21+ Easy Summer Salad Recipes (Best 2022 Salads)

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Want the best easy summer salad recipes? See my list of the all types – the best healthy salads for appetizers and lunch, the best salads for cookouts, outdoor parties, and picnics. See these tasty ideas…

The best summer salads collage with text overlay.

If you’re looking for the best summer salad recipes, this list is packed with ideas you’ll be making all summer long. Many with minimal cooking – or no cooking at all.

Cold summer salads

When it comes to cold summer salads, using fresh, juicy and crunchy ingredients is a must. Try to use ingredients like fresh chopped vegetables and bites of chilled fruit. Seriously – adding just a few slices of a nice cooling cucumber or pickled red onions can really freshen things up!

Strawberry feta salad

Cold summer salad with strawberries and onions.

When it comes to delicious summer salads with fresh produce, this is a very easy and tasty idea. If you want the best summer salads for a get together, this strawberry feta salad is always a crowd-pleaser. It’s the perfect side dish for picnics and summer barbecue parties.

Peach salad

It’s one of the most refreshing summer salads… This tasty peach salad is spreading like crazy in my circle of friends. I started making it with juicy peaches for lunch, and once I shared the recipe here on Sip Bite Go, everyone I knew was starting to crave it.

Simple Avocado Ranch Salad

I love this simple summer avocado ranch salad recipe because it uses a shortcut: ranch dressing. Serve it with a main like chicken al pastor tacos for a perfect summer meal.

Healthy summer salads

There are so many nutritious salads to make in the summer because all of the summer season vegetables overflowing at the grocery store and farmers markets. Here are some combinations of healthy greens and vegetables that are a great way to change up your summer salad recipes.

Cucumber salads with heirloom tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a squeeze of lemon and high quality olive oil. See the recipe for my simple tomato cucumber salad for inspiration.
For a simple salad, I like a crunch kale salad with pickled red onions, shaved parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of cooked sweet corn. Sometimes I turn it into a kale and goat cheese salad for a change.
Greek summer salads with dill, cool cucumber, fresh parsley and a red wine vinaigrette.
Tomato salad with fresh basil.
Chilled Avocado salad with a drizzle of soy sauce.
Anything topped with creamy avocado dressing or creamy jalapeno dressing.
Green pepper salad with salsa Verde dressing.

Rice salads for summer

Summer rice salads are a great option when you want to turn a salad into a complete meal, but keep it keto friendly and skip the pasta.

You can opt to use cauliflower rice or brown rice instead of white rice in these salads to make them even more healthy. Rice salads are easy to make because if you’re meal prepping them, you can use frozen rice.

Greek rice salad

Here’s one of my favorite super easy summer salads because it’s a little bit different, and a great thing to make with leftover rice. Try a Greek style rice salad with roasted cherry tomatoes, crunchy carrots and cucumbers, crumbles of fresh feta, and halved kalamata olives.

You can take a shortcut and use your favorite greek dressing to make it. Just add the dressing to cooked rice, toss in your favorite vegetables, and you have a tasty dish.

Summer dinner salads

Top any of these summer dinner salad ideas with grilled skirt steak, flank steak, air fryer filet mignon or easy pan seared chicken breast, or sous vide shrimp, and you have a complete meal.

Cobb salad

When it comes to low carb summer salads, choosing a chopped salad like a cobb is a great idea because it’s packed with proteins and filling ingredients. I like mine with toppings like crisp romaine lettuce, ranch dressing, diced sous vide chicken breast, air fryer turkey bacon, avocado, diced bell peppers, a sprinkle of sunflower seeds, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Cobb salad is also great with pan grilled chicken or oven baked tri tip steak.

Mediterranean pasta salad

This is one of my favorite potluck salads in the summer, because it presents so beautifully and is loaded with seasonal vegetables. My favorite type of Mediterranean pasta salad recipe is one of the best light summer salads.

With just enough pasta to make it filling. Using fresh herbs from the Aerogarden makes it refreshing. Toss in fresh tomatoes (see my tomato cucumber salad for inspiration) and make it with something like this honey lemon basil dressing.

Easy Greek orzo salad

One of my favorite ways to use orzo pasta is to make a Greek Orzo salad, packed with fresh veggies. It’s packed with vitamins and colors from all the fresh healthy vegetables: fresh parsley, diced carrots, diced cucumbers, fresh dill. I always add a crumbled block of feta for some extra protein.

Love feta? See this recipe for baked feta with peppers and onions.

Because he loves the cuisine of NOLA, one of my husband’s all time favorite summer lunch recipes is my blackened chicken salad. Add it on top of green leaf salads or in a large bun to enjoy for lunch. It’s one of those good summer salads for a road trip or day at the beach because it holds well in a cooler and is filling enough to power you through an afternoon of sight seeing.

Summer side salads

When we’re having people over for a bbq party or to smoke wings or other smoked foods, I always prepare one or two summer salads for a crowd.

Caprese salad with cucumbers

Caprese side salad using summer produce.

One of my favorite summer salads for bbq parties is a simple Caprese salad.

Blueberry salad with creamy burrata

Summer side salad recipe with blueberries.

After you go berry picking, make this summer blueberry salad with balsamic dressing and a creamy burrata ball. Add some cherry tomato halves for an extra pop of color for a red white blue theme for patriotic Summer holidays.

Asparagus salads

Want a tasty summer pasta salad? Don’t snooze on trying some summer asparagus salads while the healthy green vegetable is in its prime. I love adding sous vide asparagus or roasted asparagus to creamy pesto pasta salad.

Summer picnic salads

Want some great summer salads for a picnic? Choose salads that don’t need to be refrigerated and don’t use ingredients that will spoil easily, like mayonnaise or sour cream.

Summer salads without mayo

Red cabbage carrot salad.
Farro salad with roasted vegetables (pop some roasted fava beans on top for a delicious bite).
Potato salad with italian dressing and fresh herbs.
Penne pasta salad with black beans and tomatoes, served with a cilantro lime dressing. is loaded with Italian flavors and it can be served cold or at room temperature, making it perfect for potlucks and summer barbecues.
Corn salad with fresh basil spinach pesto that uses walnuts instead of pine nuts.
Fruit salad – try a watermelon salad with fresh mint.

Fun summer salads

Mexican Tortellini Pasta Salad

Fun summer salad idea with tortellini pasta.

Once you learn how to cook cheese tortellini to perfection, make this tortellini pasta salad. It’s so satisfying and quite different from other summer pasta salads. There’s a ton of fresh cilantro in there to enjoy.

Mexican salad with corn and ranch dressing

This is a fun summer salad idea because you can eat it in a bowl, like a normal salad, or serve it the best way: with tortilla chips and use it as a dip. I was featured on the Portland news KGW station making this make ahead Mexican salad with ranch dressing, a little heat from chili powder and sweet corn to balance it out. My husband is always excited when he sees it prepped for dinner in the fridge instead of one of those regular green salads.

New recipes and foodie guides….

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Are you a foodie, too?

Hey home chefs, want something to make to serve along with these summer salad dishes?

Crispy and delicious, these grilled chicken wings are the perfect appetizer for a game day party— or make a big batch and serve it as a main dish. My fool-proof recipe gives you step by step instructions and walks you through the simple steps to delicious wings, right in your own backyard.

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