Layered Salads for Every Season

These salads from Food Network Kitchen prove dinnerworthy with layers of greens, seasonal vegetables, protein and crunch. Get inspired by the season, or make a layered take on the classic wedge that's a crowd-pleaser any time of year. 

Layered is the new chopped! Winter's best vegetables go vertical for this colorful salad. The tender-chewy barley can be swapped out for your favorite whole grain, like brown rice or quinoa. 

Walnuts, barley, pink grapefruit, mesclun mixed greens, Brussels sprouts, beets, pomegranate seeds, Dijon vinaigrette

Food Network Kitchen stacked spring's best produce and finished it with a Parmesan-buttermilk dressing (which you can also use on any nonvertical salad). If peas are more your thing, swap them out for the asparagus. You could also add a layer of leftover potato salad, because ... why not?

Red onion, radishes, Parmesan-buttermilk dressing, asparagus, alfalfa sprouts, freeze-dried snap peas, arugula, almonds, hard-boiled eggs

Here is the best of summer stacked in a salad. Though a lot of the ingredients are grilled, you can cook them simultaneously and pull them off as they finish. Just make sure to have your tools organized before you hit the flame. The tomato vinaigrette is creamy, sharp and sweet. Make it all summer long as your go-to salad dressing.

Tomatoes, cayenne, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, honey, corn, basil, sourdough bread, romaine, feta, chicken breasts, zucchini

For this fall-inspired salad, take the season's bounty and pile it high. Two important takeaways: 1. The pecan vinaigrette is so good you'll want to make it all the time and use it everywhere — nonvertical salads included. 2. Massaging hearty greens to tenderize them works on more than just kale, as these collards make clear. Sweet potato chips stand in for croutons and add the perfect amount of crunch.

Deli ham, apples, sweet potato chips, quinoa, butternut squash, pecans, piquante peppers, parsley, collard greens, goat cheese, honey-Dijon dressing

What's better than a classic wedge? One that's stacked with all the usual suspects, plus some new friends. Carrots add just the right amount of color and root-veggie crunchiness. You can toss the salad with ranch or French dressing if you don't have blue cheese on hand.