20+ REFRESHING SUMMER SALADS

Summer salads ask for endless sunshine. They're simple to make, let you experiment with in-season foods, and taste exceptionally juicy and wonderful.

REFRESHING SUMMER SALADS FOR EVERY CRAVING

Lazy summer days call for simple, no-fuss meals. We don't want to spend long hours in the kitchen with the oven on (no extra sweating, thank you very much). Therefore, here's my favorite collection of summer salad ideas to cook all season long!

You'll discover everything from quick, 4-ingredient salads to full-fledged meals with rich meats and veggies that truly fill you up (in a light way, of course). There are also lots of other party favorites to pick from if you need something in between for your next summer barbecue!

THE EASIEST SUMMER SALADS, EVER!

Let's be honest, easy-to-make summer salads are our saving grace. So here are a few of my favorites that require only 4–8 ingredients in their natural form. Just wash, slice, and discard!

Salad with Tomatoes and Avocado: The name pretty much tells it all. Just arrange the tomato and avocado slices (with onions) on a dish, drizzle with olive oil, pour some lemon juice, and season with salt and crushed black pepper. It's completely fresh, with no tossing required.

Salad Greek: A refreshing Greek salad is always welcome on a summer table. Cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, bell peppers, feta cheese, and my homemade Greek salad dressing are all you need. Believe me when I say that this homemade dressing makes all the difference.

Cucumber Radish Salad: The lemon juice, fresh dill, and pungent green onions zhuzh up your standard cucumber salad. If you don't like radishes, this basic cucumber salad will always be a crowd-pleaser.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad: Tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, feta cheese, parsley, and my reader's favorite lemon vinaigrette give this chickpea salad a coastal touch. If you like roasted tastes, you'll enjoy this roasted red pepper chickpea salad variant.

Caprese Salad: I get this salad every time I visit Italy, accompanied by an Aperol spritz (of course). Slices of luscious tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, and topped with fresh basil leaves, absolutely scream summer on a platter.

Chimichurri Potato Salad: creamy mashed potatoes with fresh chimichurri sauce. Maybe the best savory salad you can serve is warm or cold.

Waldorf Salad: A tangy-sweet, creamy dressing coats crisp apples, celery, grapes, and crunchy walnuts in this traditional fruit and nut salad. So revitalizing!

Salad Caprese with Avocado: Using avocado, give your classic caprese salad a California twist! Who doesn't enjoy a touch of creamy avocado in their salad?

Salad Israeli: It's a simple blend of bite-sized tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs that's a Mediterranean classic. It's also my go-to side salad for pretty much every outdoor summer meal.

LET’S NOT FORGET THESE CREAMY SUMMER SALADS – THEY’RE CLASSICS!

Classics like chicken salad, tuna salad, prawn salad, and potato salad exist for a reason. A creamy mayonnaise or yogurt dressing brings basic ingredients and fresh herbs together for a lively taste!

Shrimp Salad: One of your new favorite ways to consume shrimp this summer is this salad (aside from my grilled shrimp skewers, of course). The greatest creamy, lemony, herby dressing is swirled with chilled shrimp, celery, and onion.

Tuna Salad: A huge bowl of this tuna salad is a summertime favorite, plus it's inexpensive (as seen in my budget meal prep!). You may wrap it, pile it inside endive leaves, or shove it into avocados. Fundamentally, the options are limitless.

Broccoli Tuna Salad: I'm constantly seeking new ways to include more greens in my meals, and broccoli rice was the ideal way to sneak vegetables into a tuna salad.

Ultimate Chicken Salad: This chicken salad is really delicious. The combination of chicken, grapes, celery, onions, and a creamy lemony sauce will win you over.

Salmon Salad: Once a big salmon filet has been baked, flake it into a bowl with crisp celery, red onion, radishes, herbs, and a creamy, lemony dressing.

Traditional Potato Salad: There are other methods to make potato salad, but this classic recipe will never let you down. It's a delicious combination of potatoes, boiled eggs, celery, onions, radishes, mayo, and dill.

PEOPLE WILL RAVE ABOUT THESE SALADS AT YOUR NEXT BBQ

A barbeque isn't complete without the greatest summer cookout side dishes. And, undoubtedly, salads play a significant part at the table. From grilled maize salad to traditional potato salad, here's my spin on the classics.

Salad with fresh corn: This salad should be at the top of your list if you have grilled corn on the cob or fresh sweet corn. Toss the corn with tomatoes, cucumber, onions, herbs, and a mild olive oil-apple cider vinegar dressing.

Salad with broccoli: When it comes to any form of summer outing, this is one of those must-make salads. And every time I bring a huge bowl of delicious vegetarian bacon heaven, there are almost no leftovers.

SUMMER SALADS WITH FRUIT – EVERY WHICH WAY

Your market should be brimming with beautiful, ripe summer fruits at this point. Also, they will be less expensive than other out-of-season foods. So why not take advantage of them by including them in your summer salads for a naturally sweet and juicy touch?

Traditional Fruit Salad: A homemade fruit salad outperforms a store-bought one a million times over. particularly when mixed with a sweet and zingy honey lime dressing. It's quite simple to make, looks fantastic in a large bowl, and crosses fresh fruits off the list.

Mandarin Chicken Salad: Citrus takes on a new meaning in the summer, especially in this chicken salad. Spinach, cucumber slices, avocado, crunchy garnishes, and a fresh lemon vinaigrette are combined with oranges.

Berry Spinach Salad: Berry season is here! Make this raspberry vinaigrette to mix with spinach, red onion, and your favorite berry combination.

Salad with grilled peaches and burrata: There's something so satisfying about grilled fruit, especially sweet peaches. And when combined with fresh, creamy burrata and a sprinkle of balsamic glaze (or this balsamic vinaigrette), it's exquisite.

Watermelon, cucumber, and feta salad: From a watermelon smoothie to grilled watermelon, watermelon is a traditional summertime fruit. Making a fruit salad with watermelon is, of course, a given.

Melon Mozzarella Salad with Basil: If you like melon, this salad will hit the mark. They can potentially be cut into little cubes.

THE BEST SUMMER SALADS WITH CHICKEN, SEAFOOD, AND MORE!

These selections can readily fill the vacuum when you need a heartier summer salad for lunch or dinner. You only need to pick if you want chicken, ground beef, salmon, or prawn! But don't worry, with simple baked or pan-seared meats, the cooking time is kept to a minimum.

Salad with tuna, cucumber, and mozzarella: In this simple toss-together salad, you can give canned tuna a new (and tasty) appearance! It's boosted with the addition of sweet corn and fresh shallots.

Southwest Chicken Salad: Add black beans, corn, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime chicken, and a creamy avocado dressing to this chopped salad for a Tex-Mex touch. Tell me that doesn't seem appealing.

Salmon Avocado Salad: Make this salmon avocado salad when you're craving pan-seared salmon this summer. It mixes items you most likely already have in your refrigerator in a wonderful way.

Taco Salad: Everything you love about tacos, but in a more veggie-heavy dinner! Just pile chopped lettuce on top of cooked meat, beans, corn, guacamole, pico de gallo (or red salsa), and everything else you'd typically pile on top of a taco.

Salad with smoked salmon, avocado, and arugula: This is one of my favorite summer salad recipes. Given how much I adore smoked salmon, I'm a little prejudiced, but it's honestly incredibly refreshing when coupled with avocado, arugula, and a light vinaigrette.

Greek Chicken Salad: Add slices of perfectly seasoned baked chicken breast to your favorite Greek salad for a complete meal!