60+ Best Salad Recipes That Aren't Boring

Main course salad recipes are EVERYTHING. They're a great way to use up the fresh produce in season, and you can load them up with whatever you have in your fridge or pantry. I've rounded up over 60 of my favorite salads here, plus my top 4 salad dressings you'll want to batch so you never run out. If you're already meal-prepping for the week, my 50 Easy Lunch Ideas That Are Better Than Ordering Takeout and 50 Easy Dinner Ideas are perfect companion roundups. And if you've got a backyard cookout on the calendar, don't miss The ULTIMATE Memorial Day Menu.

Salad Dressing Recipes

Because you can't have an amazing salad without a salad dressing that's equally as good! These are some of my absolute favorites, from herby vinaigrettes to a creamy caesar dressing.

• Basil Vinaigrette

• Knock Off Trader Joe’s Orange Muscat Champagne Vinaigrette

• Cilantro Vinaigrette

• Tahini Vegan Caesar Dressing

• The Perfect French Dijon Vinaigrette

Big Green Salads

I live for a big green salad loaded with all of the fresh colorful produce. Serve it up with some grilled fish, shrimp, steak, or chicken, and it’s a meal in itself!

• McCarthy Chopped Salad

• Ginger Soy Herb Salad

• The New Go-To Kale Salad

• Avocado Kale Caesar

• What’s Gaby Cooking House Salad

• Loaded Power Salad

Fruit Salad

Vibrant fruit salad recipes for every season. Bring on all the pomegranate and citrus salads during the winter, then come summer, watermelon and peach salads will most definitely be on repeat.

• Watermelon Peach Salad

• Pomegranate Citrus Salad

• Melon and Prosciutto Salad

• Citrus Avocado Salad

• Fig Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

• Melon Halloumi Salad

• Cherry and Peach Panzanella

Chicken Salads

Looking for a quick and easy protein-packed lunch or dinner? These chicken salads are for you.

• Asian Chicken Slaw

• Grilled Chicken with Avocado Tomato Salad

• Taco Salad

Salmon Salads

These salmon salads are far from average. They're also a great way for you to give that leftover salmon sitting in your fridge a facelift.

• Salmon Salad Bowl with Stone Fruit Salsa

• BLT Salmon Salad + Cilantro Dressing

• Salmon Shawarma Salad

• Salmon Nicoise

• Loaded Sesame Ginger Salmon Salad

Cucumber Salad

Light and refreshing cucumber salads like this viral cucumber salad recipe are a great side dish for just about anything.

• Cucumber Feta Salad

• Watermelon Cucumber Salad

• Cucumber Avocado Ahi Ceviche

• Cucumber Tomato Salad with Garlic Herb Grilled Naan

Cobb Salads

I'm a big fan of Cobb salads and have been putting a Californian spin on them for a while. Here's the deal I love a loaded salad (with all of the avocado, of course) dressed in a delicious homemade dressing, but hard boiled eggs in my salad. NO thank you. Creamy thick dressings… hard pass. I want a healthy, gorgeous, colorful, and light Cobb salad, and that's exactly what these recipes are!

• Chicken Fajita Cobb

• Mexican Cobb Salad

• California Cobb Salad

• Grilled Summer Cobb Salad

Greek Salads

Light and refreshing greek salads that are so good they'll make you feel like you’re sitting beachside in Greece. These would make a showstopper side-dish or a great weeknight meal! And this oregano vinaigrette is hands-down the best Greek Salad dressing.

• Greek Salad with Salmon

• Heirloom Tomato and Feta Salad

• Loaded Greek Salad

• Greek Chicken Salad

• Herb Caprese Salad

Pasta Salad

A pasta salad is always a hit! It's easy to make ahead and comes together in no time. You can eat pasta salad at room temp, warm, cold, you name it! It’s great as the main course and also wonderful as a side dish!

• Tomato Confit Pasta Salad

• Pesto Pasta Salad

• Basil Vinaigrette Pasta Salad

• Castelvetrano Greek Pasta Salad

• Sesame Noodle Salad

• Rice Noodle Salad with Steak

Grain Salad

Like a pasta salad, these grain salads are great to prep in advance. They take grains you probably already have in your pantry like quinoa and farro and turn them into something truly incredible.

• Deconstructed Falafel Salad

• Summer Grain Bowl with Green Goddess Feta Dressing

• BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

• Mexican Corn and Quinoa Salad

• Farro Delicata Squash Salad

Potato Salad

Delicious potato salad recipes you'll want to bring to all of your summer BBQs and pool parties. From my Omi's German Potato Salad, a family recipe passed down for over 100 years, to a creamy greek potato salad loaded with all of the herbs. 

• German Potato Salad

• Greek Potato Salad

• Sweetpotato, Corn and Feta Salad

Fall & Winter Salads

Wholesome and comforting salads for the fall and winter. Loaded with all of the seasonal produce like kale, radicchio, Brussels sprouts, squash, pomegranates, and persimmons. From harvest salads to butternut squash salads, this list has got you covered.

• Winter Greens Salad with Pecorino Dressing

• Brussels Sprouts Salad with Persimmons

• Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad

• Fall Farmers Market Salad

• Delicata Squash Salad

• Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Spring Salads

Bright and light salads to celebrate the start of spring. Think baby gem lettuce, radishes, spring peas, asparagus, and the other good produce that comes with the change of seasons.

• Crispy Quinoa Spring Salad

• Green Monster Salad

• Spring Pea Salad

• Loaded Nicoise Salad

• Blueberry and Grilled Asparagus Salad

Summer Salads

Summer is the most abundant time of the year for produce, and we're taking advantage of all the fruits and veggies we can get our hands on for these summer salads. These salads are loaded with peaches, berries, stone fruit, sweet corn, tomatoes, basil, and more.

• Avocado Peach Summer Salad

• Summer Stone Fruit Salad

• Raw Summer Salad

• Loaded Grilled Steak Salad

• Avocado Corn Salad

• Summer Grilled Chicken Power Salad

• Loaded Steak Salad Bowl with Yogurt Green Goddess