Photo by Iain Bagwell
Garlicky Steak Salad with Chickpeas and Artichokes
No need to be alarmed about all the garlic; the OJ and soy sauce mellow it out.
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Poached Salmon Niçoise
This reinvented version of Salade Niçoise uses wild Western salmon instead of tuna and anchovies, and adds watercress—because we love greens.
Recipe: Poached Salmon Niçoise
Jeffery Cross
Grilled Asparagus and Prosciutto Cobb Salad
In this fresh take on the classic Cobb, a little smoky char adds depth to asparagus and green onions, and the grill turns prosciutto into crisp shards. Choose large asparagus so they won’t fall through the grates.
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Spanish-Style Chicken Salad
For a warm salad, have the greens prepped and ready to dress when the hot chicken comes out of the oven. Using two kinds of paprika makes the dressing a little smoky and a little sweet.
Recipe: Spanish-Style Chicken Salad
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Shrimp and White Bean Salad with Lemon Dressing
The mix of chicory greens creates layers of textures and flavors from mild to somewhat bitter. It’s a great combo with the sweet shrimp and big hit of lemon.
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Roasted Vegetable Salad with Honey Dressing
A touch of honey in the dressing brings out the roasted vegetables’ natural sweetness, and their meaty texture satisfies even the carnivores at the table. For an extra layer of flavor, serve the salad with shaved parmesan or asiago cheese.
Photo by Iain Bagwell; written by Elaine Johnson
Chicken Salad with Roasted Beets and Dandelion Greens
Dandelion greens give a bright, appealingly bitter edge to the rich chicken and the sweet beets.
Recipe: Chicken Salad with Roasted Beets and Dandelion Greens
Photo by Annabelle Breaky
Champagne Chicken Salad
One of the tastiest parts of this upgraded chicken salad are the young carrots. If you can’t find young carrots, cut regular ones into 1/2-in. sticks instead.
Recipe: Champagne Chicken Salad
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Beef, Broccolini, and Bread Salad with Salsa Verde
Robust, briny, and herbaceous, Italian-style salsa verde works beautifully as both a marinade and a table sauce.
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Salmon Sesame Salad
Crumble crunchy won tons into this twist on a traditional salmon salad for a crisp texture.
Recipe: Salmon Sesame Salad
Photo by Iain Bagwell; written by Elaine Johnson
Rainbow Carrot, Pea Shoot, and Chicken Salad
Slicing the carrots is fastest on a classic French- or Japanese-style mandoline, but you can also use a vegetable peeler.
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Grilled Steak and Vegetable Salad with Chipotle Chimichurri Dressing
Using both fresh and smoked jalapeños (chipotles) gives this version of chimichurri, the Argentinean steak sauce, lots of flavor without being wildly spicy.
Recipe: Grilled Steak and Vegetable Salad with Chipotle Chimichurri Dressing
Photo by Thomas J. Story; styling by Karen Shinto
Grilled Tuna Citrus Salad
Marinate albacore tuna in honey and Dijon and quickly sear it on the grill. Serve with mixed baby greens, thinly sliced sweet onion, oranges, sliced avocado, and a fresh lime dressing.
Recipe: Grilled Albacore Citrus Salad
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Thai-syle Jicama Salad
Crunchy green papaya is usually the main ingredient in this type of Thai salad, but it can be hard to find.
Surprisingly, jicama—a crisp, beige-skinned root—makes a great stand-in. Find it at well-stocked grocery stores and Latino markets. To serve as a main course, increase shrimp to 1 lb.
Recipe: Thai-syle Jicama Salad
Photo by Annabelle Brakey
Grilled Beef and Spring Onion Salad
To add even more delicious flavor to this salad, try eating the young leaves from your radishes instead of composting them.
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Baby Vegetable Salad with Cornichons
This lighter version of Russian Salade Olivier replaces much of the mayonnaise used in the original with yogurt.
You can steam the vegetables and make the dressing ahead, but serve the dressed salad right away.
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Mango Avocado Shrimp Salad
Succulent shrimp, sweet mango, and creamy avocado makes a delicious meal in a bowl. Minced chiles gives the lime dressing the perfect kick.
Recipe: Mango Avocado Shrimp Salad
Photo by Thomas J. Story
Best-Ever Chinese Chicken Salad
This dish has all the great flavor of the original and is packed with garden-fresh ingredients.
Recipe: Best-Ever Chicken Salad
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Grilled Chicken on Greens with Creamy Harissa Dressing
This chicken salad gets its wow factor from a dressing spiked with harissa, a Tunisian chile sauce. Cool yogurt balances the heat.
Recipe: Grilled Chicken on Greens with Creamy Harissa Dressing
Photo by Leo Gong; styling by Dan Becker
Thai Beef Salad
Leftover sliced beef makes this salad easy to whip up. We love its distinctive fresh herbs and crunchy peanuts.
Recipe: Thai Beef Salad
Photo by John Clark
Eggs and Greens
Top a beautiful bowl of local salad greens with a perfectly fried egg, crisp slivers of leeks, and a fresh-thyme vinaigrette.
Recipe: Eggs and Greens
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Tomato “Bruschetta” with Tuna and Cannellini Salad
Celebrate summer with a hearty dinner of vine-ripened tomatoes topped with a savory mix of tuna, cannellini beans, green onions, and a lemony dressing.
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Vietnamese Calamari Herb Salad
Fresh mint, basil, dill, parsley, and cilantro make a delicious counterpoint to crunchy fried calamari.
Recipe: Vietnamese Calamari Herb Salad
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Endive Salad with Bacon, Gorgonzola, and Avocado
Endive adds crunch to this delicious mix of creamy gorgonzola, avocado, and salty crumbled bacon.
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Hot Flank Steak Salad with Chinese Black Bean Dressing
We’ve updated the classic steak salad with a sweet and salty dressing of soy sauce, black beans, sherry, ginger, vinegar, and brown sugar.
Recipe: Hot Flank Steak Salad with Chinese Black Bean Dressing
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Shrimp, Lemon, and Spinach Whole-Grain Pasta Salad
Pasta salad goes main-dish with the addition of succulent shrimp, baby spinach, mint, onion, and a light and lemony yogurt dressing.
Photo by Sunset
Chicken, Corn, and Tomato Pasta Salad
Toss together shredded chicken with orzo pasta, sweet corn, chopped red onion, and basil. Add a ricotta-lemon dressing. Dinner’s ready.
Photo by Leo Gong; Styling: Dan Becker
Green Bean and Whole-grain Penne Salad
Flavor and texture contrasts give this salad extra appeal: Nutty pasta mingles with crisp green beans, strewn with bits of crunchy bacon and creamy Roquefort.
Photo by Jennifer Martine; styling by Karen Shinto
Greek Tuna Salad
It’s surprising how light and fresh this vinaigrette-dressed salad tastes, given that most of the ingredients come from the pantry. Here it’s served as an entrée, but it also works as an appetizer or sandwich filling.
Recipe: Greek Tuna Salad
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Chickpea Panzanella with Capers
Toss this hearty salad in a bit of olive oil and red-wine vinegar and you’ve got a light but satisfying dinner in 25 minutes.
Recipe: Chickpea Panzanella with Capers
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Harissa Lamb with Lemon Mint Chickpea Salad
We cut the lamb into smaller pieces so it cooks quickly and each one has some of the flavorful harissa crust.
Photo by Iain Bagwell; written by Elaine Johnson
Sesame Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Greens
Mizuna and mustard greens add bite and a healthy base to this zesty salad.
Photo by Iain Bagwell; written by Elaine Johnson
The paprika delivers great smoky flavor in this main-dish salad.
Recipe: Grilled Chicken, Corn, and Spinach Salad with Smoky Paprika Dressing
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Grilled Chicken Pita Salad
All the best flavors of the Mediterranean, tossed in a lovely salad. We prefer the chicken grilled and sliced, but if you’re pressed for time, you can easily substitute 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken from the deli.
Recipe: Grilled Chicken Pita Salad
Photo by Iain Bagwell
Grilled Horseradish Steak with Mushroom Salad
The spicy flavor of horseradish is a nice contrast to the richness of grilled steak. Grilling whole gourmet mushrooms as an accompaniment is a good way to keep all the cooking outside.
Photo by Annabelle Breakey; Styling by Basil Friedman
Smoked Trout and Veggie Salad
Recipe: Smoked Trout and Veggie Salad
Photo by Annabelle Brakey
Fava Green, Grapefruit, and Flower Salad
Since the greens are eaten raw in this garden salad, be sure they’re very tender.