In need of easy salad ideas and great salad recipes? Hope you are ready to have your mind blown by these 16 best salad recipes that are filling, satisfying, and easy to make. From quick salad recipes to make-ahead salads, you have plenty of options to make your salad meals healthy and delicious.
Salads are convenient and easy to make. They are also the go-to healthy meal for everybody who wants to add more nutrients to their diet.
How would you describe your favorite salad? For me, it’s a clean, healthy salad packed with protein and fiber, and rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. It also has to be colorful. And to taste delicious. Different textures and flavors are nice, too.
I don’t like salads that don’t taste good or salads that taste good, but are not healthy. Not to mention, a salad is no good if it’s not filling or satisfying. So these characteristics have to be on the list as well. Who wants to bother prepping a salad only to feel hungry after an hour or so. No one, right?
I like my healthy salads to be able to replace a meal. Successfully. The good news is, I know many salad recipes that can do that.
I’m pretty sure you want the same thing from a healthy salad so I decided to gather all my favorites in one place. All these healthy salads are clean, easy salads that are delicious and filling despite being made with unrefined ingredients.
If you are looking for salad ideas, stick around and discover the best salads you can make for lunch or dinner, plus tips for how to make a salad healthy and delicious at the same time, and all my favorite healthy salad recipes.
TOOLSET FOR RECIPES
Before diving into the salad recipes, let’s discuss the tools you need to make healthy salads. That’s the first step in learning how to make a salad and we shouldn’t skip it. These tools allow me to make delicious and healthy salads and amazing salad dressings. And they will do the same thing for you.
- If you want to test these easy healthy salads, find your mixing bowls because you will use them a lot.
- Also, make sure you have airtight containers and mason jars on hand for all the amazing make ahead salads.
- To make filling, satisfying salads, and delicious salads, you need to use both fresh and cooked ingredients. You’ll need a skillet or a pan to cook lean meats and a pot for boiling eggs and cooking rice or quinoa.
- To make delicious homemade dressings for your healthy salads, you’ll need a food processor or blender.
- Aside from the tools I mentioned, you’ll, of course, need some kitchen essentials such as vegetable peeler, knife, cutting board to prep the veggies for the healthy salads.
TIPS FOR MAKING SALADS EXTRA DELICIOUS-AWESOME
To make salads delicious, you have to be open to new flavor combinations and to learn how to make a salad balanced and nutritious. Because no, unfortunately, not all salads are healthy. But it’s definitely very easy to make them healthy. So here are my tips:
- To make salads healthy and delicious, mix greens with veggies and/ or fruits;
- Add healthy grains such as quinoa to make them filling;
- Pack them with healthy proteins such as lean meats, eggs, and beans;
- Skip the store-bought salad dressing that is loaded with fats and sodium and make healthy salad dressing from scratch with clean ingredients.
BEST HEALTHY SALAD RECIPES
These healthy salad recipes are perfect for lunch or dinner and they are easy salads you can easily put together when you don’t have a lot of time to make a meal from scratch. In fact, there are some great make ahead salads on the list. Those are perfect for meal-prepping. But, most of the recipes are quick salad recipes you can put together in less than 30 minutes if meal prepping is not really your thing. Although I really think it should be because meal prepping makes everything easier.
Good salad recipes = easy healthy meals
So let’s start talking about these amazing salad recipes, shall we?
1. HEALTHY BROCCOLI SALAD WITH GREEK YOGURT DRESSING
Transform the classic broccoli salad into a healthy broccoli salad. Made with a Greek yogurt dressing, the Healthy Broccoli Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing is filled with goodness and it is great as a side salad or entree. Simple salad recipe but so delicious
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 226 kcal
2. CHICKEN COBB MASON JAR SALAD
This Chicken Cobb Mason Jar Salad is the best salad ever for a nutrition-packed lunch. But it’s also great if you’re looking for salad ideas for dinner. It’s healthy, it’s clean but it’s also filling and delicious.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 364 kcal
3. HEALTHY TACO SALAD RECIPE
With this Healthy Taco Salad Recipe, you’ll be cutting down on carbs without realizing it. This salad recipe gives you the texture and amazing flavors of tacos but with fewer carbs and more fun. BTW, the Healthy Taco Salad Recipe is great for make ahead salads.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 284 kcal
4. BEET & GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH WHITE WINE VINEGAR DRESSING
If you’re looking for easy salads that allow you to satisfy your cheese cravings, this Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with White Wine Vinegar Dressing is calling your name. The salad is packed with fibers, protein, and vitamins and it’s perfect for a light dinner or a lunch on-the-go.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 419 kcal
5. STEAK COBB SALAD WITH CREAMY AVOCADO CILANTRO LIME DRESSING
Steak Cobb Salad With Creamy Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing – a fresh and easy salad that’s filling and tasty. Don’t even get me started on the avocado cilantro lime dressing. It’s. So. Good.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 478 kcal
6. QUINOA LENTIL SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE
Out of all the healthy lunch salads out there, this Quinoa Lentil Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette has to be my favorite. It’s not only light and healthy, but it’s also vibrant, colorful, and flavorful.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 425 kcal
7. LEFTOVER TURKEY SALAD WITH CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE
Easy healthy salads are the salads you can make without too much effort. Salads like this Leftover Turkey Salad With Cranberry Vinaigrette that is ready in less than 15 minutes and is as delicious as it can be.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Total Time: 13 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 634 kcal
8. 4 EASY MASON JAR SALAD RECIPES
Add these 4 Easy Mason Jar Salad Recipes on your list of easy salads. As a matter of fact, add them to your list of quick salad recipes too because they are indeed quick and easy. And they look so pretty in the mason jars! Amazing make ahead salads!
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 530 kcal
9. MAKE-AHEAD GREEK QUINOA STACKS
Speaking of make ahead salads, I have another amazing recipe for you – Make-Ahead Greek Quinoa Stacks. This salad recipe makes a week worth of lunch salads in only 30 minutes. Amazeballs!
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 591 kcal
10. CHOPPED THAI SALAD PEANUT DRESSING
If you need healthy lunch salads ideas that are vegetarian (and easily made vegan by replacing raw honey with maple syrup in the salad dressing), make this Chopped Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 541 kcal
11. SPRINGTIME COBB SALAD WITH RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE
Spring is colorful, fresh, and amazing and the healthy lunch salads you make during spring should reflect that. Like this Springtime Cobb Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette does. It’s so colorful, fresh, and filled with delicious seasonal ingredients.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 502 kcal
12. TURKEY TACO LUNCH BOWL
This Turkey Taco Lunch Bowl is a delicious bowl of goodness that tastes incredible, is filling, satisfying, and very easy to make. And yes, this easy salad is another great way to make tacos healthier without compromising on taste and flavor.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 578 kcal
13. STRAWBERRY FIELDS SALAD WITH CHIA SEEDS VINAIGRETTE
Adding fruits to salads is a great way to make them interesting and exciting. And seasonal fruits are always the best option. During spring months, make this Strawberry Fields Salad with Chia Seed Vinaigrette and enjoy the best flavors of spring in a light, healthy, and easy to make salad.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 402 kcal
14. SPRING GRAINS + GREENS SALAD WITH HONEY LEMON VINAIGRETTE
This Spring Grains + Greens Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette is fun, creative, and so, so, so delicious. It’s made with snap peas, goat cheese, blackberries, and other amazing ingredients. Plus a delicious honey lemon dressing that brings all the flavors together.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 467 kcal
15. END OF SUMMER SALAD WITH FIG BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
After so many amazing healthy lunch salads, I think it’s time for more salad ideas for dinner. I hope you agree because I’m very excited about this End Of Summer Salad With Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette. It has the most amazing flavors!
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 549 kcal
16. MAKE-AHEAD MASON JAR SALADS FOR THE WEEK + A KILLER CLEAN HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING!
In a matter of minutes, you’ll make these Make-Ahead Mason Jar Salads For The Week + A Killer Clean Honey Mustard Dressing that will last you for an entire week. Amazing, right? The salad is even more amazing. And the dressing? LOVE!
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 434 kcal
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I was hungry when I saw it. thanks for this great information. I will try to make.