Salad and summer belong together! Our 20 Best Easy Summer Salads are the perfect recipes for any barbecue, picnic, or get together this season.
I love summer dinners! We start with grilled meat, chickenor Fish; Make a side or two and serve with some good crusty bread for dinner. Easy-to-prepare side dishes and salads are my go-to when planning a meal on a warm summer evening. I’ve rounded up all of our favorite salad recipes in this post…
- Our Fresh corn and tomato salad (photo above) is my absolute favorite summer salad. It captures all the goodness of the end of summer in one simple delicious side. I’ve been known to eat a very large plate of this for dinner. It is so good!
2. Greek pasta salad? Yes, please! This salad has everything we love about a classic Greek salad paired with pasta, feta and a homemade Greek yogurt dressing. You’ll love this fresh take on the Greek Pasta Salad!
3. One of the first recipes I shared back in 2008 was this one Grilled peach and mozzarella salad. Nothing beats freshly grilled peaches paired with creamy mozzarella! Share this stunning dish at your end of summer dinner party!
4. If you love grilled peaches, try ours Grilled chicken and peach salad with Caramelized barbecue sauce inspired by the restaurant Eat chow in Southern California!
5. What’s a cricket without coleslaw? In all my years of testing coleslaw recipes, I’ve never had one quite like ours apple and coleslaw. It’s filled with fresh apples, cabbage, and golden raisins, and tossed with a light, sweet, homemade dressing. You will never call this coleslaw ordinary!
6. Everyone needs a focal point Italian-Noodlesalad, this is mine. This recipe has a secret ingredient that makes the pasta so flavorful! I use homemade dry Italian seasonings sprinkled over the pasta as well as salad dressing in the salad itself. Say goodbye to boring Italian pasta salads!
7. Let’s switch from the traditional pasta salad to a combination of kale, chicken and fresh fruit with ours Grilled Chicken and Kale Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette! This salad is one of my favorite hot day main dishes.
8. What would a summer salad menu be without potato salad? This is no ordinary potato salad. Get ready to be blown away. Aunt Di’s almost German potato salad consists of potatoes, eggs, dill pickles (and juice), mayo and salt. That’s it. Read the story to find out where I learned to make this dish. I’ve been making it since I was 19 and it’s still my all time favorite potato salad!
9. If you love teriyaki chicken, you’ll flip this salad! Teriyaki chicken, tangerines, fresh spinach, water chestnuts, sweet craisins and honey roasted peanuts are the key ingredients. Topped with a light homemade teriyaki dressing. This Teriyaki Spinach Pasta Salad has been a fan favorite for over 10 years!
10. For teriyaki salad that’s more savory than sweet, try ours Marinated Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Noodle Salad. This salad is packed with fresh veggies, teriyaki chicken, and veggies!
11. Nothing is easier or tastier than a Caprese pasta salad. Think caprese in a salad! Creamy fresh mozzarella, chopped basil, juicy tomatoes and stuffed pasta, topped with a light homemade balsamic dressing. This salad is good for Make Ahead!
12. Ramen salad with Asian dressing and fresh vegetables is a fun change from the pasta salads we make so often! This salad can be made with ramen noodles or, in a pinch, angel hair noodles or even spaghetti!
13. If Mexican Street Corn is your favorite, it’s ours Mexican corn salad will be at the top of your favorite summer salad list! It takes minutes to put together and the leftovers are SO good in quesadillas.
14. I bet you’ve never tried a salad like ours Basil Couscous Salad with fresh buttermilk basil dressing! Vegetables, couscous, corn, parmesan, pumpkin seeds, and sweet dried cranberries fill this recipe with an extraordinary, amazing combination of flavors and textures. This salad recipe gets more requests than any other salad recipe on ABK.
fifteen. Caesar pasta salad has been my favorite salad for years when I have to rush to prepare a salad for a crowd. Everyone loves this salad. It’s filling and the ingredients are available year-round, and it’ll look good on a buffet table without wilting quickly!
16. Our favorite local spot for lunch is Plates and Palates in Bountiful. This salad is my creation of two favorite salads at Plates. Do you love lightly sweet and savory pasta salads? You have to do this. Mango Chicken Pasta Salad with Tarragon Lime Dressing is about to become your new obsession!
17. What would a list of favorite summer salads be without a good taco salad? This salad goes from side dish to main course in minutes. Our Quick and Easy Chicken Black Bean Taco Salad is perfect for lunch or dinner – it’s packed with veggies, protein and so refreshing on a hot summer day!
18. For a slightly offbeat southwestern flavored salad you’re craving, try the seriously addictive one Southwest Salad with Coriander Honey Lime Dressing. The homemade honey lime dressing makes this salad unforgettable and irresistible!
19. If you’re looking for a salad that no one else is bringing to your next summer party, try ours Pasta salad with blueberries and roasted beets ! Packed with fresh flavor and absolutely gorgeous colors. This salad highlights roasted beets, fresh blueberries and a fresh blueberry dressing!
20. Panera was once famous Strawberry Poppy Chicken Salad rounds out our list of the most popular summer salads! I love the thinly sliced chicken breast, strawberries, tangerines, and fresh pineapple in this salad.
I hope you try at least one new salad before summer is over! Tag us on Instagram or Facebook if you make an ABK recipe 🙂 Instagram @Aboutifulkitchen Facebook @abountifulkitchen I’d love to see what you’re making/baking/eating this summer!