{"id":38571,"date":"2026-02-27T17:37:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T17:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/25-best-salad-recipes-that-are-actually-exciting\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T17:37:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T17:37:27","slug":"25-best-salad-recipes-that-are-actually-exciting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/25-best-salad-recipes-that-are-actually-exciting\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Best Salad Recipes (That Are Actually Exciting)"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

A collection of salad recipes that are fresh, flavorful, and on constant rotation in my kitchen! From hearty dinner salads to light, bright lunches.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n<\/figure>\n

I LOVE<\/em> a good salad. I get asked to bring salads to so many hangouts and holiday gatherings, and I am 100% happy about it every time because a good salad is so fun. They are just a big playground for flavors, textures, and color.<\/p>\n

I love a side salad, a fancy salad, and a salad that counts as a meal. These are the ones my family comes back to again and again: crunchy, colorful, loaded with texture, and packed with lots and lots of punches of flavor. Obviously for me, it\u2019s also ALL about the dressing. Give me all of it!<\/p>\n

So here is my collection of 25 of my favorite salad recipes! The kind that make you want to put salad on the menu more often. \ud83d\udc9b<\/p>\n

\n

Best Salad Recipes<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Roasted\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tRoasted Peanut Kale Crunch Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

OOOH BABY, this salad is so good! Crunchy kale and cabbage, fresh herbs and fresno peppers, chopped peanuts, and a perfect roasted peanut vinaigrette that tucks into all the salad nooks and crannies. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Smashed\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tCrispy Smashed Potato Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

Pickley salad, crispy potatoes, and creamy ranch \u2013 this smashed potato salad is the perfect summer combo!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Crispy\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tCrispy Rice Salad with Cucumbers and Herbs\t\t<\/h2>\n

Paper-thin veggies, a shower of herbs, a pile of fried crispy red curry rice, and a limey garlicky vinaigrette all over top. This crispy rice salad is all I want to eat right now!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Miso\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tMiso Crunch Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

Shredded cabbage and kale, shrimp, avocado, cilantro and chili-flavored peanuts, and the perfect sweet miso dressing.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Green\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tLiz\u2019s Bistro Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

Crunchy, light, bright, and ultra-fresh. This French-inspired bistro salad is an absolute star as a side for nearly any dinner. Tender greens, fresh herbs, pickled onions, and a delicate vinaigrette on top. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Beet\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tBeet and Burrata Salad with Fried Bread\t\t<\/h2>\n

This Beet and Burrata Salad is everything you need. Juicy beets and oranges, a creamy and luscious burrata scoop, peppery arugula, a quick vinaigrette, and crispy fried bread. SO MUCH YES! <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Pasta\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tThe Best Pasta Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

Super easy Pasta Salad \u2013 with pasta, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, spicy salami, pepperoncini, olives, and easy Italian dressing. DANGEROUSLY GOOD.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Elote\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tElote Style Quinoa Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

Elote Quinoa Salad made with velvety peppers confit, juicy sweet corn, homemade dressing, cotija cheese, lime, and spices. Perfect for summer and so, so good! <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Chicken\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tNapa Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing\t\t<\/h2>\n

This Napa Chicken Salad is crunched up to the MAX! Fresh napa cabbage, juicy rotisserie chicken, a super easy homemade sesame dressing, and crunchy handfuls of cashews, fried wonton strips, dried ramen noodles, crispy fried onions, or sesame sticks\u2026the choice is yours! <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Salad\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tThe Oliver\u2019s Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

We\u2019re bringing you the most beautiful salad inspired by the restaurant Oliver\u2019s in Minnesota. Tender salmon, savory peppers and garlic confit, buttery chunks of avocado, fire-roasted corn, bacon bits, and a river of homemade smoky ranch dressing. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Green\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tSimple Green Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

Every table needs this Simple Green Salad! Fresh spring greens drizzled with a maple balsamic dressing and sprinkled with whatever crunchies your salad-loving heart desires. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Roasted\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tLiz\u2019s Roasted Broccoli Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

This Roasted Broccoli Salad is EVERYTHING! Bright lemon, crisped-up bacon, tangy feta, and it\u2019s all built around a big bowl of roasted broccoli. A true hero of a meal! <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Cashew\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tCashew Crunch Salad with Sesame Dressing\t\t<\/h2>\n

This Cashew Crunch Salad is loaded up with crunchy veg, chow mein noodles, edamame, and roasted cashews and it\u2019ll make you ACTUALLY WANT TO EAT A SALAD. And the sesame dressing \u2013 OMG!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Peanut\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tSpicy Peanut Soba Noodle Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

This Spicy Peanut Soba Noodle Salad features red peppers, cabbage, chicken, soba noodles, and a quick homemade spicy peanut sauce. Salads don\u2019t get much yummier than this.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Shrimp\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tShrimp and Avocado Salad with Miso Dressing\t\t<\/h2>\n

This Shrimp and Avocado Salad is topped with spicy shrimp, crisp cucumbers, spinach, creamy avocado, and a generous drizzle of miso dressing. The happiest green salad ever!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Chicken\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tRainbow Chicken Salad with Almond Honey Mustard Dressing\t\t<\/h2>\n

Tender chicken, plump grapes and berries, crisp lettuce, tangy feta cheese, crunchy almonds, and the real star \u2013 almond honey mustard dressing! Eat the rainbow and be glad, friends!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Lemon\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tLemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas\t\t<\/h2>\n

A super fresh, super summery Lemon Herb Pasta Salad! Packed with tangy marinated chickpeas, chewy pasta, lots of herbs and garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, and a handful of parmesan to top it off.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Corn,\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tCorn, Avocado, and Quinoa Salad with Marinated Tomatoes\t\t<\/h2>\n

The perfect summery quinoa salad \u2013 fresh corn, buttery avocado, nutty quinoa, juicy marinated tomatoes, and tons of fresh herbs.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Couscous\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tCouscous Salad with Lime Basil Vinaigrette\t\t<\/h2>\n

A bright, zippy, unexpectedly delicious couscous salad that\u2019s packed with sweet potatoes, black beans, spinach, feta, and more \u2013 all tossed with a life-changing lime basil vinaigrette!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Chopped\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tChopped Thai-Inspired Chicken Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

This simple chopped Thai chicken salad has BIG flavors \u2013 peanut, lime, soy, chili, cilantro. Topped with a homemade peanut dressing! Healthy and fresh.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Salad\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tSummer Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette\t\t<\/h2>\n

This juicy salad tastes like summer! With chipotle chicken, sweet corn, avocado, cilantro vinaigrette, bacon crumbles, and fresh strawberries for a pop of sweetness.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Kale\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tAvocado Kale Caesar Salad + Sweet Potato Fries\t\t<\/h2>\n

Avocado Kale Caesar Salad is a life-changer! Kale, avocado, and crunchy seeds drenched in a quick creamy avocado caesar dressing that can easily be made vegan, too. Toss some crispy sweet potato fries in are you are SET FOR LIFE.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Chicken\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tSuper Yummy Chicken Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

This Chicken Salad is so good! Protein-packed with a delicious creamy dressing, and perfect for an on-the-go lunch in a sandwich or wrap.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Peanut\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tPeanut Noodle Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

Peanut Noodle Salad \u2013 veggies, chicken, brown rice noodles, and an easy homemade dressing. My favorite salad ever!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"Brussels\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\tBacon and Brussels Sprout Salad\t\t<\/h2>\n

This Bacon and Brussels Sprout Salad is a perfect side dish for holidays, with shaved brussels sprouts, chopped bacon, and a light citrus dressing.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n


\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A collection of salad recipes that are fresh, flavorful, and on constant rotation in my kitchen! From hearty dinner salads to light, bright lunches. I LOVE a good salad. I get asked to bring salads to so many hangouts and holiday gatherings, and I am 100% happy about it every time because a good salad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_daextam_enable_autolinks":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Salad-Recipes-02.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}