Quick, easy and delicious, these 18 Easy Peasy Salads are perfect for summer dinners, barbecues, picnics, pot lucks and buffets. And all of them prove that salad is so much more than a few limp lettuce leaves on the side!
18 Easy Peasy Salad Recipes
I remember back when I was a kid ‘salad’ was a couple of limp lettuce leaves, a slice of dried up cucumber and a slice or two of tasteless wedges of tomato. Typically this was placed to the side of the plate and mostly ignored! Fast forward to today and I am very pleased that the concept of ‘salad’ has moved on considerably. Salad is now a celebration of fresh produce… and no longer relegated to the side of the plate but it can now be a meal in it’s own right or at least a worthy equal to whatever else is on the plate!
For this roundup, I have gathered together 18 of my favourite easy peasy summer salads to share with you. Each one will work equally well as a main meal in its own right or as an accompaniment to other dishes. They are all also perfect to serve at a barbecue, pot luck or buffet… or to pack up and take on a picnic!
For each recipe, I’ve included a link to the recipe, plus prep times, cook times and total times, so you can quickly and easily see which recipe suits your needs and the time available. Where appropriate, I’ve also included suggested ways you can adapt these recipes to suit the ingredients you have available and/or your personal preferences.
If you make one of these recipes (or, even better, discover a new family favourite!) I’d love to hear from you. Let me know in the comments below or via social media. I’m on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Easy Tabbouleh Salad
Get the recipe => Easy Tabbouleh Salad (Vegan)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Notes: My most requested recipe! Make this more substantial by adding chicken or turkey. You can also make this gluten free by using quinoa instead of bulgur wheat.
Salmon, Avocado and Potato Salad
Get the recipe => Salmon, Avocado and Potato Salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Notes: A more substantial twist on a classic potato salad. You could swap the fresh salmon for tinned salmon or tinned tuna. Or you could try prawns instead.
Easy Tuna Rice Salad
Get the recipe => Easy Tuna Rice Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Notes: A family favourite. This easy peasy rice salad is perfect for picnics and potlucks as it can be made many hours in advance and is a real crowdpleaser. You can simply omit the tuna to make it a great veggie/vegan option. It’s also naturally gluten free.
Aubergine and Halloumi Salad
Get the recipe => Aubergine and Halloumi Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Notes: This fabulous Aubergine and Halloumi Salad looks impressive, but it’s actually really easy to make and tastes amazing! You could swap the aubergine (eggplant) for courgette (zucchini) or roasted peppers. If you don’t need this to be vegetarian you could swap the halloumi for griddled chicken or lamb. And to make this vegan, swap the halloumi for a mix of griddled courgettes and red peppers.
Roasted Squash, Quinoa, Avocado and Feta Salad
Get the recipe => Roasted Squash, Quinoa, Avocado and Feta Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Notes: One of my all time favourite salads… such gorgeous flavours and packed with goodness. Plus naturally vegetarian and gluten free. It you don’t need this to be vegetarian, swap the feta for cooked chicken. To make this vegan you could swap the feta for a couple of tablespoons of mixed seeds.
Beetroot, Kale and Orange Salad
Get the recipe => Beetroot, Kale and Orange Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Notes: So fresh and healthy, this Beetroot, Kale and Orange Salad totally blew me away the first time I tried it. I know it sounds kind of an odd combination, but it really, really works! If you don’t need this to be vegetarian, you could swap the cheese for cooked chicken. You could also swap the kale for a mixed bag of salad leaves.
Peach, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Salad
Get the recipe => Peach, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Notes: The flavours in this impressive looking (but secretly really easy peasy) salad go so well together. You could swap prosciutto for another type of ham if you like (or leave it off entirely for vegetarians) but otherwise I wouldn’t change a thing (try it and you’ll see why!)
Chicken, Kale, Quinoa and Pumpkin Salad
Get the recipe => Chicken, Kale, Quinoa and Pumpkin Salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Notes: Packed full of goodness and flavour, this salad is a real crowdpleaser…and a great way to use up leftover roast chicken! Swap the pumpkin for butternut squash or any other roasted veggies you like. You could also swap the kale for a bag of mixed salad leaves. To make this veggie/vegan swap the chicken for chickpeas.
Chickpea and Apricot Couscous Salad
Get the recipe => Chicken, Kale, Quinoa and Pumpkin Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Notes: A great salad for potlucks, packed lunches and picnics! This salad is also very adaptable. You could swap the apricots for raisins or cranberries. You could swap the chickpeas for chicken. And you could use any veggies you like!
Thai Chicken Salad with Honey Drizzled Cashews
Get the recipe => Thai Chicken Salad with Honey Drizzled Cashews
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Notes: Slightly unusual, but utterly delicious – this salad makes a great dinner on a hot day… You could swap the little gem lettuces for a bag of mixed salad leaves. You could swap the chicken for prawns. And you could use any kind of nut you like!
Ham, Squash and Puy Lentil Salad
Get the recipe => Ham, Squash and Puy Lentil Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Notes: I’ll admit this salad does have a little bit of an ‘autumn’ vibe, but it’s just as tasty in summer. A great way to use up leftover roast ham… or just use some cooked ham from the butchers/deli/supermarket. You could swap the ham for cooked chicken or turkey if you prefer. Butternut squash is available all year round in most supermarkets… or use summer squash instead.
Easy Prawn, Mango and Avocado Salad
Get the recipe => Easy Prawn, Avocado and Mango Salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Notes: This delicious salad just screams summer and is incredibly quick and easy to make. It makes a fab main meal in its own right, or can be served as part of a picnic or barbecue. You could swap the prawns for smoked salmon, poached salmon or cooked chicken, if you prefer. You could also just leave out the prawns altogether (or swap them for roasted cashews) for a veggie/vegan friendly salad.
Easy Peasy Greek Salad
Get the recipe => Easy Peasy Greek Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Notes: My easy peasy take on a classic Greek salad. Not 100% authentic, I’ll grant you. But I can assure you it’s 100% tasty! This works well as a side salad to barbecued meats, poached or grilled salmon, as well as these delicious Greek-inspired pork chops and of course souvlaki!
Roasted Pear, Stilton and Walnut Salad
Get the recipe => Roasted Pear, Stilton and Walnut Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Notes: I originally conceived this as a Christmas starter… but actually it works brilliantly as a summer salad! And it’s super adaptable… You could use cashew nuts or hazelnuts instead of walnuts. You could use apples instead of pears. You could use any kind of salad leaf instead of watercress. And why not try dolcelatte, feta or goats cheese instead of stilton?
5 Minute Mexican Salad
Get the recipe => 5 Minute Mexican Salad (Vegan)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Notes: An incredibly easy peasy Mexican-inspired salad, that takes only 5 minutes to throw together and just happens to be vegetarian, vegan, gluten and dairy free – so everyone can enjoy it!
Chickpea, Feta and Herb Salad
Get the recipe => Chickpea, Feta and Herb Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Notes: This salad is really quick and simple to put together, full of flavour and pretty healthy too. It’s kind of based on a tabbouleh type salad – a lovely combination of bulgur wheat, cucumber, tomatoes and herbs – but with the addition of chickpeas and feta cheese to make it extra delicious. Serve on it’s own as a light vegetarian meal or add pittas to make it more substantial. Alternatively, serve this as a side to chicken or salmon.
Harissa Lamb with Chickpea and Pomegranate Salad
Get the recipe => Harissa Lamb with Chickpea and Pomegranate Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Notes: A deliciously simple dinner that is perfect for warmer evenings. Inspired by North African flavours, this easy peasy Harissa Lamb with Chickpea and Pomegranate Salad recipe is ideal for a quick midweek supper, yet delicious enough to make for a weekend treat. It can be cooked indoors on a griddle pan or outdoors on the barbecue – perfect for our impossible-to-judge British weather – it also happens to be dairy and gluten free and pretty healthy too!
Easy No Mayo Coleslaw (Dairy Free, Egg Free & Vegan)
Get the recipe => Easy No Mayo Coleslaw (Dairy Free, Egg Free & Vegan)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Notes: This wonderful salad is perfect for a barbeque or potluck. It’s naturally gluten free, dairy free, egg free and vegan… but definitely not short on taste!
If you enjoyed this roundup…
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Corina Blum says
I’m always happy to have salads at the moment and we eat them quite a lot as a main meal and as a side dish. I especially like the look of the Thai chicken and cashew nut salad!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks Corina 😀
Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes says
Thanks for sharing, the round up of all these salads they all look lovely 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks Nic. Glad you like them! Eb 🙂
Jo says
What a nice round up, don’t know which recipe to try first. Thanks so much for posting.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! So pleased you liked my roundup 😀 If you are not sure where to start, I definitely recommend starting with the tabbouleh – it’s sooo good! Eb 🙂