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Top Salad Recipes from The Kitchen

Who says salads must be green? These recipes feature lentils, quinoa and more — and some green leaves as well.

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Succotash Salad

Think of Katie Lee's recipe as a clean-out-your-refrigerator salad. She combines crisp-tender green beans, a package of lima beans, as well as juicy grape tomatoes and corn to create the base of her salad, which she beefs up with avocado for heft and a single jalapeno for subtle heat.

Kardea Brown makes Grilled Watermelon Salad with Sweet and Spicy Vinaigrette, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen

Photo: AJ Wilhelm Photography

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Grilled Watermelon Salad with Sweet and Spicy Vinaigrette

Sweet summertime fruit is the star of this colorful salad.

"Watermelon Salad Pizza" as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 2.

Photo: Emile Wamsteker ©

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Watermelon Salad Pizza

Don't let the name fool you; there's no dough or tomato sauce in sight for this "pizza." Instead, slices of watermelon form the base of this fruity pie, which is topped with crumbled feta cheese, peppery arugula and a balsamic dressing to create a shockingly easy and impressive salad.

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Tomato and Bocconcini Caprese

Instead of cutting one big ball of mozzarella into several small slices, GZ fills his caprese salad with bite-sized mozzarella balls, called bocconicini, as well as a trio of seasonal tomato varieties.

Photo: Todd Plitt

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Creamy Greek Orzo Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

It's like a traditional salad in its mix of bright toppings, including tangy feta cheese, briny Kalamata olives and cool cucumbers, but Jeff Mauro's recipe features orzo (rice-shaped pasta) instead of the usual greens for a more filling base than the usual greens. Give the chickpeas a quick fry to add a welcome crispy-crunchy bite to the dish.

Sunny Anderson's Sunny's Quick Corn and Pico Salad, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 2.

Photo: Emile Wamsteker ©

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Sunny's Quick Corn and Pico Salad

Fresh raw corn is the star of Sunny's five-minute salad, which brings together hefty black beans and the classically bold flavors of pico de gallo.

A photo from the production of "The Kitchen" in Montclair, N.J., on Wednesday, June 3, 2015.
Photo: David M. Russell/BSTV,A photo from the production of "The Kitchen" in Montclair, N.J., on Wednesday, June 3, 2015.
Photo: David M. Russell/BSTV

Photo: David M. Russell ©

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Grilled Seasonal Salad with Avocado Dressing

No longer just chopped and sprinkled atop salad, avocado gets a starring role in this dressing, which Jeff creates by whirling the creamy avocado in a food processor along with a splash of vinegar and bright cilantro to complement the flavors of his smoky corn-strawberry salad.

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Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Thanks to a quick roast in the oven, the carrots, beets and bok choy turn out caramelized and sweet, just ready to be tossed with the quinoa and raspberry vinaigrette. For added texture, follow Marcela Valladolid's lead and don't forget about the dried cranberries or toasted pumpkin seeds, which deliver chewy, crunchy bites.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Green Grape and Avocado Quinoa Salad

If you have leftover quinoa on hand, put it to work in Katie's go-to side salad. While the grapes and cool cucumber offer freshness, the diced avocado brings a creamy richness to every bite.

Food beauty of grape tomato and lentil salsa, as seen on Food Network’s The Kitchen, Season 6.

Photo: Todd Plitt ©

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Tomato and Lentil Salad

Marcela ensures that each layer of her simple salad is full of flavor, starting with the lentils, which she boils with whole garlic cloves so they can absorb some of that taste while cooking. She notes that you can make this salad a day before you want to serve it, and it's up to you whether you dig in when it's at room temperature or cold.

Photo: Jason Clairy ©

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Grilled Cobb Wedge

Boasting all of the ingredients you know and love in a cobb salad — iceberg lettuce, crispy bacon and crumbled blue cheese — GZ's version also promises a bold smoky flavor, which he achieves by quickly grilling the lettuce. He also transforms the egg; instead of a classic hard-boiled beauty, he opts for a soft-boiled egg, which delivers the silky richness of a barely runny yolk.

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Frisee Salad with Egg and Bacon

Katie's dinnerworthy salad comes together with a shallot-laced Dijon vinaigrette, which advances to the next level of indulgence when you break open the poached egg and let the yolk ooze out. "This just makes the dressing that much richer and more delicious," Katie says.

The recipe: Roasted cubed butternut squash, watercress, and pomegranate seeds tossed in a vinaigrette made with champagne vinegar, fresh ginger, and shallots. Butternut Squash and Watercress Salad with Champagne Ginger Vinaigrette as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 1.

Photo: Emile Wamsteker ©

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Butternut Squash and Watercress Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Once you've roasted the golden butternut squash for Marcela's good-for-you salad, it all comes down to assembly. She adds pomegranate seeds for pops of freshness and color, while the lemon-scented vinaigrette adds welcome tang.

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Deconstructed Falafel Salad

Reimagine your favorite falafel sandwich in salad form by topping romaine lettuce with crispy, crunchy baked chickpeas. Here they're roasted with a cumin-scented spice mixture and fresh parsley, then served atop a bed of greens with a yogurt-tahini dressing.

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Sunny's Nunya Business Chinese Chicken Salad

If you have five minutes, you'll be able to pull off Sunny's salad, thanks to her "nunya business" method. She opts for prewashed packs of slaw and lettuce mixes, as well as ready-to-go cooked chicken, for speedy assembly. Making the dressing is as easy as putting leftovers to work — just use up the condiment packets you likely have in the fridge, like duck sauce, mayonnaise and soy sauce, thanks to takeout meals.

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Quinoa Cobb Salad

Katie's quick salad becomes easily portable when you follow her method for assembling it: In your container, start by layering the balsamic vinaigrette, the quinoa and the chicken before piling on the more delicate ingredients, like blue cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. Come lunchtime, just a quick shake is all that's needed to combine the flavors.

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Endive and Blue Cheese Salad with Soy-Sherry Vinaigrette

Tart green apples, crisp endive, and tangy and creamy blue cheese combine to create a fresh, bright salad. And this no-cook dish can be on the table in just 15 minutes.

Hosts, Katie Lee, Marcela Valladolid, and Sunny Anderson as seen on Food Networkâ s The Kitchen, Season 6.,Hosts, Katie Lee, Marcela Valladolid, and Sunny Anderson as seen on Food Network’s The Kitchen, Season 6.

Photo: Todd Plitt ©

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