These salads can be transformed from a boring salad into a gourmet side dish or a full meal with all our additional suggestions and toppings listed below.
Fresh ingredients are key to enhancing the best salad and all of these will be a great addition to your recipe collection.
Each recipe has a little introduction and if you're in a hurry just scroll down to the recipe card, hit print and all the ads will disappear.
Lentil and Feta Salad Recipe
This is a wonderful light salad with lots of protein but with a light flavor with the addition of a homemade garlic dressing.
Starting out simmering the lentils in chicken or vegetable broth enhances a delicious flavor.
Tomatoes, celery, and just about any other fresh vegetables will be great additions.
There are dried kinds of lentils such as brown lentils (the most common and what we used), green lentils, red and yellow lentils, and specialty kinds such as black beluga lentils, and puy lentils.
Fresh herbs, and spices, mixed in with this salad will bring the best flavors.
Chickpea Salad Medley
Our recipe for chickpea salad has a medley of fresh corn off the cob, black beans, chopped tomatoes, avocado, celery cucumbers and all mixed with a light homemade salad dressing.
This is a marvelous side dish or a whole meal in itself.
A bright colorful salad that is perfect for picnics, light lunches, and perfect for potlucks.
We have mixed and matched other substitutions as this chickpea salad is very versatile and just about anything you add will meld with this salad.
Cucumber Bacon Bleu Tomato Salad
Simple and refreshing tomato salad with cucumbers, homemade dressing, and topped with crumbled crispy bacon and bleu cheese.
These bold flavors are perfect as a side dish or delicious starter served on a bed of fresh Spring greens.
Feel free to use crumbled turkey bacon and another cheese you prefer, this is a fast easy salad for any weeknight and great with any meal you're serving.
Choose varieties of fresh ripe juicy tomatoes of any kind for the best sweetest flavors for you salad.
Again, always choose fresh herbs and spices to add to your salad for the best results.
Gourmet Asparagus Pecan Salad
This shouts nothing more than gourmet when it comes to the freshest of salads with steamed or sauteed asparagus topping a bed of fresh greens.
With the addition of craisins and pecans, this will give that added sweetness to a delightful plate and even the pickiest of eaters will love this starter salad with any meal.
Although we haven't talked about the possibilities of adding seared tuna, grilled chicken breast or shrimp kabobs, this would be the perfect backyard meal for your next cookout.
The asparagus can be grilled, steamed, microwaved, or even air-fried and enjoyed however you prefer this vegetable.
We prefer our asparagus still warm on our salad but hot or cold it will be a delicious addition to your bed of salad greens.
Triple Bean Salad
Green beans, kidney beans, and yellow beans with the addition of sweet and tart flavors from vinegar make this a delicious salad bowl.
The beans can be made from fresh or canned and are great alongside that backyard BBQ.
There are several kinds of beans you can substitute starting from fresh or dried beans of your choice.
Black beans, red pinto, black-eyed peas, and butter beans are all great additions or substitutions in this recipe, just add whatever kinds of beans your family prefers.
With the addition of the homemade dressing, this salad tastes best refrigerated overnight to meld in the flavors.
Salad Topping Ideas and Other Mix-In Suggestions
- Keep salads cold by placing ice in a ziplock bag in another bowl and setting your salad on top when eating outdoors
- Add pepperoni, chunks of ham, crumbled bacon, or sliced Italian sausage for a meat lovers' salad
- Other vegetables or fruits like diced pineapple, shaved vegetables instead of diced: IE carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and squash are all nice additions
- Try mixing greens baby greens, spinach, and shredded red cabbage all nice additions also
- Make a creamy garlic parmesan dressing for a change or use whatever you prefer
- Any kind of fresh snap peas, green beans, or chickpeas are perfect in this salad
- Use fresh lemon-style dressing for a change or blue cheese
- Substitute sunflower or pumpkin seeds for food allergies
- Keep the salad cold and covered if there are any leftovers for up to 2 days
- chickpeas drained and rinsed
- chopped celery
- grapes
- finely chopped onions
- sliced radishes
- cabbage slaw
- fresh peas
- corn cut off the cob
- julienne carrot
- hot peppers
- cherry peppers
- artichoke hearts
- hearts of palm
- raw zucchini cubes or other squash
- cauliflower
- croutons
- add fresh herbs when available IE: basil, dill, Italian flat leaf parsley, oregano, mint, etc.
- add grilled chicken, shrimp kabobs, grilled salmon, or sliced steak strips to the top of your salads for any weekend BBQ or backyard cookout.
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Delicious Easy and Healthy Summer Salads
Try some of our other recipes we have with the link below the recipe card we just love salads.
Keep in mind when you're making them to refrigerate or keep them on ice when entertaining outdoors for the best results.
5 Easy Summer Salads
Here are five recipes for unique-style salads for Spring and Summer. Lentils, asparagus, assorted bean salad, chickpeas and so much more bursting with great flavors.
Ingredients
- Lentil and Feta Salad
- 1 cup lentils
- 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 carrot julienned or shaved
- 1 cup chopped plum or grape tomatoes
- 2 stalks of celery, finely diced
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped onion
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons flat-leaf minced parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 leaves of freshly chopped basil
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- Chickpea Salad Medley
- 3 cups chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce cans) drained
- 1 cup of diced cucumbers
- 2 cubed avocados
- 1/2 cup drained black beans (canned)
- 2 cooked ears of corn, sliced off the cob
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, chopped
- 3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic or red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 3 garlic cloves, finely mince
- 1 lime, juiced and zested around 4 to 5 tablespoons
- Cucumber Bacon Bleu Tomato Salad
- 2 vine ripe tomatoes cubed or cut in quarter
- 2 English cucumbers
- 1 small onion in small pieces
- 1 small bottle of Italian dressing (or make it homemade in a bowl add 1 tablespoon of dried mixed herbs, 1 teaspoon of minced fresh garlic, 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey, and 3 to 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, whisk together)
- 4 tablespoons of gorgonzola cheese
- 8 slices of crispy cooked fried bacon, crumbled
- Gourmet Asparagus Pecan Salad
- 20 thin baby asparagus spears
- 1 -12 oz. jar of roasted peppers drained
- 2/3 cup chopped toasted or candied pecans or another nut you prefer
- 1/4 cup of craisins
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 1/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- pinch of sugar
- 1 package Argula/Spinach Mix or Spring Mix salad greens
- Triple Bean Salad
- 3 (15-ounce) cans of beans, drained of choice or a little of each (black beans, chickpeas, cannellini, and yellow or green beans)
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot shaved or julienned
- 3 tablespoons finely minced celery
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
- 3/4 teaspoon dried or fresh oregano
- Mix all of the above in a serving bowl.
- Bean Salad Dressing:
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
- salt and pepper taste
- Whisk all the above salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl until evenly blended.
Instructions
- Cold Lentil Salad Directions:
- Simmer the lentil in chicken stock with the bay leaf for around 35 minutes.
- Drain off the liquid and add to a serving bowl to cool.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and toss together.
- Refrigerate around 3 hours before serving.
- Chickpea Salad Directions:
- Whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, lime juice, and zest in a small saucepan and heat together to a light simmer.
- Cool the dressing.
- Place all the chopped vegetables and any other ingredients in a serving bowl and toss with the warmed salad dressing.
- Refrigerate covered for 2 hours before serving.
- Bacon Bleu Tomato Salad Directions::
- Chop the vegetables into small pieces and add to a bowl.
- Pour the prepared dressing on top.
- Refrigerator around 2 hours before serving.
- Asparagus Salad Directions:
- Clean the asparagus and cut the stalks and woody parts off.
- Asparagus can be air-fried, boiled, steamed, microwaved, sauteed, or even baked in foil first before adding to your salad.
- We prefer to saute it for around 3 to 4 minutes in olive oil and garlic or add whatever spices and herbs you prefer and doneness.
- Note: the asparagus can be served hot of cold on top of this salad.
- Refrigerate until ready to toss in the dressing.
- Add the roasted peppers, craisins, and pecans together.
- Mix by whisking the lemon juice with oil, mustard, basil, sherry, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Place the greens on a platter, add the asparagus in the center and randomly place the craisin pecans on the plate.
- Pour the dressing on top of the greens, asparagus and pecan mixture.
- Bean Salad Directions:
- Pour the dressing over the bean mixture. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
Notes
Tips for Salads and Other Mix-In Suggestions
- Keep salads cold by placing ice in a ziplock bag in another bowl and setting your salad on top when eating outdoors
- Add pepperoni, chunks of ham-crumbled bacon, or sliced Italian sausage for a meat lovers' salad
- Other vegetables or fruits like diced pineapple, shaved carrots, cauliflower, radishes, cucumbers, and artichoke hearts are all nice additions
- Try mixing greens baby greens, spinach, and shredded red cabbage all nice additions also
- Make a creamy garlic parmesan dressing for a change or use whatever you prefer
- Any kind of fresh snap peas, green beans, or chickpeas are perfect in this salad
- Use fresh lemon-style dressing for a change or blue cheese
- Substitute sunflower or pumpkin seeds for food allergies
- Keep the salad cold and covered if there are any leftovers for up to 2 days
- chickpeas drained and rinsed
- chopped celery
- grapes
- finely chopped onions
- sliced radishes
- cabbage slaw
- fresh peas
- corn cut off the cob
- julienne carrot
- hot peppers
- cherry peppers
- artichoke hearts
- hearts of palm
- raw zucchini cubes or other squash
- cauliflower
- add fresh herbs when available IE: basil, dill, Italian flat leaf parsley, oregano, mint, etc.
- add grilled chicken, shrimp kabobs, grilled salmon, or sliced steak strips to the top of your salads for any weekend BBQ or backyard cookout.
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Other Great Salad Recipes to Try:
Watermelon Salad
Beet Salad
Butternut Squash Salad
Caprese Portabello
Italian Potato Salad
Insalata Caprese Salad
Tuscan Panzanella Salad