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9 Salads Made for Summer

Salads are much more than just a bowl of lettuce. This summer, spice up a lunch or dinner salad with mixed textures, fresh herbs, and creative touches like grilled fruit. Make a light but filling salad for an easy office lunch or a quick dinner when the family’s busy schedule brings everyone home late.

Pork is meant to be paired with fruit, and this recipe lets you grill both the tenderloin and sliced peaches for a lovely contrast. Sweet butter lettuce is the perfect backdrop for chopped pecans and crumbled goat cheese. The salad is finished with a light honey, thyme, and red wine vinaigrette that has depth from browned butter and is quick to shake together at home.

Crunchy romaine lettuce gets two treatments in this salad: Half the lettuce is served cold and fresh while the other half gets flash-grilled to a charred finish. Top with a light dressing, add asparagus and zucchini, and garnish with homemade croutons.

Packaged hummus mixed with lemon juice and fresh chopped parsley make a great dressing for this warm salad. Grill and press the chicken for a perfect sear, then mix it with sliced red peppers, onion, Greek seasoning, and a melange of hearty greens including kale, chard, and baby spinach. Canned artichoke hearts and cannellini beans add heft to this perfect main dish salad.

Creamy avocado, spicy arugula, and easy sliced deli smoked chicken come together for a light but satisfying spin on a caprese salad. You’ll recognize the tomatoes, snipped fresh basil leaves, and mozzarella balls as the classic components of caprese. Here, they’re reimagined as a summery main dish.

Enjoy the flavors of summer with this easy and delicious salad. Studded with fresh berries and citrus, this light dish is the perfect addition to any brunch or bridal shower, or quick and easy dinner.

Super healthy kale meets spiralized zucchini noodles in this big salad, which has lots of options for toppings, including grilled chicken or salmon, seasonal tomatoes, or pomegranate seeds. Shake up a quick dressing—a lighter, lemony take on the classic Caesar— and let it sit on the hearty greens for a minute to soften them before serving.

This sweet summer salad is the perfect combination of fresh spinach, strawberries, sliced almonds, and cucumber tossed in a creamy poppyseed dressing! It has all the flavor, texture, and deliciousness you need for a potluck in one bowl. You can quickly make it in the morning in an on-the-go serving bowl and bring it to your friend’s backyard barbecue or family picnic later in the day. 

This restaurant-worthy salad is chock full of delicious steamed summer vegetables like corn, zucchini, tomato, and sliced green beans. Season the grilled chicken with a smoky barbecue rub, and chop crispy bacon for added texture. Arrange the ingredients in a large serving bowl for a lovely presentation before drizzling it with a creamy buttermilk dressing and tossing it together.

This salad gets a creamy kick from ranch dressing whisked with lime juice, fresh jalapeño, and taco seasoning. Blend the dressing with the classic ingredients of Tex-Mex—black beans, corn, red pepper, grilled chicken, and black olives—for a satisfying salad that’s easy to like.

23 Responses to 9 Salads Made for Summer

  1. Sheila K Taylor May 15, 2018 at 7:58 pm #

    Looks good for hot days ?

  2. Shelley williams May 22, 2018 at 12:57 am #

    I’m excited I ? salad, these salads look so good.

    • Jessica July 28, 2020 at 8:34 am #

      Barbecue chicken chopped salad looks delicious. Would definitely try that one first

    • Belinda May 8, 2022 at 2:43 pm #

      I would try them all.

  3. ramona.bear May 23, 2018 at 7:04 pm #

    I look forward to salads in the spring and summer.

  4. Rebecca Hodge May 27, 2018 at 1:05 pm #

    All look delicious. There are 5 of them I am going to try.

  5. Linda Leano May 30, 2018 at 6:27 pm #

    These look wonderful for the coming hot summer days!

  6. Sherry Wright June 1, 2018 at 4:12 pm #

    Grilled Peach, Bar-b-que chicken and southwestern salad. ?

  7. Kathy Hentz June 1, 2018 at 5:25 pm #

    Looks great. Love salads

  8. Tina July 23, 2018 at 6:30 pm #

    I think 1 and 7 would be good.

  9. Polly Blevins August 1, 2018 at 1:46 pm #

    They look cool amd interesting.

  10. Julia January 19, 2020 at 12:10 am #

    Can’t wait to make some of these salads

  11. Melissa Sneed February 12, 2020 at 1:31 am #

    Grilled peach salad sounds yummy

  12. Tammy Ann Herbal June 20, 2020 at 8:34 am #

    All of the salads llok good, but i really like 2 and 4.

    • Robin June 22, 2020 at 7:14 pm #

      The peach salad. I love peaches

  13. Saucy Whisk, Janet Hix August 13, 2020 at 5:15 pm #

    The southwestern salad should be my signature salad since my chef name is Saucy Whisk… SW for SouthWestern!! 🌶🌽🥗

    • Janice Kelly August 15, 2020 at 4:40 am #

      Grilled peach salad looks like something I might try.

  14. Virginia Winkler August 28, 2020 at 2:22 pm #

    I would love the Southwestern salad.

  15. Rita Todgers August 26, 2021 at 6:43 pm #

    I would try grilled peach, chopped barbecue chicken, and southwestern.

  16. Kimberly Lucas January 17, 2022 at 7:56 pm #

    The Southwestern Salad, then the Peach Salad!

  17. Rita February 7, 2022 at 7:29 pm #

    These look amazing!!

  18. Lori April 30, 2023 at 11:36 am #

    They all look so good. I def have to try the grilled peach tho!

  19. Cindy Moon August 29, 2023 at 1:58 pm #

    The spinach and strawberry salad looks mouthwatering! Also love me a good Ole southwest chicken n salad.

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