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Summer is when I make salads the most, and I don’t mean side salads. I mean full meals, the kind that are filling enough that nobody’s looking for something else an hour later. I kept rotating through the same three or four salad recipes and getting bored, so I pulled together Summer salad recipes I actually make, along with a lot I want to make more of this season.

37 Summer Salad Recipes

This is the full collection of my best summer salad recipes, organized by type so it’s easier to figure out what you’re in the mood for. There are summer salad meal ideas with protein, like steak, chicken, shrimp, and tuna, for when you need something that holds as a full meal.

Summer salads with fruit, like peach, strawberry, and watermelon, for something lighter and a little more seasonal. Summer salads without lettuce, for days when you want crunch without the greens, including cucumber, corn, carrot, and zucchini. Summer pasta salads, which are some of my most-made ones this time of year. And a leafy greens section with chopped salads and classics.

I also threw in a bonus summer salad dressing section because the dressing is usually what makes or breaks it, and there are a few I keep going back to.

Summer Salad Meal Ideas

Leafy Greens Salad

Tips for Making Summer Salads

1. Don’t dress the salad until you’re ready to serve it. This is the one I always have to remind myself of when I’m prepping ahead. Even a few minutes under dressing starts to wilt greens and makes pasta salads go mushy. If you’re bringing a salad somewhere, pack the dressing separately and toss it right before eating.
2. Salt your cucumbers before adding them. Cucumbers release a lot of water, and if you skip this step, you’ll end up with a watery salad by the time you sit down. Slice them, toss with a little salt, let them sit in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes, then pat dry. It makes a noticeable difference.
3. Dress pasta salad while the pasta is still warm. I know it feels counterintuitive for a cold salad, but warm pasta absorbs the dressing instead of just sitting on top of it. Let it cool down after, then add any fresh ingredients right before serving.
4. Cut fruit as close to serving time as you can. Peaches, strawberries, and watermelon all start to break down and release liquid pretty quickly. If you’re making a fruit salad ahead of time, keep the fruit whole in the fridge and slice it right before you need it.
5. Make your dressing first and taste it before it hits the salad. This sounds obvious but most salad problems come down to the dressing being off, and you can’t fix it once everything’s tossed. Get the balance right on its own, then add it a little at a time so you don’t overdress.
6. For leafy green salads, dry the greens completely. Wet greens mean the dressing won’t stick. A salad spinner is the easiest way, but spreading them on a clean kitchen towel works too. It’s a small step that actually matters.

FAQs

For more similar roundup of recipes, be sure to check out:

• Best Lemon Recipes
• Must-Try Strawberry Recipes
• Best Summer Grilling Recipes
• Easy No-Bake Summer Desserts
• Summer Dinner Ideas
• What to Make With Avocados