OMG! We Found 15 Ways to Make Salad the Star of Your Meal

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OMG! We Found 15 Ways to Make Salad the Star of Your Meal

Get ready to give salads their moment in the spotlight! Here are 15 ways to turn your greens into the main event. These aren’t your average salads—they’re packed with flavor and creativity that’ll surprise even the biggest salad skeptics. From flavored dressings to unexpected toppings, each salad is a delicious adventure waiting to be explored. OMG! We found ways to make salad the star of your meal, and your palates won’t know what hit them.

Mexican Street Corn Salad in a bowl.
Mexican Street Corn Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts

Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Cranberries in a bowl.
Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Who needs plain jane when you can waltz across your kitchen with a chicken salad that’s tossed with cranberries and walnuts? Crack open the door to sweet and savory with a salad that’s strutting its stuff. And when this Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts hits the bread for your sandwich, get ready for lunchtime envy. Tellers of tales will sing of your midday feast!
Get the Recipe: Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts

Shirazi Salad

Shirazi Salad in a white serving bowl.
Shirazi Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

A crispy, refreshing dance of garden delights that turn any meal into a celebration of freshness. Those crunchy cucumbers will make your palate sing, and when you add tomatoes and onions to the mix, it’s like hosting a little party right there in your bowl. Shirazi Salad – it’s your one-way ticket to cool city without leaving the comfort of your kitchen. It’s salad playing its A-game, folks.
Get the Recipe: Shirazi Salad

Mediterranean Chopped Salad

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with crumbled feta cheese, on a yellow plate with flower designs.
Mediterranean Chopped Salad. Photo credit: Dinner by Six.

Take the fast lane to flavor town with a chopped salad that’s dotted with reminders of Mediterranean sunsets. Every bite is like a mini vacation that didn’t cost a cent of airfare, with this Mediterranean Chopped Salad you’ve got a first-class ticket to yum. There’s enough feta and olives to go around, so no squabbling, please. This bowl’s got “chill” written all over it.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Chopped Salad

Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad

A black bowl filled with rotisserie chicken pasta salad.
Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Let’s be real, that leftover chicken was crying for a makeover and it just got one with a side of pasta! Welcome to the weeknight hustle where this Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad saves you from sink duty and treats you to a mouthful of creamy delight. Call it your midweek culinary superhero, swooping in to rescue you from the dinnertime dilemma. A dish so comforting, you’ll wish it could tuck you into bed.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad

Wild Rice Salad

Wild rice salad served on a white rectangular plate.
Wild Rice Salad. Photo credit: Dinner by Six.

Who says rice can’t be the wild child? It’s hopping into a bowl filled with a medley of textures and tastes that make each bite a spontaneous adventure. With this Wild Rice Salad, expect the unexpected – it’s the fling your fork has been craving, no drama attached. Here’s to the path less trampled in the realm of grains!
Get the Recipe: Wild Rice Salad

Steak & Pasta Salad

A black bowl filled with a pasta salad containing farfalle, steak slices, radishes, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, nuts, and crumbled blue cheese, garnished with parsley, on a wooden board next to a spoon.
Steak & Pasta Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Okay, let’s beef up the salad game with chunks of steak that mingle with twirls of pasta. You’ve got a dish flexing its muscles on all those leafy greens. With every forkful of this Steak & Pasta Salad, prepare for a workout of flavors that’ll make you forget all about those rabbit-food-only salads. And hey, no barbells required, just a hearty appetite.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad

Spring Salad with Asparagus, Peas & Potatoes

Spring salad with asparagus and potatoes on a white plate.
Spring Salad with Asparagus, Peas & Potatoes. Photo credit: Dinner by Six.

Forget shaking off the winter chills; spring into the warm embrace of this veggie-packed celebration. Asparagus, peas, and potatoes turn this Spring Salad into a verdant patchwork quilt of flavors that are both comforting and refreshing. Let this bowlful of sunshine kickstart your palates into the new season with all the zest of a perfect April morning.
Get the Recipe: Spring Salad with Asparagus, Peas & Potatoes

Salmon Pasta Salad

Salmon pasta salad in a black dish.
Salmon Pasta Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Sharpen your forks for a pasta salad that’s swimming upstream with flaky salmon front and center. Dress up or down, this Salmon Pasta Salad doesn’t judge – whether you’re in glitter or in fleece. It brings a touch of class with rough edges, like a tiara paired with your comfiest couch attire. Who knew elegance could be this laid-back?
Get the Recipe: Salmon Pasta Salad

Pesto Orzo Salad

Orzo salad resting on a dark plate.
Pesto Orzo Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

When tiny grains of orzo rendezvous with rich, herby pesto, you’ve got a match swoon-worthy enough to pen an Italian sonnet about. It’s the hassle-free, fancy-looking dinner hack you’ve been waiting for. With Pesto Orzo Salad, your ten-minute masterpiece awaits – the edible equivalent to slipping on that timeless piece of wardrobe and shining like a star.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Orzo Salad

Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes

Wheat Berry Salad with Tomato & Tuna in a bowl.
Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Health nuts, rejoice! You’ve got wheat berries bringing the texture, tuna turning up the protein, and tomatoes tossing in a dash of Vitamin D. This Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes combo feels like doing bicep curls with your fork, except it’s just delicious, no sweat required. It’s the edible equivalent of nailing that yoga pose on the first try.
Get the Recipe: Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes

Tex-Mex Caesar Salad

An image of Tex-Mex Caesar Salad on a square plate.
Tex-Mex Caesar Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Everyone’s favorite Caesar went on a Tex-Mex vacation and came back wearing a sombrero full of bold flavors. Get your fiesta fix without stepping foot outside your door, because when it comes to this Tex-Mex Caesar Salad, the party’s got no borders. Avocados are on the guest list, and they’re bringing all their creamy friends to the shindig.
Get the Recipe: Tex-Mex Caesar Salad

Tabouli Salad with Smoked Tomatoes

A black bowl filled with tabbouleh salad with smoked tomatoes.
Tabouli Salad with Smoked Tomatoes. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Ever long for a touch of smoky flair in your greens? Drop the bland and grab hold of a salad with a hint of mystique. The smoky whispers that curl from this Tabouli Salad with Smoked Tomatoes add a twist to the classic, turning it into the dark horse of side dishes at any table. Here’s to trying traditions with a twist!
Get the Recipe: Tabouli Salad with Smoked Tomatoes

Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad

Close-up shot of Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad on a white plate.
Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Step aside, garden variety salads; the grill marks on these veggies are where the magic happens. With a squirt of lemon or a drizzle of your favorite dressing, this Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad navigates the exciting extremes of the temperature spectrum. It’s either a snuggle in a dish or a breath of warm air, depending on your mood.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad

Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Smoked Tomatoes

A plate of Mediterranean Couscous Salad With Smoked Tomatoes topped with parsley.
Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Smoked Tomatoes. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Let couscous be your tasty vessel as you sail across the sea to lands bathed in olive oil and sprinkled with herbs. The smoked tomatoes? They’re like the cool sea breeze, unexpectedly wowing every guest at the table. This Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Smoked Tomatoes is your ticket to a mini break from the every day without a foot outside your door. Just say “ahoy” to flavor!
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Smoked Tomatoes

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican Street Corn Salad in a bowl.
Mexican Street Corn Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Who says you need to travel for that authentic street corn flavor? Wrap your senses in a hug of creamy, cheesy goodness zinged with a touch of spice. With this Mexican Street Corn Salad, you might just want to ditch the fork and grab some tortilla chips – just guard that bowl like it’s a precious treasure because, well, it is! Remember, no double-dipping, unless you enjoy your own company.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Salad

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