Satisfying Summer Salads

What makes a salad great? We think it’s a combination of seasonal produce and hearty ingredients that keep hunger at bay. When the weather gets warm, these are the recipes we turn to. They’re loaded with colorful summer fruits and veggies and feature lighter proteins like shrimp and salmon to keep you full.

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Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

Toss together an easy salad of chopped tomatoes, hearty farro, snipped fresh chives and Italian parsley for a satisfying lunch — or first course for a summer party.

Get the Recipe: Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

Panzanella

Ina’s chunky salad is great for an outdoor party. She tosses crunchy bread cubes with veggies, fresh basil and a Dijon mustard vinaigrette.

Get the Recipe: Panzanella

Grilled Garlic Caesar Salad

Trisha’s elegant salad is ready in just 20 minutes. She brushes romaine lettuce with a garlicky oil, then lays the lettuce directly on the grill until marked and slightly wilted. A quick Caesar dressing, golden-brown croutons and grated Parmesan are the ideal finishing touches.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Garlic Caesar Salad

Roasted Artichoke Salad

Ina dresses this rustic summer salad in a simple homemade vinaigrette, tossing in roasted red peppers for color. Use frozen artichokes to save time and cut down the effort of trimming those pesky leaves.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Artichoke Salad

Caprese Salad

Rachael’s classic caprese makes a fresh and easy salad for a crowd.

Get the Recipe: Caprese Salad

Grilled Salmon Cobb Salad

Freshly grilled salmon stands in for chicken in this crowd-pleasing salad.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Salmon Cobb Salad

Couscous Salad with Tomatoes and Mint

Combine fluffy couscous with scallions, parsley, mint and a lemony tomato-cucumber mixture. Toss in some pine nuts for a nutty crunch.

Get the Recipe: Couscous Salad with Tomatoes and Mint

Shaved Vegetable Salad

When beautiful produce is available, sometimes the best way to cook it is, well, not to! This raw salad is crunchy, vibrant and fresh. Use a mandoline to give the vegetables the paper-thin treatment.

Get the Recipe: Shaved Vegetable Salad

Roasted Shrimp Salad

To coat her roasted shrimp, Ina prepares a fragrant sauce of mayonnaise, orange juice and zest. Toss in some capers for a briny pop in every bite.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Shrimp Salad

Orzo Salad

Sweet tomatoes, mild garbanzo beans and tangy red onion come together with creamy orzo for an easy summer salad with red wine vinaigrette.

Get the Recipe: Orzo Salad

Marinated Vegetable Salad

Bell peppers and celery add excellent crunch to Trisha's simple vegetable salad. To reap the fullest flavor, the veggies must marinate for 24 hours, so start assembling the salad the afternoon before your guests arrive.

Get the Recipe: Marinated Vegetable Salad

Tortellini Caprese Salad

Tortellini adds an extra punch of creamy, cheesy goodness to the classic caprese salad.

Get the Recipe: Tortellini Caprese Salad

Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Grilled jalapeno is tempered by buttermilk, mayo and fresh green herbs in Valerie’s simple and delicious dressing. Drizzle it over creamy avocado and grilled corn for a crowd-pleasing salad that features the best of summer's produce.

Get the Recipe: Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Cheeseburger Salad

There’s no need to choose between a burger or a salad when Ree’s easy dish has it all! Plus, it’s a great way to use up any leftovers you have hanging around after a cookout.

Get the Recipe: Cheeseburger Salad

Gazpacho Salad

Just like the soup, this salad is best served chilled. Don’t be too precise when chopping the vegetables — the beauty of the dish is its simplicity.

Get the Recipe: Gazpacho Salad

Lemon-Herb Rice Salad

Whip up this tangy-sweet salad to serve with your favorite meat from the grill.

Get the Recipe: Lemon-Herb Rice Salad

Zucchini-Blackberry Salad

This is such a pretty side dish. Use a vegetable peeler to turn zucchini into ribbons, then sprinkle with salt to draw out as much water as possible. The end result is an eye-catching, perfectly crisp salad that incorporates summer’s best berries and vegetables.

Get the Recipe: Zucchini-Blackberry Salad

Corn Salad

Ree loves this salad because it’s versatile — serve it with a juicy steak, a Tex-Mex dinner or your favorite grilled chicken.

Get the Recipe: Corn Salad

Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad

According to Giada, pasta salads should have a variety of textures, flavors and colors. She combines fresh herbs, peas, sweet peppers and poached shrimp for her easy and delicious dish.

Get the Recipe: Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad

Strawberry Salad

Peppery arugula and sweet strawberries are even better when paired with shaved Gorgonzola and a fruity vinaigrette.

Get the Recipe: Strawberry Salad

Corn-Avocado Salad

This super-fun salad incorporates the best of the season: fresh corn, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes and tangy red onion.

Get the Recipe: Corn-Avocado Salad

Ambrosia Salad

Remember this classic? You might be surprised at how it satisfies a modern palate, even as it gives a retro wink to the last century.

Get the Recipe: Ambrosia Salad

Potato Salad

No summer party is complete without potato salad! Trisha includes both stovetop and pressure-cooker instructions to make her easy, hearty recipe.

Get the Recipe: Potato Salad

End of Summer Panzanella Salad

When the warm, summer days are coming to a close and you have a surplus of fresh end-of-season produce, fire up the grill and make this simple yet substantial panzanella salad. With a generous portion of tangy sourdough bread, fresh basil, and multicolored cherry tomatoes, it's a satisfying meal on its own but also makes an easy side dish for a group.

Get the Recipe: End of Summer Panzanella Salad

Hiyashi Chuka

Although hiyashi chuka literally means “chilled Chinese,” this cold ramen salad is actually a Japanese dish, traditionally served during the summer. Consisting of cold ramen noodles, a colorful variety of thinly sliced toppings and a soy sauce-based dressing, it is light, refreshing and easy to assemble. Ham, surimi, cucumbers, tomatoes and egg crepe are common ingredients, but feel free to make whatever substitutions you like. You can also use fresh or dried ramen noodles. Although fresh cost more, need to be refrigerated and aren’t as readily available, I think they have the slight edge here, thanks to their springy texture and ability to better absorb the sauce. Try both types and see which one you prefer.

Get the Recipe: Hiyashi Chuka

Fattoush

Fattoush is a Levantine salad made with fried pita and seasonal vegetables, such as lettuce, cucumber and tomato. The special flavor of fattoush comes from the dressing, which contains sumac and pomegranate molasses. With just the right amount of zestiness, this salad is the perfect addition to any Middle Eastern or Mediterranean meal, especially during grilling season.

Get the Recipe: Fattoush

Grilled Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

Seasoned with cumin and sumac and drizzled with a bright lemony sauce, this cauliflower salad is the perfect addition to your barbecue spread. We use a grill basket to prevent the florets from falling between the grates (but if you don't have one you can line the grates with foil instead). Topped with fresh herbs, walnuts and sultanas, this is sure to become a regular part of your summer rotation.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Yogurt Sauce