13 summer salads because nobody wants a hot meal on a scorching day

When the day feels too hot for a heavy dinner, salads start making a lot more sense. These 13 summer salads lean on crisp vegetables, creamy dressings, chilled proteins, herbs, citrus, and a few heartier bowls for when a side salad is not enough. The mix covers fast chopped salads, chicken bowls, avocado and egg salads, tabbouleh, cucumber salads, and vegetable-packed bowls that work for lunch, dinner, or the table outside.

Avocado Egg Salad

Creamy avocado, boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, chives, lemon, and olive oil come together in Avocado Egg Salad, a 10-minute salad that makes 6 servings. The avocado gives the bowl body without turning lunch into something heavy. Spoon it into lettuce leaves, tuck it into wraps, or set it out cold when the heat makes a full dinner feel like too much.

Get the Recipe: Avocado Egg Salad

Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Blanched broccoli keeps its crunch in Broccoli Salad with Bacon, a 13-minute salad made with bacon bits, onion, cheddar, blueberries, and pumpkin or hemp seeds. The yogurt and apple cider vinegar dressing keeps it creamy without weighing down the bowl. Bring it out for cookouts, potlucks, or a chilled side that can handle a hot afternoon.

Get the Recipe: Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Buffalo Chicken Salad Bowl

Shredded cooked chicken tossed with hot sauce gives Buffalo Chicken Salad Bowl a bold base in 15 minutes for 4 servings. Salad greens, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, blue cheese, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar round out the bowl. It lands well as a lunch salad when you want heat from sauce instead of heat from the weather.

Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Salad Bowl

Faux Potato Salad

Turnips replace potatoes in Faux Potato Salad, a 30-minute salad that makes 10 servings with carrots, green peas, pickles, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and pickle water. The cooked vegetables chill in the dressing for a familiar picnic-style bowl. Set it beside grilled mains, pack it for a summer table, or use it when potato salad feels too heavy.

Get the Recipe: Faux Potato Salad

Chicken Salad Recipe

Built around 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken, Chicken Salad Recipe takes 5 minutes and makes 4 servings. Celery, red onion, garlic, oregano, parsley, and mayonnaise keep it classic without asking for much work. Pile it into lettuce wraps, spoon it over crackers, or make sandwiches for a cold lunch that still feels like a real meal.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Salad Recipe

Italian Green Bean Salad

After a 2-minute blanch, Italian Green Bean Salad brings green beans, romaine, red onion, basil, almonds, walnuts, goat cheese, and a Dijon vinaigrette into a crisp 4-serving bowl. Prep takes 10 minutes before the quick cook. It works as a bright side for grilled chicken, fish, or a simple summer lunch that needs crunch.

Get the Recipe: Italian Green Bean Salad

Kale and Lemon Salad

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Massaged kale softens under lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and Dijon in Kale and Lemon Salad, a 10-minute salad made for 2 servings. Parmesan and toasted almonds add salt, crunch, and enough texture to keep the bowl from feeling plain. Plate it with chicken, fish, or a small main when the weather calls for something lighter.

Get the Recipe: Kale and Lemon Salad

Marinated Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

Thin-sliced English cucumbers and red onion soak up apple cider vinegar, honey or agave, sea salt, dill, and black pepper in Marinated Cucumber and Red Onion Salad. Prep takes 5 minutes, then the salad chills for at least 20 minutes before serving. Keep it cold for cookouts, sandwiches, or any meal that needs a crisp side.

Get the Recipe: Marinated Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

Quick High Protein Chicken Salad

Panko-crusted chicken cutlets sit over arugula, cherry tomatoes, and bocconcini in Quick High Protein Chicken Salad, a 4-serving bowl with 15 minutes of prep and 4 minutes of cooking. Pesto, lemon zest, and lemon juice make up the dressing. Use it when a plain salad will not hold you, but a hot dinner sounds like too much.

Get the Recipe: Quick High Protein Chicken Salad

Tabbouleh Salad

Parsley, mint, tomatoes, hemp seeds, lemon, and olive oil make Tabbouleh Salad a 10-minute salad with 6 servings. The hemp seeds take the place of bulgur while keeping the bowl light and herb-heavy. Scoop it beside grilled meats, pack it for lunch, or bring it out when the table needs something cool and green.

Get the Recipe: Tabbouleh Salad

Taco Salad Bowl with Mexican Ground Beef

Seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce, onion, olives, tomatoes, avocado, cheddar, mozzarella, and a cheese-based edible bowl make the Taco Salad Bowl with Mexican Ground Beef the heartiest salad in this set. It takes 1 hour and makes 4 servings. Save it for dinner when everyone still wants taco flavor but not another heavy plate.

Get the Recipe: Taco Salad Bowl with Mexican Ground Beef

TikTok Green Goddess Salad

Blended lemon juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, chives, basil, parsley, spinach, almonds, and nutritional yeast coat cabbage, cucumbers, green onions, and chives in TikTok Green Goddess Salad. The whole bowl takes 15 minutes and makes 6 servings. Set it out with chips, grilled mains, or a cold lunch spread that needs crunch.

Get the Recipe: TikTok Green Goddess Salad

Tomato and Vegetable Salad with Feta

Juicy cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green bell peppers, feta, red onion, olives, mint, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and Dijon fill Tomato and Vegetable Salad with Feta. Prep takes 10 minutes, and the recipe makes 4 servings. It is the kind of chilled vegetable bowl that belongs next to chicken, wings, wraps, or a quick lunch plate.

Get the Recipe: Tomato and Vegetable Salad with Feta

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