43 Summer Salad Recipes for a Crisp, Cool, Refreshing Bite
As the days get longer, our standards for summer salad recipes are only getting higher, and we’re not settling for anything less than mouthwatering arrangements of the season’s freshest produce. We’re giving the leading roles in this list to tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini, and fresh corn. But that’s not all. It’s time to gather your ripest stone fruit and throw together a peach and nectarine salad. Don’t want to deal with pits? No problem. Feast upon salty, crunchy cucumbers instead. Try one of our new potato salads—and pasta salad too.
While all these summer salads are best eaten outside as you lounge on a red-and-white picnic blanket, they also taste good enjoyed from a reusable container while scrolling through spreadsheets. Because even when you’re working through your lunch break—or perhaps especially when you’re working through your lunch break—you deserve the best summer salad recipes we’ve got.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams1/43Crunchy and Bright Greek Salad
When we think about summer salad recipes, some dishes immediately come to mind. Like this juicy combo of ripe tomatoes, Kalamata olives, slabs of feta cheese, chopped cucumber, red onion, and green bell pepper, dressed in a simple mix of extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and fragrant dried oregano.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime2/43
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad With Cabbage
This is not a noodle salad, but it's not not a noodle salad. What it definitely is: ramen slaw, the best side dish to serve at your next cookout.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.3/43
Tomato Salad With Jalapeño Ranch
Every summer weekend deserves a new tomato salad recipe. And you should absolutely add this zesty one to your list.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jillian Knox, prop styling Sophie Peoples4/43
Peach-Pecan Kale Salad With Hot-Honey Vinaigrette
California meets the American South in this hearty kale salad. For a fun summer meal, serve it alongside sticky-sweet grilled chicken or these quick-cooking pork chops marinated in Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and ginger beer.
- Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li5/43
Lemony Pasta Salad With Crisped Capers
This bright and punchy side is great right away—but it can also be made up to eight hours before a summer potluck or barbecue. The crispy capers help make this pasta salad recipe stand out on the picnic table.
- Laura Murray6/43
BA’s Best Caprese Salad
This is the summer salad to make when the heirloom tomatoes are peaking. How will you know? At the farmers market, you should be able to smell them before you see them. Tomatoes that good need nothing more than creamy mozzarella, good extra-virgin olive oil, basil leaves, and salt and pepper.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua7/43
Spicy Caesar Potato Salad
We love a classic potato salad, but sometimes you just want to mix things up. This Caesar salad-inspired version is garlicky, savory, and just a tad spicy, thanks to Calabrian chiles in the form of Trader Joe’s Bomba Sauce.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Alison Attenborough, prop styling by Heather Greene8/43
Peaches and Tomatoes With Burrata and Hot Sauce
This dish is the color of a summery sunset. Just add a hunk of bread and call it lunch, or serve it with whatever you decide to throw on the grill.
- Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca9/43
Hot-and-Sour Fruit Salad
This recipe is an ode to spicy fruit salads found across Asia, particularly Cambodia and Thailand. It’s dressed with a flavor-boosting mix of ground red chiles, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, toasted rice powder, and ground dried shrimp.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua10/43
Jammy Cumin Plums and Feta Salad
- 11/43
Charred and Raw Corn Salad
Creamy Greek yogurt and nutty Parmesan add richness to this corn salad, which was inspired by the flavors of the Mexican street food classic. While some cilantro gets stirred into the mix, the rest is added as a fresh garnish just before serving.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk12/43
Watermelon, Endive, and Fig Salad
We’ve got easy summer entertaining on lock with this combination of sweet and salty flavors and crunchy and juicy textures. It makes for the perfect cocktail hour snack platter.
- Alex Lau13/43
Radicchio–Stone Fruit Salad
Bitter radicchio is the perfect foil for sweet peaches, nectarines, or apricots in this easy salad recipe—and by “easy” we mean the dressing is nothing more than a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk14/43
Honeydew Salad With Ginger Dressing and Peanuts
This green-on-green salad gets a kick from serrano chiles, ginger, and a hint of fish sauce. It’s just the side your BBQ ribs are looking for.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Anna Billingskog15/43
BLT Salad
Cooking bacon in the oven on a sheet tray is so hands-off, so splatter-free, and so easy, it just might convince you to eat a lot more bacon in the future.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.16/43
Creamy Coconutty Shrimp Salad
Inspired by Peruvian shrimp ceviche, this summer salad makes for a nice, light meal. We recommend using cherry tomatoes, preferably heirloom, but no one's watching. You do you.
- Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou17/43
Spicy and Creamy Slaw
This all-purpose salad, with its zingy, creamy dressing, is guaranteed to go with any grilled meats. Serve it right away or let it sit overnight—it’s good either way.
- Photo by Alex Lau18/43
Tropi-Cobb Salad
Featuring avocados and mangoes, this is a fruity, healthy twist on a traditional Cobb salad. To make it vegetarian, substitute chickpeas for the chicken.
- Photograph by Dylan + Jeni, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk19/43
Cucumber, Tomato, and Green Bean Salad
This refreshing salad is a mash-up of two variations of the sour-salty-sweet Thai salad som tam: the most famous version made with shredded green papaya and another favorite version made with cucumbers.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.20/43
Summer Goddess Chicken Salad
There’s the mayonnaise-y kind of chicken salad you want to eat in between two slices of bread, and there’s the veggie-packed kind you want to pick at over the course of a long summer lunch. This is the ideal version of the latter.
- Photograph by Frank Frances, food styling by Lillian Chou, prop styling by Sophia Pappas21/43
Crunchy Greens With Fat Choy Ranch
This bright and tangy vegan ranch—tahini is the key—gets tossed into a mixture of fresh herbs and peppery watercress.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi22/43
Classic Coleslaw
It’s crunchy. It’s creamy. It’s tangy from a little apple cider vinegar. It’s essential for piling onto pulled pork—or serving with fried chicken.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Alison Attenborough, prop styling by Heather Greene23/43
Watermelon With Lime Dressing and Peanuts
Summer’s bounty of fresh basil isn’t just for BA’s Best Pesto recipe—perk up jagged slices of watermelon with a flurry of the leaves, plus salted peanuts, and a little fish sauce.
- Alex Lau24/43
Pan-Seared Eggplant With Buttermilk Dressing
We love a mixture of raw and cooked vegetables. Here, seared eggplant gets a big lift from creamy avocado and a wonderfully kicky, luscious sauce.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco and Tom Cunanan, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime25/43
Cucumber and Onion Salad
Crunchy and a bit sweet, this herby cucumber and red onion salad has a cooling effect. Eat it alongside spicy food for some momentary relief.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk26/43
Tomato-Watermelon Salad With Turmeric Oil
Red, juicy, and sweet, tomatoes and watermelon are soul mates—but they both need the help of salt, spice, and fat to reach their full potential.
- Laura Murray27/43
Grilled Corn and Poblano Chile Salad
You don’t actually need to shuck fresh corn before grilling it. Put the whole ears on the grate and the husks and silk will slip right off afterward. You’ll dress the corn with lime juice and hot sauce, then top with chopped scallions and grilled poblanos.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime28/43
Tomato Caesar
We’re cheating on romaine with these thick slices of ripe tomato. And we don’t regret it one bit.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk29/43
Honeydew, Jicama, and Mango Salad
Don’t worry about removing all of the melon seeds in this take on the popular Mexican street snack—they’re edible and they add a little crunch to boot.
- Alex Lau30/43
Cantaloupe and Cucumber Salad
Fruit salads don't need to be sweet. This one is made savory with spices such as cardamom, coriander, and sumac; Fresno chiles; and a Champagne vinaigrette. (And, for the record, cucumber is a fruit.)
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kendra Vaculin, prop styling by Gözde Eker31/43
Tomato Salad With Crème Fraîche and Olive Granola
Add salt-cured black olives to a crunchy mix of sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and herbaceous fennel seeds to make the savory granola that makes this dish special. Instead of tossing in ho-hum salad dressing, you'll swoosh the plate with lemony crème fraîche, then top with oil-drizzled tomatoes, the granola, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
- Photo by Caleb Adams32/43
Summer Salmon Niçoise
Niçoise salad, but make it warm, slow-roasted salmon instead instead of oil-packed tuna. This is a riff we can get behind—and a summer salad idea that’s main dish-worthy.
- Photograph by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht33/43
Green Bean and Farro Picnic Salad
This hearty farro and bean salad is designed to be packed up into a reusable container, toted to the park, and shared with friends.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley34/43
Steakhouse Salad With Balsamic and Blue Cheese
“Definitely adding to my summer recipe rotation,” reports one reviewer. You’ll be tempted to nibble the steak right off the grill, but getting it onto a platter with some lightly dressed romaine, Danish blue cheese, and big hunks of tomato, is absolutely worth the effort.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Shuai Wang, Prop Styling by Megan Forbes and Christina Hussey35/43
Grilled Corn Tiger Salad
When Mexican esquites meets Chinese tiger salad, you get the ideal crunchy, juicy side dish for a really hot summer day.
- Alex Lau36/43
Honeydew and Fennel Salad With Basil
Don’t worry if you don’t have a perfectly ripe melon. The salt, acid, and a bit of heat in this simple salad recipe will give life to lackluster fruit.
- Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Micah Morton37/43
Green Tomato–Berry Salad With Sumac Dressing
Everyone loves a fried green tomato, but not everyone feels like dealing with sizzling oil on a hot day. Opt for this effortless combination of the tart, firm fruit with blackberries and blueberries when you’re looking for an easy summer side dish.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson38/43
Charred Bean and Pea Salad
This riff on three-bean salad gets revved up with a garlic-chile-maple-lime dressing that we can’t quit. Serve with these quinoa-based veggie burgers or Sprite-grilled chicken skewers.
- Photograph by Joyce Lee, food styling by Brandon Gray, prop styling by Chloe Kirk39/43
Tomato Salad With Basil Vinaigrette
Let those ripe tomatoes sit with salt so the juices gather, then strain and combine the liquid with a verdant basil oil for a dressing that tastes like a concentrate of summer.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca40/43
Strawberry Salad With Black Pepper-Feta Croutons
Crispy-creamy feta croutons are the salad topper you didn’t know you were missing—and ripe berries are their ideal dance partner. While we’d never suggest you should skip your annual strawberry shortcake, this summer salad recipe makes berry picking even more worthwhile. Little Gems have lovely crunch, but hearts of romaine lettuce work here too.
- Photo by Elizabeth Cecil41/43
Fried-Bread Panzanella With Ricotta and Herbs
This recipe amps up the traditional Italian bread salad by starting with thick slices of bread that are sizzled in olive oil on just one side for the ideal crunchy-tender contrast.
- Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li42/43
Seared Halloumi Cheese and Nectarine Salad
Planks of Halloumi turn golden brown in a cast-iron skillet before they cozy up with juicy nectarines, sharp onion, and fresh mint.
- Photo by Christian Reynoso43/43
Tomatoes Simmered in Olive Oil With Cotija
Looking for summer salad recipes you’d be happy to eat as your entire dinner—with maybe just a hunk of bread on the side? This number involves slicing and salting tomatoes before setting them in a garlicky olive oil bath with Cotija, a dry-aged Mexican cheese. The fruit keeps its shape but yields a jammy texture.
