The 13 Best Summer Salads With Fresh Ingredients

Summer is finally here, which means it’s time to use fresh ingredients to create delicious meals. If you’re ready to stay healthy while enjoying tasty food, these are the best summer salads to try this year! 

13 Best Summer Salads

I’ve curated a list of 13 of the best summer salads. These recipes feature fruit, veggies, protein, and lots of delicious flavor. 

You’re going to love the variety in this list—you can keep coming back to it all summer long! 

Peach Burrata Salad With Basil Vinaigrette

This salad features ripe summer fruits like strawberries and peaches. The sweet fruit pairs well with creamy burrata cheese and peppery arugula. You’ll whip up a light, simple basil vinaigrette to drizzle over the top. 

Whether you’re looking for a delicious lunch, a fresh dinner meal, or something to serve at a party, this salad is perfect! 

Alicia from The Dizzy Cook recommends adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or fish to this salad. 

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad With Kalamata Olive Salad Dressing

If you’re looking for a crisp, crunchy summer salad, this one is perfect! 

Aubrey’s Mediterranean Chickpea Salad features a delicious lemon kalamata olive dressing. Serve this salad with grilled chicken or salmon for a main dish, or leave as-is for a light appetizer. It would also make an easy side dish for other recipes!

Chickpeas are so good for you—they’re packed with vitamins, fiber, and minerals, plus protein to help keep you feeling full! This recipe is quick and easy to make. It would be a perfect salad to meal-prep for lunches and sides because it keeps well in the fridge.

Healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad

This Healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad is spicy, healthy, and super flavorful. It takes the best of buffalo wings and turns them into a nutritious salad. 

You’re going to love the way the buffalo sauce pairs with the crisp veggies in this tasty meal! If you’ve ever wanted a lightened-up version of a classic guilty pleasure meal, this is perfect for you. 

Salmon Soba Noodle Salad

For an Asian-inspired summer salad, make this delicious Salmon Soba Noodle Salad. You’ll sear salmon to crispy perfection and serve over a mix of soba noodles and veggies. Top with a homemade ginger dressing for a flavorful, easy, and healthy meal. 

This recipe sounds fancy, but it’s super easy to make. There’s such a great combination of flavors and textures in this salad! 

Spiralized Zucchini Caprese Salad

Caprese is one of the best summer salads, and this recipe puts a fun twist on a classic dish! 

Made with fresh zucchini, mozzarella pearls, and cherry tomatoes, this dish is sweet, salty, and delicious. You’ll top everything off with a drizzle of basil pesto (or balsamic vinegar!) and serve with roasted garlic cloves. 

If you’re on a low-carb, vegetarian, or gluten-free diet, this recipe will be just fine for you. But it’s easy to make and so delicious for the summer no matter your dietary needs! 

Summer Salad With Goat Cheese and Lemon Vinaigrette

Nothing is better in the summer than a salad with lots of fresh fruit! There’s something about the sweet and savory pairings that is so delicious. 

That’s why you’re going to love this summer salad with goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette. The dressing is light, sweet, and fresh. This salad is a perfect lunchtime treat, especially because it’s quick and easy to whip up with whatever you have on hand! 

If you’ve never made a homemade vinaigrette before, don’t worry. This recipe is super simple, and you can whisk it together in a bowl or use a mason jar and shake! 

Garden Veggie Mason Jar Salad With Homemade Dressing

Mason jar salads are super easy and perfect for meal prep. If you’re busy during the week and need a healthy, grab-and-go lunch or dinner option, these salads are awesome!

They can be totally customized based on what you like, but I recommend adding a nice mix of veggies, protein, cheese, and your favorite dressing. I love making balsamic vinaigrette to go along with these salad jars! 

Strawberry Tomato Summer Salad

If you want to use super fresh summer ingredients, this Strawberry Tomato Summer Salad is perfect! This dish is light, simple to make, and super refreshing on a warm summer day. It’s vegan and gluten-free as-is, but you can add grilled chicken or couscous for some protein! 

This salad features a unique combination of strawberries and tomatoes. Just make sure to use ripe fruit so everything is nice and sweet! 

The Best Colorful Rainbow Bean Salad

Looking for a summer side dish that doubles as a delicious main dish salad recipe? Rainbow Bean Salad is packed with so much nutrition and is incredibly quick and easy to make. 

You’ll pair up a variety of beans, prepare a homemade vinaigrette dressing, and let everything marinate for a few hours or overnight. Then, enjoy! 

Grilled Corn Panzanella Salad

This Grilled Corn Panzanella Salad is basically summertime in a dish. 

It’s made with fresh tomatoes, sweet charred corn, mozzarella, basil, and homemade croutons. You’re going to be obsessed with the flavors and textures in this salad. 

When it’s super hot outside, you want something light and refreshing that’s still filling. This Tuscan-inspired salad with bread and tomatoes is the ideal meal. You’ll love the delicious flavors while your body loves all the nutrients you’re getting! 

Spinach Salad Recipe with Avocado, Berries, and Honey Vinaigrette

Spinach is so good for you, but it’s even better when paired with avocado, berries, feta cheese, walnuts, and red onion. This amazing Spinach Salad is then drizzled with homemade honey-garlic vinaigrette—yum! 

This salad is easy to make, but also really delicious! If you want to add something extra or substitute something, it’s totally up to you to make this salad your own. 

Oven Roasted Shrimp and Cauliflower Salad

The last dish on our list of the best summer salads is bright, colorful, and SO yummy! 

This Oven Roasted Shrimp and Cauliflower Salad is nutritious, unique, and simple to put together. It’s different from a classic salad, which makes it a fun dinner, party dish, or even meal-prepped lunch option! 

This salad has bell peppers, cucumbers, red onion, and feta, along with the roasted cauliflower and shrimp. So good!

There you have it! This list of the best summer salads will keep you eating healthy and delicious meals all summer long. Some of the salads on this list would even be easy to switch up and eat in the winter, too! 

Which salad will you make first? 

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