Food Recipes Salads 50 Standout Salad Ideas With all of these fresh salad ideas, there's no reason to be in a salad rut. 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 20, 2024 Close Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster Making a great salad is all about achieving the perfect balance of flavors and textures, ideally in every last bite. In no small part does this include the dressing, which can take an otherwise unassuming combination of ingredients and escalate them to something completely irresistible. This collection of our best salad ideas gathers favorites from our editors and readers alike. From quintessential classics like cucumber salad and Cobb salad to an enchanting black rice and stone fruit salad and hot-honeyed sweet potato salad, these are the recipes to reach for whether you're looking for a simple side dish or a hearty supper. 01 of 50 Stone Fruit Salad with Collard-Peanut Pesto Photo by Jessica Pettway / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Paola Andrea In writer Nicole Taylor's savory fruit salad, roasted peanuts, collard greens, and Parmesan yield a hearty pesto that's the perfect partner for honey-dressed wedges of plums and nectarines. Fonio, a West African grain similar in texture to couscous, soaks up the pesto, flavoring each bite. Get the Recipe 02 of 50 Grilled Okra, Corn, and Tomato Salad Victor Protasio Chef Vishwesh Bhatt turns heads with this summer salad's punchy charred jalapeño–and-herb-spiked dressing and palate-perking topping of toasted crunchy coriander and cumin seeds. Get the Recipe 03 of 50 Sugar Snap Pea Salad Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer At Branch Line in Boston, Ivan Conill makes this light summer salad with sweet sugar snap peas, whole milk ricotta, and shredded rotisserie chicken. Get the Recipe 04 of 50 Strawberry Burrata Salad Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee Creamy burrata is the centerpiece of this salad of strawberries marinated in a honey and balsamic vinaigrette and served over arugula and basil leaves. Toasted pine nuts add a little nutty crunch. Serve the salad as a main course for lunch or as a starter for dinner. Slices of crostini are perfect for scooping up the rich burrata and tangy berries. Get the Recipe 05 of 50 Wedge Salad with Tahini Green Goddess Dressing Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster This crispy and refreshing wedge salad swaps standard blue cheese dressing for a bold and thick herb-forward green goddess made from mayo and sour cream. The secret to Justin Chapple’s spin on the dressing is tahini, which adds depth, nuttiness, and a pleasantly bitter edge. Get the Recipe 06 of 50 Shaved Beet and Carrot Salad with Citrus-Scallion Dressing Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver When salad greens become scarce in late fall, try making this gorgeous, colorful salad of thinly shaved beets, carrot ribbons, and rounds of juicy clementine, served atop arugula and dressed with a citrus-scallion vinaigrette. Topped with nutty almonds, it's special enough to serve as part of a large feast and just as delicious as a quick, light lunch. Get the Recipe 07 of 50 Arugula-Fennel Salad Julia Hartbeck Eugenia Bone, prolific home cook, writer, and author of Well-Preserved, always serves this simple green salad with Taleggio and aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, as well as fresh imported sheep's milk ricotta when it's available at the market. Get the Recipe 08 of 50 Roasted Hot Honey Sweet Potato Salad Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood This sweet potato salad makes a colorful, satisfying side dish. Seasoning the potatoes with smoked paprika creates a sweet and savory balance while the hot honey dressing adds a touch of tangy heat. Homemade pickled red onions, crunchy toasted pecans, and fresh parsley round the dish out. Get the Recipe 09 of 50 Goi Ga (Crunchy Vietnamese Chicken Salad) Photographer: Kelsey Hansen, Food Stylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop Stylist: Addelyn Evans Seattle restaurateurs Eric and Sophie Banh like to poach the chicken for this vibrant dish, then toss the salad with homemade scallion oil. To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken and skip the scallion oil; the salad gets plenty of flavor from the spicy, vinegary dressing and abundance of fresh herbs. Get the Recipe 10 of 50 Salad of Pink Radicchio, Citrus, and Mushroom Bagna Cauda Gentl & Hyers Melted anchovies and porcini mushroom powder lend a savory depth to nutty brown butter bagna cauda, yielding a powerhouse sauce that's perfect for drizzling on a combination of pink and Castelfranco radicchio. Sherry vinegar, honey, orange juice, and Cara Cara orange segments add an agrodolce balance; shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano builds on the flavors of the bagna cauda. Get the Recipe 11 of 50 Caesar Salad with Greek-Style Yogurt Dressing Julia Hartbeck Chef Jamie Oliver makes his Caesar salad dressing with thick Greek-style yogurt, which he often uses as a less rich alternative to heavy cream and sour cream. Get the Recipe 12 of 50 Big Italian Salad Julia Hartbeck Part green salad, part antipasto salad, this recipe combines lettuce, celery, onion, peperoncini, olives, and cherry tomatoes — all tossed in a dressing made with olive oil, vinegar, and a little mayonnaise. Get the Recipe 13 of 50 Greek Salad Matt Taylor-Gross Cool and crunchy, this Greek salad with crispy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and creamy feta cheese is the perfect summer meal. With just a handful of ingredients, it’s quick and effortless to assemble. Get the Recipe 14 of 50 Double Ginger Salad with Chickpeas and Peanuts Linda Xiao / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Inspired by the salads at Burma Superstar in San Francisco and Mister Mao in New Orleans, punchy and crispy slaw-like salad gets its piquancy from a combination of fresh and pickled ginger. Fresh cilantro and spicy jalapeño echo the bright flavors of ginger, while peanuts, sesame seeds, and fried garlic and chickpeas add crunch and deep, nutty flavors. Get the Recipe 15 of 50 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, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, juicy olives, and celery tossed in a lemony honey-mustard dressing. This recipe is a perfect example of how a handful of pantry ingredients can become a meal that sings, and it all comes together in 20 minutes. Get the Recipe 16 of 50 Salmon Niçoise Salad Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford Tender salmon, briny olives, crisp-tender green beans, and satisfying potatoes all soak up the zippy, perfectly balanced dressing in this variation on a classic tuna Niçoise. Don't skip the anchovy garnish — it provides pops of umami saltiness that take this salad over the top. Get the Recipe 17 of 50 Kale Salad with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese Maxwell Cozzi This hearty kale salad with dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and fresh goat cheese is a wonderful, 15-minute side dish from food writer Emily Farris. Get the Recipe 18 of 50 Citrus, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Halloumi Croutons Photo by Dan Perez / Food Styling and Prop Styling by Nurit Kariv Food writer and cook Adeena Sussman crafts this peppery arugula salad with mixed citrus, jewel-toned roasted beets, and crispy halloumi croutons. Get the Recipe 19 of 50 Grilled Onion Lyonnaise Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster This riff on a classic salade Lyonnaise takes the iconic salad from great to even greater. The finished salad of frisée; crisp, meaty bacon lardons; grilled red torpedo onions; and a mustard vinaigrette is topped with poached eggs. Get the Recipe 20 of 50 Neoclassic Seafood Salad Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely This playful take on frutti di mare from legendary New York chef and restaurateur Alfred Portale showcases lobster, scallops, squid, and mussels with a showstopping presentation, just like at Gotham Bar and Grill. Get the Recipe 21 of 50 Grilled Chicken Salad With Herby Tahini Dressing Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Recipe developer Marianne Williams uses za’atar seasoning and Dijon mustard to infuse both the marinade and tahini dressing with herby, tangy flavor, while honey and lemon juice balance everything out. Crunchy Little Gem lettuce, sweet snap peas, peppery radishes, and cooling cucumber bring in lots of texture and flavor to this main course salad with make-ahead components. Get the Recipe 22 of 50 Celery Salad with Calabrian Chile and Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis This apple and celery salad from 2018 F&W Best New Chef Julia Sullivan of Henrietta Red in Nashville is spicy, sweet, fresh, and delicious. Nutty sunflower seed kernels round out each zippy bite. Get the Recipe 23 of 50 Spinach, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Toasted sesame oil adds depth to this light, 15-minute salad that showcases spring produce. Get the Recipe 24 of 50 Dungeness Crab Salad Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Ready in just over an hour, this abundant winter salad from Ali Ramee is as delicious as it is beautiful, with crisp greens, winter fruits, crunchy croutons, and fresh crabmeat. Get the Recipe 25 of 50 Mission Fig, Elderberry, and Mixed Greens Salad Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Winemaker Tara Gomez belongs to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and runs the winery Camins 2 Dreams with her wife Mireia Taribó. This salad from the winery includes traditional Chumash ingredients, balancing seasonal fruits, herbs, and flowers with bold leafy greens and a simple, bright lemon dressing. Get the Recipe 26 of 50 Crunchy Mango and Avocado Salad Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva Marve McClain combines Savoy and red cabbage, tender herbs, and crunchy cashews with a creamy lemon-ginger dressing in this colorful salad that's ready in a half hour. Get the Recipe 27 of 50 Celery Salad with Pine Nuts, Arugula, Feta, and Pita Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox Celery gives this salad an anchoring earthy flavor accented by an herbaceous and lively dressing made from a few common kitchen acids like lemon juice and red wine vinegar. Combine with crunchy homemade pita chips, buttery pine nuts, and a creamy feta spread for a riff on Levantine fattoush that's ready in 50 minutes. Get the Recipe 28 of 50 Tea-Poached Chicken Salad Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Recipe developer Melissa Gray gives chicken breasts a stunning golden color and juicy, bold flavor with a quick poach in spice-infused, smoked black tea. The treatment pairs well with buttery toasted walnuts and sweet shallots in this satisfying salad that's dressed with a smoky vinaigrette and ready in under an hour. Get the Recipe 29 of 50 Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver This easy summer watermelon salad from legendary chef Jacques Pépin is ideal for eating outside under the warm sun. Watermelon and mint add plenty of refreshing flavor, while briny olives and feta offer an ideal counterpoint. Get the Recipe 30 of 50 Pea Shoot and Chive Salad Dylan + Jeni Any combination of pea leaves, shoots, and sprouts will work well in the recipe from Katianna and John Hong, tossed with a spicy ponzu dressing. Get the Recipe 31 of 50 Peppery Greens Salad with Avocado, Chicken, and Tortilla Croutons Greg DuPree Justin Chapple tosses arugula, frisée, chicken, radicchio, avocado, pepitas, and tortilla pieces with a simple peppery dressing for this visually appealing salad. Get the Recipe 32 of 50 Charred Cabbage Salad with Pecan Dukkah and Chile-Lime Butter Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Nick Cobarruvias seasons charred cabbage with chile-lime butter, which is mildly spicy from árbol chiles and bright from lime zest. Pecan dukkah adds earthiness from cumin and pops of citrus from coriander, plus a lovely nutty flavor and texture from toasted pecans and sesame seeds. Get the Recipe 33 of 50 Tomato, Basil, and Cucumber Panzanella with Grated Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette Victor Protasio Pair oven-roasted sourdough croutons with juicy ripe tomatoes, raw red onion, and crisp cucumbers in this summer salad from Samin Nosrat, author and host of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Grated tomato adds a gentle acidity and chunky texture to the vinaigrette, helping it cling to every bite. Get the Recipe 34 of 50 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. The salad builds to a delicious crescendo with its finishing touch: crunchy, craggy, blue cheese–infused breadcrumbs, which provide a lovely textural reprieve to the chewy rice and fruit. Get the Recipe 35 of 50 Spanish-Style Pasta Salad with Tuna and Marinated Tomatoes Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Spanish pantry staples like mildly spicy and sweet piparra peppers and tangy sherry vinegar bring bold flavor to this hearty pasta salad from 2015 F&W Best New Chef Katie Button. Get the Recipe 36 of 50 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 this a day ahead and store it in the fridge — the salad will only get tangier and more delicious as it sits. Get the Recipe 37 of 50 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 38 of 50 Cobb Salad with Roasted Sweet Onion Dressing © Con Poulos Everything you love about a Cobb salad is taken to the next level with a roasted garlic and onion vinaigrette. Chef Sean Doty roasts sweet Vidalia onion and garlic until they're lightly charred, then purees them to make the apple cider vinaigrette that gives this Cobb salad its tang and depth of flavor. Get the Recipe 39 of 50 Little Gem Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette © Sara Remington Chef Nancy Silverton's lovely salad, adapted from her Mozza Cookbook, features Little Gem lettuce, a smaller, sweeter variety of romaine. If you can't find it, use hearts of romaine instead. Get the Recipe 40 of 50 Antipasto Salad with Bocconcini and Green-Olive Tapenade © Greg DuPree Chef Nancy Silverton's smart and delicious play on a classic antipasto plate is quick to prepare and hits all the right notes. A crunchy base of shredded iceberg lettuce is topped with creamy bocconcini (mozzarella balls), Genoa salami, spicy-tangy pepperoncini, and green olives. Get the Recipe 41 of 50 Crispy Okra Salad © Greg DuPree This method for preparing okra, where it's sliced into thin strips and fried until crispy, is the brainchild of Indian chef Suvir Saran. He first thought to cut okra into strips and not rounds when he was just a kid. As an adult, he took it one step further and incorporated the crispy okra into this delicious spiced salad with crunchy onions and fresh tomatoes. Get the Recipe 42 of 50 Shrimp Salad with Hominy, Arugula, and Lime © Sarah Bolla With similar ingredients you'd find wrapped up in a taco, this brightly colored shrimp salad is light but quite satisfying. Enjoy with chips and beer on a hot day. Get the Recipe 43 of 50 Spinach and Smoked Salmon Salad with Lemon-Dill Dressing CHRISTINA HOLMES This refreshingly crunchy, tangy salad makes for an excellent spring lunch or super-quick dinner. It's ready in just 15 minutes. Get the Recipe 44 of 50 Farro and Green Olive Salad with Walnuts and Raisins © Greg DuPree In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best. The secret of food blogger Heidi Swanson's incredible farro and green olive salad is in the balance: Each bite holds a bit of chewy farro, toasty walnut, fresh scallion, and briny green olive. Swanson's dressing is a little sweet and a little spicy, and, put together, it's an explosion of flavor and texture that's unbeatable. Get the Recipe 45 of 50 Israeli Couscous and Tomato Salad with Arugula Pesto © Michael Turek Arugula pesto is peppery and bright. The trick is to blanch the arugula and squeeze it dry, so when you blend it with the pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and cheese, the resulting pesto isn't too wet. Get the Recipe 46 of 50 Baked Goat Cheese Salad Greg DuPree Chef Alice Waters used to say that she would rather make salads than almost anything else. Her baked goat cheese salad is a harmonious blend of lettuces combined with softly baked thyme-and-breadcrumb-coated goat cheese, served alongside crunchy garlic croutons. Get the Recipe 47 of 50 Summer Chopped Salad with Quick-Pickled Vegetables © Kana Okada Paul Newman, the late co-owner of Dressing Room, Michel Nischan's now-shuttered restaurant in Westport, Connecticut, loved a good chopped salad. To add a tangy burst of flavor, Nischan pickles the carrots, celery, and peppers before tossing them with the rest of the salad. Get the Recipe 48 of 50 Lemony Waldorf Salad © Quentin Bacon For this refreshingly crunchy salad, chef Mark Peel added romaine lettuce, frisée, and sliced radishes to the classic Waldorf salad mix of apples, celery, and walnuts. In place of the traditional mayonnaise-based dressing, he made a lemon-walnut oil vinaigrette flavored with cumin. Get the Recipe 49 of 50 Mixed Greens and Herb Salad with Figs and Walnuts © John Kernick Using whole leaves adds bursts of flavor to this salad. If you can find good fresh figs, use them here in place of dried ones. This recipe comes together in just 20 minutes. Get the Recipe 50 of 50 Celery, Fennel, and Apple Salad with Pecorino and Walnuts © Fredrika Stjärne “In the winter, I love to have a bright-tasting salad,” says designer and blogger Athena Calderone about this side dish. Honeycrisps are her favorite apples, for their sweet-tart flavor and crisp, juicy texture, but you can use the variety you like best. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit