21 Summer Salad Recipes to Serve With Grilled Meals and Dinners
Summer dinners often need something cool and fresh next to whatever is coming off the grill. You can pick a pasta salad, a crisp side, or a fuller bowl depending on how much you want on the plate. Serve one with grilled mains, sandwiches, or a casual dinner outside.
Chicken Salad
Berries and skillet chicken make Chicken Salad for four servings with a 40-minute stated total. Romaine, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, pecans, feta, and a Greek yogurt dressing surround chicken marinated with yogurt, garlic, oregano, and paprika. The directions add at least 30 minutes of marinating, so the full schedule runs longer than the stated time. Assemble it just before serving beside grilled corn, bread, soup, or other summer sides.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Salad
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Rotini gives Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad six servings in 1 hour 25 minutes. Bacon, cheddar, cherry tomatoes, peas, red onion, green onions, celery, and parsley are folded into pasta coated with mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Rinsing the cooked pasta stops the cooking before the assembled bowl chills for at least one hour. Make it ahead for burgers, ribs, grilled chicken, hot dogs, or a potluck table.
Get the Recipe: Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Egg Salad
Hard-boiled eggs turn Egg Salad into six servings in 22 minutes. Mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, celery, red onion, green onions or chives, salt, pepper, and paprika create the creamy mixture. The eggs sit covered for 12 minutes after boiling, then cool in an ice bath for 10 minutes before peeling and chopping. Serve it in sandwiches, wraps, lettuce cups, or small bowls with crackers beside a grilled dinner.
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Beet Salad
Roasted roots give Beet Salad eight servings with a 1 hour 15 minute total time. Red beets, cucumber, feta, pecans, and parsley are finished with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, orange zest, and salt. The beets roast for 45 to 55 minutes and cool for about 30 minutes before peeling, cubing, and arranging. Prepare the components ahead, then serve the salad with grilled chicken, fish, pork, or vegetable plates.
Get the Recipe: Beet Salad
Dense Bean Salad
Chickpeas and pinto beans make Dense Bean Salad in eight servings in 15 minutes. Red onion, red and yellow peppers, cucumber, Kalamata olives, feta, parsley, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon, garlic, oregano, and olive oil fill the bowl. Everything is mixed with the shaken dressing, and an optional 15-minute rest gives the ingredients more time together. Pack it for cookouts or serve it with grilled chicken, fish, burgers, pita, or rice.
Get the Recipe: Dense Bean Salad
Honeycrisp Salad
Honeycrisp apples bring Honeycrisp Salad to four servings in 15 minutes. Frisée, arugula, candied walnuts, and blue cheese are coated with a vinaigrette made from apple cider vinegar, honey, cinnamon, cumin, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The dressing shakes together in a jar before the greens and toppings are tossed. Serve it beside grilled pork, chicken, sausages, sandwiches, or roasted vegetables for a sweet and savory contrast.
Get the Recipe: Honeycrisp Salad
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Shredded poultry makes Buffalo Chicken Salad three servings in five minutes. Cooked chicken is mixed with buffalo sauce, sour cream, ranch, celery, green onions, blue cheese, and garlic powder. The bowl can be served immediately, though the directions recommend at least one hour of chilling for the ingredients to settle together. Spoon it into croissants, wraps, lettuce cups, or cucumber boats, or offer it with crackers beside grilled meals.
Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Salad
Italian Pasta Salad
Pesto coats Italian Pasta Salad, a four-serving side ready in 18 minutes. Bow-tie pasta, cherry tomatoes, baby bocconcini, mixed greens, balsamic glaze, salt, and pepper make up the chilled bowl. The pasta is rinsed under cold water before being tossed with pesto and the remaining ingredients, and it can chill for an hour before serving. Pair it with grilled chicken, shrimp, kebabs, burgers, or corn on the cob.
Get the Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad
Caesar Salad
Homemade croutons give Caesar Salad six servings in 35 minutes. Romaine and Parmesan are tossed with a dressing of garlic, anchovy paste, egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon, vegetable oil, and salt. French bread cubes bake with olive oil and Italian seasoning for 15 minutes before cooling and joining the salad. Serve it beside steak, grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, pasta, or bread, or add protein directly to the bowl.
Get the Recipe: Caesar Salad
Potato Salad
Warm potato cubes start Potato Salad, an eight-serving side with 25 minutes of active preparation. Bacon, cucumber, celery, onion, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, celery seeds, and a homemade French dressing complete the bowl. Let the potatoes rest in the French dressing for two hours before finishing the salad. Make it a day ahead for grilled chicken, ribs, burgers, sausages, or cookout spreads.
Get the Recipe: Potato Salad
Cobb Salad
Layered toppings make Cobb Salad four servings in 40 minutes. Chicken breast, bacon, boiled eggs, romaine, cherry tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese, and shallots are finished with a Dijon and apple cider vinegar dressing. The seasoned chicken cooks before cooling and joining the arranged vegetables, eggs, cheese, and bacon. Serve it as the main meal after grilling, or place it beside bread, corn, potatoes, or a lighter vegetable side.
Get the Recipe: Cobb Salad
Tuna Salad
Greek yogurt keeps Tuna Salad to four servings in 15 minutes. Drained tuna, celery, red onion, lemon juice, Dijon, dill or parsley, salt, and pepper create the simple mixture. The dressing is whisked first before the tuna and vegetables are folded in, with no cooking or extra resting required. Serve it chilled in sandwiches, pita, tortillas, lettuce wraps, or over greens beside grilled vegetables and summer sides.
Get the Recipe: Tuna Salad
Sweet and Spicy Hot Honey Chicken Salad
Cornflake-crusted chicken gives Sweet and Spicy Hot Honey Chicken Salad six servings in 40 minutes. Chicken breast, honey, red pepper flakes, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, blue cheese, and ranch build the bowl. The coated chicken bakes for 15 to 20 minutes before being covered with hot honey, cooled slightly, sliced, and placed over the vegetables. Keep the chicken, greens, and dressing separate until serving to preserve their textures.
Get the Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Hot Honey Chicken Salad
Copycat Big Mac Salad
Ground beef turns Copycat Big Mac Salad into four servings in 30 minutes. Butter lettuce, cheddar, onion, pickles, optional tomato, sesame seeds, and a mayonnaise, relish, vinegar, mustard, paprika, and sugar sauce recreate the burger-style bowl. The seasoned beef browns for seven to 10 minutes before cooling slightly and joining the vegetables and chilled sauce. Serve it as dinner with fries, corn, pickles, or another cold salad.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Big Mac Salad
Tabbouleh
Parsley forms the base of Tabbouleh, a four-serving salad with a one-hour total time. Cooled bulgur, cucumber, tomato, mint, scallions, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, coriander, cinnamon, and salt complete the bowl. The chopped ingredients are tossed with the dressing, then chilled for 30 minutes before serving. Pair it with grilled chicken, lamb, fish, kebabs, pita, hummus, or roasted vegetables at a summer dinner.
Get the Recipe: Tabbouleh
Layered Seven Layer Salad
Clear glass layers give Layered Seven Layer Salad eight servings in 30 minutes. Chicken breast, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, peas, corn, celery, and bacon are stacked with a Greek yogurt dressing containing lemon, Dijon, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper. The chicken bakes for 20 minutes before cooling and being diced for the layers. Refrigerate the dressing separately and mix the salad only when it reaches the table.
Get the Recipe: Layered Seven Layer Salad
Taco Salad
Crisp tortilla bowls hold Taco Salad, a four-serving meal ready in 30 minutes. Ground beef, taco seasoning, romaine, black beans, tomato, cheddar, avocado sauce, and cilantro fill the fried shells. Each tortilla is briefly fried and shaped over an inverted bowl before the beef is browned, seasoned, and combined with the vegetables. Keep the shells and filling separate until serving so the bowls stay firm beside salsa, corn, or grilled vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Taco Salad
Salmon Caesar Salad
Pan-seared fish makes a Salmon Caesar Salad in four servings in 20 minutes. Romaine, croutons, Parmesan, and salmon are dressed with garlic, anchovy paste, egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon, vegetable oil, and salt. The salmon cooks for about four minutes on the first side and another two to three minutes after flipping. Serve the salad immediately with bread, grilled vegetables, potatoes, or corn for a complete summer dinner.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Caesar Salad
Waldorf Salad
Apples give Waldorf Salad six servings in 10 minutes without any cooking. Celery, halved grapes, toasted walnuts or pecans, mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, and salt form the classic cold mixture. The dressing is mixed before the fruit, celery, and nuts are folded in, and the salad can chill until serving. Place it beside grilled chicken, burgers, sausages, sandwiches, or other cookout salads while keeping it cold outdoors.
Get the Recipe: Waldorf Salad
Quinoa Salad
Quinoa makes Quinoa Salad in six servings in 25 minutes. Chickpeas, cucumber, red onion, parsley, mint, roasted pistachios, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper fill the grain bowl. The quinoa simmers for about 15 minutes and cools for five to 10 minutes before being combined with the fresh ingredients and dressing. Serve it chilled or at room temperature with grilled vegetables, chicken, fish, kebabs, hummus, or pita.
Get the Recipe: Quinoa Salad
Fresh Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies
Broiled vegetables fill Fresh Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies, a four-serving dish ready in 40 minutes. Cavatappi, zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, black olives, parsley, lemon, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, garlic, and basil create the bowl. The vegetables char under the broiler while the pasta cooks, then both cool slightly before being tossed with the vinaigrette. Serve it at room temperature or chilled beside grilled mains.
Get the Recipe: Fresh Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies
