Salad
With this pasta salad, it’s easy to switch things up from time to time. If you want to add more protein, add grilled chicken or black beans.
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Shrimp Avocado Salad
This salad can be served as a cool and satisfying lunch or dinner. The delicious fresh taste and smooth texture of avocados mixed with the crisp shrimp salad is heavenly.
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Creamy Pineapple Fluff Salad
Fluff salads are the best! You can’t go wrong with this kid-friendly dessert “salad” that’s full of pineapple, marshmallows and cherry bits.
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Veggie Steak Salad
This salad just explodes with fresh and fun flavors. It’s easy and quick to prepare, tastes delicious, and is a healthy dinner all on one plate.
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Heirloom Tomato & Zucchini Salad
Trust us, you are going to be running back for seconds. The tomatoes in this salad add a juicy and refreshing bite.
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Layered Garden Bean Salad
Turn this dish into a light lunch by adding sliced rotisserie chicken, salmon or tuna.
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Citrus-Tarragon Asparagus Salad
This light and flavorful dish packs a punch with the bright balsamic dressing. The fresh tarragon and orange zest make it delightfully refreshing.
Originally Published: June 01, 2020
