Summer meals often land somewhere between a full dinner bowl and a side plate beside whatever else is on the table. Choose chicken salad, quinoa salad, or dense bean salad when you want the salad to hold more of the plate, or pick a green salad for a side. A retro Watergate Salad brings the sweet scoop, so lunch, dinner, or a warm-weather table can end with something playful.
Green Goddess Salad
Finely chopped cabbage, Persian cucumbers, and green onions give Green Goddess Salad a spoonable texture, while spinach, basil, cashews, lemon, Parmesan, and rice vinegar blend into the dressing. The recipe takes 10 minutes and makes 8 servings. Set it out with tortilla chips as a chunky dip, or portion it into bowls for a light lunch. Its cabbage base also keeps the salad crisp longer than a leafy mix.
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Sweet and Spicy Hot Honey Chicken Salad
Built around cornflake-crusted chicken, Sweet and Spicy Hot Honey Chicken Salad combines lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, blue cheese, ranch, and a honey sauce heated with garlic and red pepper flakes. It takes 40 minutes and serves 6. The chicken is baked before being sliced over the vegetables, so the bowl has both crunch and fresh produce. Use it as a full summer lunch or dinner rather than a small side.
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Taco Pasta Salad
Rotini, taco-seasoned ground beef, corn, beans, tomatoes, cheddar, red onion, and jalapeño turn Taco Pasta Salad into a substantial chilled dish for 10. The recipe takes 35 minutes, then benefits from at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. A dressing made with yogurt, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce coats the pasta. Bring it out as a crowd-size side, or let the beef and beans carry the bowl as dinner.
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Pasta Primavera
Loaded with short pasta, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus, peas, red onion, Parmesan, lemon, and basil, Pasta Primavera comes together in 30 minutes and serves 4. The vegetables cook briefly in a skillet before everything is tossed in a large bowl with the cheese, citrus, and red pepper flakes. It works as a lighter warm main or a vegetable-heavy side. Serve it immediately while the vegetables are still crisp-tender.
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Quinoa Salad
Cool quinoa joins chickpeas, cucumber, red onion, parsley, mint, and pistachios in Quinoa Salad, with lemon juice and olive oil providing the dressing. The recipe takes 25 minutes and makes 6 servings. Because the grain and beans add substance, it can fill a lunch bowl without needing much beside it. It also fits a side plate with roasted vegetables, tofu, falafel, or grilled mushrooms.
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Broccoli Salad
Raw broccoli brings the crunch to Broccoli Salad, joined by red onion, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and cooked bacon under a mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar dressing. The recipe takes 15 minutes, serves 6, and chills for at least an hour after mixing. Its sweet, smoky, and tangy ingredients work well beside burgers, sandwiches, grilled chicken, ribs, or steak. Keep it cold until the rest of the summer meal is ready.
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Cowboy Caviar
A no-cook mix of bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, jalapeño, corn, chickpeas, black beans, feta, and cilantro makes Cowboy Caviar ready in 15 minutes for 10 servings. Lime juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and honey form the dressing. Spoon it onto side plates, pile it into tacos or burritos, or set it out with tortilla chips. The bean-and-vegetable mix also holds enough substance for a light bowl.
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Dense Bean Salad
Chickpeas and pinto beans anchor Dense Bean Salad, while bell peppers, cucumber, Kalamata olives, feta, red onion, and parsley add color and texture. It takes 15 minutes and serves 8. A lemon, maple, Dijon, garlic, and oregano dressing coats the entire mix without mayonnaise. Pack it into lunch containers for a filling bowl, or use smaller portions beside grilled food and sandwiches at a summer gathering.
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Retro Watergate Salad
Pistachio pudding, crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, pecans, and Cool Whip give Retro Watergate Salad its fluffy texture and pale green color. The mixture takes 10 minutes to prepare, then chills for an hour, making 4 servings in 1 hour 10 minutes total. This is a sweet dessert salad rather than a savory lunch bowl. Place it on the side table at a cookout or serve it after dinner in small chilled portions.
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Seaweed Salad
Glossy wakame is tossed with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, shallot, and sesame seeds in Seaweed Salad. The recipe takes 5 minutes and serves 2, giving the collection a small, quick side for rice bowls, sushi, grilled fish, or richer grilled dishes. Keep it chilled for picnics or work lunches. Add the sesame seeds close to serving so they keep their crunch.
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Chicken Salad
Greek-yogurt-marinated chicken sits over romaine and spinach in Chicken Salad, finished with strawberries, blueberries, pecans, feta, and a lemon-dill yogurt dressing. The recipe takes 40 minutes and serves 4. Pan-cooked chicken gives the bowl enough substance for lunch or dinner, while the berries and greens keep it suited to warm weather. Arrange it on a platter for a larger meal, or divide it among individual bowls.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Salad