15 Spring Salads To Brighten Your Table
Once the weather turns warmer and the days are stretching longer, I find myself craving salads! And luckily there are all types of salads, no matter how you like them! As a simple side to dinner, lunch salads that can be prepped ahead, or even as the main meal. You’ll love these bright, fresh, and delicious salads.
Arugula Quinoa Salad
You’ll find yourself making this quinoa arugula salad over and over again! Not only is this quinoa and arugula salad incredibly flavorful with its bright lemon vinaigrette, but it’s also ready in just 15 minutes of prep. Each serving of this has a whopping 19 grams of plant-based protein making it a great make-ahead lunch or dinner side dish.
Get the Recipe: Arugula Quinoa Salad.
Taco Salad
If you love a classic taco salad, you will always be happy to see this recipe on the menu. It’s quick, easy, and always hits the spot. Ground beef cooks super fast, making it a great weeknight option. Put out all of the salad components and let everyone make their own salad.
Get the Recipe: Easy Taco Salad.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
You’ll love this classic cucumber salad! Thinly sliced cucumbers are tossed with onions and a simple sour cream dressing, this gets better as it sits in the fridge. It’s easy to prep and made with simple ingredients, it’s a staple at our house, especially when the garden cucumbers are flowing.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Cucumber Salad.
Italian Chopped Salad
Quite possibly my all-time favorite salad and maybe yours, too, this is our go-to house salad and the side to so many dinners. This is the perfect chopped salad – crunchy, well-balanced, and tossed in a flavorful homemade red wine vinaigrette. Each bite is packed with bold Italian flavors.
Get the Recipe: Italian Chopped Salad.
Big Mac Salad
Skip the drive-thru and get the flavor you crave, at home. This recipe has Big Mac-inspired flavor in each bite, but with a lighter and fresher flavor. Serve with fries for a delicious and nutritious main course dinner salad.
Get the Recipe: Big Mac Salad.
Cowboy Caviar
Don’t tell the party guests that this bean dip is secretly super-nutritious – it is bound to be gobbled up based on flavor alone! Made with a colorful mix of fresh vegetables, two types of beans, and a tangy dressing, it’s hard to stop eating this dip! Serve with tortilla chips or crackers for a scoopable snack that everyone always adores.
Get the Recipe: Cowboy Caviar.
Chopped Greek Salad
This Greek salad is a simple yet flavorful side that brings fresh and bright Mediterranean flavors to your table. Made with crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, salty olives, and creamy feta cheese the salad is incredibly balanced, delicious, and satisfying.
Get the Recipe: Greek Cucumber Salad.
Southwest Salad
The classic southwest salad gets a modern makeover! Greens are topped with spiced chickpeas, tomatoes, grilled chicken, sharp cheddar, guacamole, and tortilla chips so that each bite is full of flavor. You can make a few of the components ahead for an even quicker meal.
Get the Recipe: Southwest Salad.
Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Salad
When you’re in the mood for a salad that’s incredibly delicious, fun to eat, and super nutritious, this garbanzo bean salad is what you’re going to want to make! Made with crunchy and fresh veggies, satisfying garbanzo beans, and a homemade vinaigrette, this salad can be prepped ahead for quick and healthy lunches or served as a side dish to your favorite protein.
Get the Recipe: Garbanzo Bean Salad.
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
You’ll love this Greek orzo pasta salad with bright, fresh flavors and satisfying, salty bites! It’s made with classic Greek ingredients like crunchy and crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, salty feta, and fresh dill. Everything is tossed with tender pasta and a red wine vinaigrette for a salad that’s utterly delicious.
Get the Recipe: Greek Orzo Salad.
Lemon Kale Salad
This easy lemon kale salad recipe is made with crunchy lacinato kale, a bright lemon dressing, and extra flavor from crunchy panko and shredded Parmesan cheese. After my cousin brought this kale salad to Thanksgiving one year, it was requested year after year – it’s that good! You can make this delicious salad ahead of time so that you aren’t adding extra work to your meal. Just keep the dressing to the side and mix it in right before serving.
Get the Recipe: Kale Salad.
Mediterranean Tortellini Pasta Salad
This Mediterranean pasta salad could be a main dish on its own, but it’s also a tasty side dish for many different entrees. This salad has it all with sweet, crunchy, chewy, acidic, and salty flavors in each and every bite. You’re going to love it.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Tortellini Pasta Salad.
Greek Potato Salad with Green Beans
This tasty Greek potato salad is bursting with flavor, it’s really easy to make, and the whole family will enjoy it. This healthy side salad comes with not one nutritious veggie but two! Pair it with Mediterranean meals or grilled chicken.
Get the Recipe: Greek Potato Salad with Green Beans.
Easy Napa Cabbage Slaw
This crunchy napa cabbage slaw recipe is the best coleslaw! Crunchy napa cabbage is studded with blue cheese crumbles and tossed in an easy and flavorful vinaigrette dressing. This easy coleslaw recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and 8 easy ingredients that you probably already have.
Get the Recipe: Easy Napa Cabbage Slaw.
Quinoa Black Bean Salad
This black bean quinoa salad recipe should be on the top of your recipes-to-make list! It’s light and bright, satisfying and nutritious, and loaded with plant-based protein and fiber, all with tons of layered flavor. Because it can be made ahead, it’s a great salad for everything from picnics to summer cookouts to healthy meal prep salads to get you through the week.
Get the Recipe: Black Bean Quinoa Salad.
