Food Recipes Salads 20 Picnic-Perfect Salads to Pack and Enjoy Outside Make your next alfresco meal a memorable one. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 21, 2024 Close Photo: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley When conditions are right, nothing beats enjoying a good meal alfresco. With a little planning, you can put together a tasty menu of dishes that are easy to transport and eat without needing to be reheated or fussed over. The best picnic salads are the ones that can be made in advance and actually improve as the flavors meld together in the fridge while they await their final destination. If you're looking for something to fill a picnic basket or feed a crowd at a cookout, peruse this roundup of make-ahead salads, including savory fruit salads, robust pasta salads like orecchiette with esquites flavors, hearty bean salads, and more. 01 of 20 Spanish-Style Pasta Salad with Tuna and Marinated Tomatoes Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell 2015 F&W Best New Chef Katie Button makes the most of Spanish pantry staples like mildly spicy, sweet piparra peppers and tangy sherry vinegar for the bold flavor in this hearty pasta salad. Get the Recipe 02 of 20 Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Chef Jacques Pépin cuts a small, seedless watermelon into rounds with a melon baller for this easy summer watermelon salad with refreshing mint, briny olives, and savory feta. Get the Recipe 03 of 20 Potato Salad with Fresh Corn and Basil Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Lucy Morrow adds fresh yellow corn, yellow onion, celery, basil, and dill to tender, creamy red baby potatoes in this two-hour make-ahead salad. Get the Recipe 04 of 20 Havuç Tarator (Turkish-Style Carrot Salad with Yogurt) Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Shredded carrots are cooked until just softened and paired with a tangy and creamy yogurt to make this vibrant Turkish side. Get the Recipe 05 of 20 Crunchy Mango and Avocado Salad Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva Balance the crunch of Savoy and red cabbage with creamy avocado and juicy mango in this slaw-like salad. Tender scallions, mint, cilantro, and toasted cashews play off the tangy, tahini-laced lemon-ginger dressing. Get the Recipe 06 of 20 Gỏi Gá (Crunchy Vietnamese Chicken Salad) Photographer: Kelsey Hansen, Food Stylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop Stylist: Addelyn Evans Pick up a rotisserie chicken for this salad, then toss it with crisp cabbage, carrots, red onion, herbs, and a tangy dressing before topping it with fried shallots and chopped peanuts. Get the Recipe 07 of 20 Antipasto Salad Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee Dress hearty lettuces, salami, provolone, tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers, and celery with olive oil and vinegar, then top with Parmesan, basil, and seasoning, for the ultimate combination of Italian flavors in a quick, satisfying salad. Get the Recipe 08 of 20 Esquites-Style Poblano Pasta Salad Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Enjoy the flavor of esquites in a pasta salad rendition, loaded with charred corn, zucchini, scallions, and poblano chile. Get the Recipe 09 of 20 Italian Tuna Salad Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman This Italian tuna salad combines oil-packed jarred tuna, sundried tomatoes, red onions, juicy olives, and celery, all tossed in a lemony honey-mustard dressing. It all comes together in 20 minutes and is a great recipe to make ahead. Get the Recipe 10 of 20 Mustard Slaw Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne This slaw of tangy Dijon mustard, vinegar, and hot sauce is packed with punchy flavors that cut through the fattiness of rich, smoky meats whether alongside barbecue or a charcuterie spread. Get the Recipe 11 of 20 Cucumber Salad Julia Hartbeck Vinegar, sugar, salt, and onion add gentle, versatile flavor to this quick and easy cucumber salad recipe. Feel free to make it up to a day ahead and store it in the fridge — the salad will only get tangier and more delicious as it sits. Get the Recipe 12 of 20 Greek Rice Salad Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Thom Driver This bright, punchy rice dish is packed with all the flavors of a Greek salad, with crunchy vegetables, juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, and salty feta cheese. Torn olives give a wonderful texture and a simple homemade red wine vinaigrette adds the perfect amount of flavorful zing. Get the Recipe 13 of 20 Lemony Chickpea Salad Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee This chickpea salad is accented with lemon, garlic, rosemary, and oregano, and gets a kick of flavor from quick-pickled onion and chopped peperoncini. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a picnic as a vegetarian-friendly main course or a side dish that can be made in advance and doesn't mind sitting out for a bit. Get the Recipe 14 of 20 Black Rice Salad with Cherries and Plums Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Fresh plums and cherries add pops of juicy sweetness to this hearty summer salad. Black rice gives the dish a dark, moody hue and an extra textural bite, while crunchy, craggy, blue cheese–infused breadcrumbs provide a lovely textural reprieve to the chewy rice and fruit. Get the Recipe 15 of 20 Beech Mushroom Salad Heami Lee / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely This simple chilled salad features a zesty dressing of black vinegar, chiles, oyster sauce, and toasted sesame oil over sautéed beech mushrooms. Serve it right away, or make it ahead and chill it in the refrigerator for up to three days to allow the mushrooms to further absorb the punchy marinade. Get the Recipe 16 of 20 Vegetable Rainbow Salad © Con Poulos This vibrant salad showcases a colorful mixture of pickled onions and radishes, roasted root vegetables, leafy greens, and black quinoa. Get the Recipe 17 of 20 Summer Bean Salad with Potlikker Vinaigrette Eva Kolenko Potlikker, as it’s called in the South, is the savory, starchy liquid left over after cooking beans or greens. Here, chef Joe Kindred whisks the über-flavorful liquid into a vinaigrette, but you can also use it in soups and pasta sauces, or thicken it with butter and drizzle over fish. Get the Recipe 18 of 20 Eggplant Caponata © Tina Rupp Sicily’s caponata is a tangy eggplant salad served as a side dish or appetizer. This version adds bits of velvety avocado. Get the Recipe 19 of 20 Lemony Barley Salad with Kale Pesto © Con Poulos Kale does double duty here: Some of the leaves are pureed with lemon juice and olive oil for a phenomenal pesto, and some of them are torn into pieces that are stirred into the cooked barley at the end. Get the Recipe 20 of 20 Black Bean and Quinoa Salad © Keller & Keller Chef Ken Oringer mixes quinoa with black beans, onions, and peppers to make a hearty and very satisfying side dish that can be refrigerated overnight. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit