40 Best Salad Recipes

By Maria Lichty

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10 Tips for Making the Best Salads and 40 of the very BEST salad recipes! You will love these fresh, simple, and delicious salads! They are perfect for parties, potlucks, or easy lunches and dinners!

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If you are in a salad rut or looking for the VERY best salads, I am here to help because I love a GOOD salad. I don’t do boring salads. Salads should be loaded with lots of different flavors, textures, colors, and toppings!

Today, I am sharing 10 simple tips for taking your salad to the next level! Plus, I am sharing a 40 of my all-time favorite salad recipes! Make sure you save this post so you can make an amazing salad all of the time!

best salad recipes

How to Make the Best Salad

Here are my tips for making the very best salads!

  • Go Green– most salads start with a bed of greens. Don’t be afraid to mix things up. Use kale, spinach, romaine, arugula, butter leaf lettuce, shaved Brussels sprouts, or a mix of greens!
  • Pick a Protein– Get a protein boost by adding chicken, fish, shrimp, or steak. For a vegetarian salad, add beans, hard boiled eggs, lentils, or tofu. My personal favorite? Roasted chickpeas! So good!
  • Add Grains– Bulk up your salad by adding your favorite grains. Pasta, quinoa, farro, orzo, and wild rice are all good options.
  • Crunch-Crunch– Top your salads with homemade croutons, nuts (raw, toasted, or candied), pita chips, or tortilla chips. Candied pecans or candied walnuts are always a winner! Cucumbers, bell peppers, cauliflower, and other fresh veggies also add a nice crunch.
  • Feeling Fruity– Sweeten up your salad with fresh or dried fruit. Add in apple, pear, or peach slices. Berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries) are always a good idea. And don’t forget about watermelon, it’s so refreshing. For dried fruit, I love dried cranberries, cherries, or golden raisins.
  • Roasted, Grilled, or Pickled Veggies– I love adding roasted vegetables or grilled vegetables to my salads. Clean out your veggie drawer, roast or grill, and top your salads. So easy! Pickled veggies also add a nice punch of flavor!
  • So Fresh– Fresh herbs add SO much flavor! Mix in fresh basil, mint, chives, rosemary, or dill.
  • Oh-So-Creamy– Adding in a creamy element is always so nice. Try avocado slices, crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese, a dollop of hummus or guacamole, tzatziki, or a scoop of cottage cheese.
  • All Dressed Up– A good salad dressing is key! I love making my own homemade dressings, they are easy to whisk up and are so much better than store bought. A few of my go-to’s include: basil vinaigrettebalsamic vinaigretteItalian dressing, and creamy cilantro lime dressing. Drizzle away!
  • Don’t Forget About Salsa– Fresh salsas add SO much flavor. Sometimes, I use salsa as a dressing! Try these: easy blender salsapico de gallomango salsa, or pineapple salsa!

Don’t be afraid to play around with your salads! Make sure you mix things up regularly!

tips for making the best salads

Best Salad Recipes

Here are a few of our all-time favorite recipes if you need some inspiration. These salads are always a hit at parties, potlucks, picnics, and BBQ’s. They are also perfect for an easy lunch or dinner at home.

You can’t go wrong with any of these salad recipes. You will want to make them over and over again!

easy salad recipes

Green & Vegetable Salads

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Pasta & Grain Salads

how to make the best salad recipes

Bean Salads

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Fruity Salads

how to make the best salad

Hearty Dinner Salads

Want More? Find ALL of our SALAD RECIPES HERE! There are too many good ones to list!

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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    1. The first is the BLT Salad and the corn salad is the black bean salad. Enjoy!

  1. My husband is a any salad enthusiast, so needless to say these piblihe recipes has made my job so easy, and my huhband is a very happy camper/eater . Thank you so much.