Family salad standards can be hard to beat, especially when one familiar bowl has been the standard at the table for years. These 17 recipes cover the kinds of salads that stand out once they leave the prep bowl, reach the table, and disappear by the forkful. The lineup moves from creamy salmon pasta and chicken salads to crisp vegetables, hearty grains, and warm potatoes. Some work as lunch, others belong beside grilled food, and several can carry the plate on their own.
Salmon Pasta Salad
Creamy with dill and lemon, Salmon Pasta Salad combines chilled orecchiette with cooked salmon, grated cucumber, sour cream, and mayonnaise. The recipe lists 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, with enough for 10 servings. Use leftover grilled, baked, or pan-fried salmon to make the most of another dinner. It works as an office lunch, a summer main, or a side beside steak or smoked pork.
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Classic Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing
Tender noodles give Classic Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing its base, while red cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, cilantro, and peanuts add plenty of crunch. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, lime, and sriracha form the dressing. Ready in 30 minutes, the recipe makes 6 servings. Chill it briefly before bringing it to a potluck, packing it for meal prep, or pairing it with grilled chicken, salmon, or tofu.
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Yellow Bean & Potato Salad
Warm baby potatoes and tender yellow beans meet celery, red bell pepper, and green onions in Yellow Bean & Potato Salad. Its dressing mixes mayonnaise and sour cream with whole-grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, and honey. The 20-minute recipe makes 6 servings and can be offered warm or chilled. Set it alongside grilled food at a cookout, or prepare it as a colorful change from the usual plain potato salad.
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Shirazi Salad
Finely diced tomatoes, English cucumber, and red onion give Shirazi Salad a crisp texture in every spoonful. Mint, parsley, dill, lime juice, and olive oil keep the dressing light instead of covering the vegetables. The recipe takes 10 minutes and produces 8 servings. Bring it out with grilled or smoked meat, or add crusty bread when the salad needs to work as a lighter lunch.
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Southern Ham Salad
Using a food processor, Southern Ham Salad blends chopped ham with softened cream cheese, green onions, parsley, and grainy mustard. Only 10 minutes of prep are listed, and the batch provides 6 servings. Chilling it for an hour gives the ingredients more time to settle together. Spoon it onto crackers, tuck it into finger sandwiches, or serve it on cucumber slices when bread is not needed.
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Coronation Chicken Salad
Curry powder gives Coronation Chicken Salad its warm spice, balanced by cooked chicken, sour cream, mayonnaise, mango chutney, raisins, and toasted almonds. It takes 10 minutes to assemble and makes 6 servings. The fruit adds sweetness while the nuts bring a little crunch to the creamy mixture. Pile it into sandwiches, place it on a bed of greens, or add it to a small lunch spread.
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Tex-Mex Caesar Salad
Romaine lettuce gets a Southwest-style update in Tex-Mex Caesar Salad with cotija cheese, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and a homemade Caesar dressing. Bread cubes are coated with butter, olive oil, chipotle powder, and black pepper before baking into croutons. The recipe lists 10 minutes and 6 servings. Bring it out beside tacos or grilled meat when a standard Caesar salad seems too predictable.
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Potato Salad with Herbs & Green Garlic
Without mayonnaise, Potato Salad with Herbs & Green Garlic coats baby red potatoes in olive oil, white wine vinegar, and honey. Green garlic, green onions, and parsley bring a fresh herbal layer throughout the bowl. The recipe takes 30 minutes and makes 6 servings. It is a practical choice for cookouts or lunches when a lighter potato salad sounds better than a thick, creamy version.
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Pesto Orzo Salad
Small orzo pasta carries basil pesto, mayonnaise, and Parmesan throughout Pesto Orzo Salad. Pearl mozzarella, grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, toasted pine nuts, and lemon juice fill out the bowl. Ready in 20 minutes, the recipe yields 6 servings. Take it to a barbecue or potluck, or keep it chilled for a side that can sit beside chicken, steak, or seafood.
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Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes
Chewy wheat berries give Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes enough substance to work beyond the side-dish spot. Canned tuna, diced tomatoes, green onions, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice are folded through the cooked grains. The recipe takes 1 hour and 10 minutes and makes 8 servings. Pack it for lunch or serve it as a simple dinner when a leafy salad would not be filling enough.
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Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts
Sweet dried cranberries and toasted walnuts balance the creamy base of Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts. Cooked chicken, celery, green onions, parsley, sour cream, and mayonnaise complete the mixture. It takes 10 minutes to prepare and produces 4 servings. Scoop it onto crackers, turn it into sandwiches, or keep a container chilled for lunches that need very little work at serving time.
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White Bean Salad
No stovetop cooking is needed for White Bean Salad, which combines white beans with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and parsley. Olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and honey form the dressing, with optional capers or red pepper flakes. The recipe takes 10 minutes and serves 6. Make it for meal prep, a light lunch, or a quick side when the rest of dinner already requires the oven.
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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Fluffy quinoa forms the base of Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, joined by cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta, parsley, and mint. Lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and oregano tie the mixture together. The recipe is ready in 30 minutes and makes 4 servings. Set it beside grilled meat or fish, or portion it into containers for a grain-based lunch.
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Italian Broccoli Salad
Briefly blanched broccoli stays crisp in Italian Broccoli Salad alongside toasted almonds, pepperoncini, red bell pepper, olives, shallot, and diced provolone. A simple red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing coats everything without turning it heavy. The recipe lists 10 minutes of prep and 6 servings. Let the bowl rest before setting it beside sandwiches, roasted meat, or a larger Italian-style spread.
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Steak & Pasta Salad
Steakhouse-style ingredients turn Steak & Pasta Salad into a full plate rather than a small side. Cooked pasta and sliced steak are mixed with spinach, cherry tomatoes, radishes, corn, blue cheese, and red onion, then coated in buttermilk ranch dressing. The 25-minute recipe makes 8 servings. Bring it to a cookout or serve it for dinner when both meat and pasta need to share one chilled bowl.
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Curried Chicken Salad with Raisins
Golden raisins bring sweetness to Curried Chicken Salad with Raisins, while curry powder, red onion, lemon juice, and toasted almonds keep the mixture from tasting one-note. Cooked chicken is coated with equal amounts of mayonnaise and sour cream. Ready in 10 minutes, the recipe serves 6. Spoon it over greens or use it for sandwiches when leftover chicken needs a completely different direction.
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Chef Jenn’s Warm German Potato Salad
Crisp bacon and tender Yukon Gold potatoes anchor Chef Jenn’s Warm German Potato Salad. Red onion cooks in the bacon drippings before apple cider vinegar, broth, grainy mustard, and sugar are added to form the warm dressing. The recipe takes 35 minutes and makes 6 servings. Present it warm at a barbecue, picnic, or holiday dinner where a cold mayonnaise-based potato salad might get overlooked.
Get the Recipe: Chef Jenn’s Warm German Potato Salad