12 salad recipe ideas

Hello friends! Do you love a good salad? During the summertime invariably menus turn to lighter fare. There’s nothing better than a fresh, crispy salad in my book. Here are 12 yummy different salad recipe ideas our family enjoys around here.

Some of these salads are prefect as a main dish, while others definitely fit into the side dish category. There’s also a super yummy melon salad, which can be a summertime dessert, a snack or even an appetizer. Hope some of these sound yummy to you so you can incorporate them into your menu planning and share with family and friends.

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freshness is key in salad recipes

My favorite lettuce varieties are Butter Lettuce and Arugula. We are fortunate to grow our own, allowing us to harvest some for super fresh summertime salads. There’s nothing better than to snip your own fresh veggies before prepping your salad ingredients.

If you can’t grow your own produce, which is totally understandable, always try to buy the best quality and freshest products you can find in your area. I recommend farmer’s markets and small organic grocers, if possible.

We’ve already enjoyed some of the lettuces and herbs this season. The rain we had all winter really conditioned the soil well, because everything is doing amazing this year. Of course you should always amend your soil with good nutrients before you plant. You can read about that here {prepping & planting the vegetables garden for the season}.

You can get more details with recipes and additional pictures by following links to original post

sooo many caprese based salads

During the summer we eat a ton of Caprese salads. We grow tomatoes and basil in the garden so it’s a no brainer around here. I love to play with the Caprese ingredients and come up with fun alternatives.

I. Traditional Caprese Salad

We grow a variety of small tomatoes like, the pear and cherry sized varieties. I love to use the Ciliegine sized mozzarella balls, which are similar in size to the tomatoes. The tomatoes and mozzarella sliced in half are a perfect match.

Julienned fresh basil leaves adds the perfect compliment of herbaciousness to the salad. I simply use a light sprinkle of salt & pepper and toss it in olive oil and red wine vinegar.

This basic Caprese salad is the base for many dishes throughout the summertime around here.

II. Caprese Pasta Salad

By adding pasta to a Caprese salad it provides a heartier dish that can be used as a side for a dinner entree or a light main dish. You can also add a protein if you would like a heartier fair.

My favorite way to doctor up a Caprese pasta salad is to fold some antipasto ingredients into the dish. Sliced salami, olives, roasted peppers, and marinated artichoke hearts include some yummy options.

I also love to fold in some tender greens from the garden like arugula, butter crunch, parsley and oregano to name a few.

III. Caprese Salad Skewers

One of my go to pot luck appetizers to bring for summertime soirees are Caprese skewers. They are super easy to make and always super popular during gatherings and get togethers.

I love how low maintenance they are. The mini skewers make them easy for folks to grab and devour, while still holding a beverage and mixing & mingling with friends. There are no additional utensils needed, which makes them easy.

Every time it’s time to go home, the tray is empty which makes it super easy to take home rather than dealing with left overs. I always use my enamel tray for these, which is very light, so the whole experience is low maintenance all around. You can read all about my enamelware obsession here {metals III – enamelware}.

IV. Caprese Salad Antipasto Salad

This is a fabulous way to elevate the caprese ingredients to a new level. Add your favorite antipasto ingredients to a basic caprese salad to create a super delicious grazing platter.

It’s a great appetizer tray when you are entertaining or it makes a great side accompaniment for lighter meals.

For this particular platter, I surrounded a traditional caprese salad with prosciutto ham, mediterranean olives, fresh avocado and roasted peppers. 

Other options you could use are salami, coppa ham, marinated artichoke hearts and marinated mushrooms to name a few. It’s like combining a charcuterie board, antipasto platter and Caprese salad all in one. This is all I need with a crusty French baguette and a yummy glass of wine. I am good; I do not need anything else.

V. California style Nicoise salade

Nicoise salad is a traditional French salad, consisting of olives, hardboiled eggs, spring beans, tomatoes and new potatoes. Nicoise customarily includes tuna fish, which can be adapted with other fish options like salmon or trout.

To inject our California style into the traditional French Nicoise salad, we use seared Ahi tuna and avocados. It rounds out the salad beautifully! 

The dressing is a basic vinaigrette. If you would like the recipe I use, you can find it by following the link above to the original post.

VI. 3-layer salad

This layered salad is a great option that can be adapted in so many directions. You can lighten it up for an easy lunch or beef it up for a main dinner entree. There’s a ton of versatility and you can adapt it to your family’s preference.

The bottom layer here includes farfalle {bowtie} pasta, which constitutes the base of the dish. This can also be substituted with brown or white rice, or a grain like quinoa or farrow. I toss my pasta in extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. I am very light handed with all the condiments since each layer gets it’s own dressing.

The middle layer is a bed of greens, which provides the freshness of the dish. I used arugula leafs here with lemon juice and salt&pepper. Once again this can be substituted with any greens of choice. Romaine lettuce can be used for an extra crunch or kale can elevate it to a super food platter.

The top layer is a protein salad. Here I have a mayonnaise based chicken salad, which I made from left over grilled chicken. I used celery, red onion and radishes in the chicken salad to provide some crunch and interest. You can also use tuna fish or shrimp salad or your protein salad of choice.

VII. corn, avocado, & tomato salad

Or what I like to call left over corn salad. I created this dish after having some BBQ corn left over. Simply cut the corn off the cobb and add some diced fresh avocado, cucumber, tomatoes and red onion.

I dress the salad with a simple vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt&pepper, which is my go to dressing for many salads.

You can include vegetables that you and your family prefer or use whatever you have on hand. This is a great way to use left overs or take advantage of using veggies that are hanging around.

It’s a great weekday salad |side dish option. It’s quick to make, using ingredients you hopefully already have on hand.

VIII. potato & string bean salad

I love traditional potato salads but this is a much lighter version. The non-mayonnaise based dressing plus the added string beans make this a healthier version than normal potato salads shared at many Amercian BBQs.

When we enjoy this salad at the dinner table it makes an appearance as a side dish. But I can have this as my lunch with nothing else. Well…, maybe with a crunchy piece of baguette.

The tang from the red wine vinegar is a wonderful contrast to the creaminess of the potatoes. The crunch of the string beans is also a great yin to the yang of the soft potatoes. 

IX. shrimp lettuce wraps

Ok, so some might argue this is not technically a salad since it’s called a wrap, but it’s shrimp salad wrapped in a leaf of lettuce. That says salad all the way to me.

You can find the recipe with all the details by following the links to the original post. It’s a pretty simple recipe, where the key to the dish is the freshness of all the ingredients. Crab or lobster meat are also great alternatives for this recipe.

These can be served family style, where guests can help themselves to as many helpings as desired. Or you could also serve them individually at everyone’s place settings. I like to use a large lettuce leaf, which I wrap tightly around the shrimp salad, and tie close with a chive strand. 

X. protein mixed green salad recipes

One of my favorite meals, especially during the warmer months, are mixed green salads with a protein of choice. This is a super easy meal, super fresh and super delicious.

Some of the favorites around here are grilled chicken Caesar salad or arugula mixed greens salad with grilled flank steak & blue cheese. But really, the possibilities are endless and it makes for a very lean dinner.

Remember you can get more details with recipes and additional pictures by following links to original post

XI. basic Italian mixed salad

We actually call this the Materazo salad. It’s a basic side salad we have with most entrees. We serve it along side every meal, but we tend to eat it after the meal as they do in many parts of Italy.

I learned this salad from my father-in-law, who is sometimes called the “salad man”. He grew his own vegetable garden back in Bedford, NY when I started dating my husband. Grandpa, which is how I call him now, made the salad most nights.

The basic salad consists of lettuce, tomatoes and red onion. Through the years we have added Persian cucumbers and radishes, preferring to keep it as simple as possible. I use my favorite greens of butter lettuce and arugula. When I can use the cherry and pear tomatoes from the garden is my favorite time of year.

The salad dressing consists of S&P, garlic powder, lemon pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and red wine vinegar. I do not measure any of it, I simply just do it by habit. Seasonings I recommend by preference. I go about 3 times around the bowl with the oil and 2 times with the vinegar. This serves as a side salad for our family of four.

XII. 3 melon salad

Nothing is more refreshing than melon during long hot days. This 3 melon salad with a hint of lime & mint is a simple recipe with a burst of flavors.

All you need is watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe melons plus a lime and some mint leaves. The melons have enough sweetness, which is counterbalanced with the citrus from the lime and the mint adds additional freshness and herbaciousness.

It’s a sophisticated yet simple fruit salad. It is great for entertaining or to bring to share at a pot luck. The presentation is beautiful, plus the flavors burst in your mouth. It its always a crowd pleaser.

summertime welcomes salad season

I hope you enjoyed these salad recipes and ideas, incorporating some into your menu planning for your own family. Bon Appetit!

get ready for salad season

“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.”

Brian O’Driscoll

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sharing @ between naps on the porch