June calls for salads that bring crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, juicy tomatoes, and bright dressings to the table without leaving everyone hungry an hour later. These 15 recipes range from quick chopped sides and picnic-ready potato salads to fuller bowls made with chicken, shrimp, tuna, steak, grains, and pasta. Cook one for lunch, serve another beside grilled food, or eat a hearty option as dinner when the weather starts warming up.
White Bean Salad
Ready in 10 minutes, White Bean Salad tosses white beans with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, and a lemon-Dijon dressing. Capers and crumbled feta can be folded in before the salad is chilled and spooned over arugula. The recipe makes 6 servings and works as a light lunch or an easy side. Serve it cold or at room temperature with bread, grilled chicken, or salmon.
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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Built around cooked quinoa, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad adds cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta, parsley, and fresh mint. A dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and oregano keeps the vegetables and grains bright rather than heavy. Chill it before serving so the flavors have time to settle. Eat it for lunch or serve it beside grilled chicken at a cookout.
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Italian Broccoli Salad
Crisp broccoli gives Italian Broccoli Salad its sturdy base, with salami, cheese, vegetables, and Italian-seasoned dressing mixed through each bite. Unlike leafy salads that wilt quickly, this one can sit chilled until lunch or dinner is ready. The mix brings plenty of crunch and enough substance to stand beside burgers, grilled chicken, or sandwiches. Make it for a backyard meal, picnic, or packed lunch that needs more than plain greens.
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Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts
Mixed in 10 minutes, Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts combines 2 cups of cooked chicken with toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, celery, green onion, parsley, sour cream, and mayonnaise. The recipe makes 4 servings, with sweet, crunchy, and savory ingredients in the same bowl. Spoon it over lettuce for lunch or tuck it into a croissant. Crackers also turn it into an easy snack plate.
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Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes
Chewy cooked grains make Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna and Tomatoes a filling change from a standard bowl of lettuce. Wheat berries, canned tuna, diced tomatoes, green onions, and parsley are dressed simply with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. The recipe takes 1 hour and 10 minutes and yields 8 servings. Eat it as a light dinner, pack it for lunch, or serve a smaller scoop with soup.
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Tex-Mex Caesar Salad
Romaine gets a Southwestern update in Tex-Mex Caesar Salad with Chipotle Croutons, which serves 6 and lists a 10-minute total time. Lime, cilantro, garlic, cotija cheese, Dijon, and Worcestershire flavor the dressing, while homemade bread cubes are coated with butter, olive oil, and chipotle powder. Top the salad just before eating so the croutons stay crisp. Serve it with tacos, grilled steak, ribs, or chicken.
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Potato Salad with Herbs & Green Garlic
Without the usual heavy mayonnaise dressing, Potato Salad with Fresh Herbs coats baby red potatoes with green garlic, green onions, parsley, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and honey. It takes 30 minutes and makes 6 servings. Adding the dressing while the potatoes are still warm helps them soak up the sharp, herby flavors. Chill it for a cookout or serve it slightly warm beside grilled meat.
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Curried Chicken Salad with Raisins
Sweet golden raisins and warm curry powder give Curry Chicken Salad with Raisins a different direction from the usual deli version. Cooked chicken is mixed with mayonnaise, sour cream, red onion, lemon juice, and curry, then finished with toasted sliced almonds. It takes 10 minutes and makes 6 servings. Pile it into sandwiches, add it to a wrap, or spoon it over greens for lunch.
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Yellow Bean & Potato Salad
Ready in 20 minutes, Yellow Bean and Potato Salad brings together baby potatoes, yellow beans, celery, red bell pepper, and green onions. A creamy whole-grain mustard dressing may use mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, and honey. The recipe makes 6 servings and can be served warm or chilled. Bring it to a potluck, add it to a barbecue plate, or eat a bowl with grilled chicken skewers.
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Mexican Street Corn Salad
Grilled corn is cut from the cob for Mexican Street Corn Salad, then tossed with red bell pepper, jalapeño, green onion, cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, and cotija. The recipe takes 30 minutes and serves 6. Chill it thoroughly before setting it out so the cheese and creamy dressing stay cool. Serve it with tacos, grilled chicken, seafood, or anything coming off the barbecue.
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Shirazi Salad
Finely chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mint, parsley, and dill keep Easy Shirazi Salad crisp, juicy, and packed with fresh herbs. Lime juice and olive oil form the simple dressing, so there is no creamy coating to weigh down the vegetables. It takes 10 minutes and yields 8 servings. Eat it with crusty bread or serve it alongside grilled fish, kabobs, chicken, or smoked meat.
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Coronation Chicken Salad
Using 1 pound of cooked chicken, Coronation Chicken Salad mixes mayonnaise and sour cream with mango chutney, raisins, toasted almonds, curry powder, and green onion. It takes 10 minutes to prepare and makes 6 servings, though the salad needs time in the refrigerator before it is served. Spoon it onto mixed greens, layer it into sandwiches, or use it as a filling for small tea sandwiches.
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Classic Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing
Crisp vegetables run through Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing, including red cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro. Noodles are tossed with a dressing of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, lime, ginger, garlic, and sriracha, then topped with peanuts. It takes 30 minutes and serves 6. Eat it chilled for lunch or pair it with grilled salmon, chicken, or tofu.
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Steak & Pasta Salad
Leftover cooked beef finds a warm-weather use in Steak & Pasta Salad, a 25-minute recipe that makes 8 servings. Pasta, sliced steak, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, radishes, corn, red onion, and blue cheese are tossed with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. Chill the finished salad briefly before eating. Serve full bowls for dinner, or offer smaller portions beside grilled vegetables at a backyard meal.
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Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Cooked orzo and shrimp turn Mediterranean Orzo & Shrimp Salad into a fuller meal that still works well when the weather is warm. Feta, grape tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumber, red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, and red onion fill out the bowl. The recipe takes 35 minutes and makes 8 servings. Chill it for at least an hour, then serve it for lunch or beside fish and kabobs.
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