Here are a few reasons why our bestsalad recipesare always a good idea:
- Most often made with freshvegetablesor fruit, salads are a healthy menu option and many aregluten-free.
- Thesehealthy salad recipescan be served for brunch, lunch or dinner. Heck, we sometimes eat them for breakfast too!
- They offer unique and interesting flavours, often incorporating a number of differentingredients.
- You can always take a salad from aside dishto a main course by adding things like grilled meats, seafood or poultry, or other inspired options like tofu and cheese.
- Salads welcome interpretation, so feel free to experiment with differentingredientsto make any of the followingsalad recipes. So long as you make them to your taste, you really can’t mess them up!
As you scroll down through OUR BESTSALAD RECIPES,don’t forget to click those LINK BUTTONS under each listing to go straight to therecipeor video. If the salad is made with a dressing that we also crafted as a post or video, click the dressing text to be redirected there.
Don’t forget to use #weekendatthecottage when you post on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for sharing our love of salads with your world!
Now the big question… with 32 of our BEST SALAD RECIPES presented here, which ones will become your favourites? Well, that’s a toss up!
My goodness is this salad ever amazing. Not only is it visually appealing when presented in a large salad bowl, as we have in this post, but it’s also memorably delicious. Romaine and curly leaf lettuces topped with grilled chicken, avocado, tomato,egg, crispybacon,crumbledblue cheese, and a simple mustardvinaigrette. Serve it as the main at your next fair weather get-together.
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Fluffy couscous tossed with a mélange of freshveggiesand fruit, topped with a tangy dressing and sprinkle of feta andfresh herbs. Now we better come clean on an important discovery; this salad can be enjoyed during spring, fall, and winter months too! Garnish with seasonal fresh fruit and you’ll be good to go.
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True story; every single person who makes this simple salad is as gobsmacked as we were when we first tested it. It is absolutely fabulously delicious! We’re talking oven-roasted fingerlingpotatoesand crispyasparagustossed withred onionand fresh dill, then finished with a hit of Dijon and mayonnaise. Amazing!
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Orzo andasparagustossed withgarlic, butter, and lemon, then finished with dill and freshly grated Parmesan. This might very well be the easiest salad on our list. One thing is for sure, we can’t get enough of that freshasparagus flavor!
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This is a personal favourite and I think it is an essential salad recipethat everyone should know how to make. There’s something so perfect aboutromaine lettucetossed in a bold homemadeCAESAR DRESSINGwith crunchy croutons, choppedbacon,and freshly grated Parmesan. Serve it as aside dishnext to a favourite main like our RIBS, GRILLED CHICKEN, or RIB EYES.
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It really doesn’t get much better than this. A refreshing blend of sliced freshly pickedcucumbers tossed in a creamy dressing with dill, yogurt,garlic,andlemon. Goes with everything and everyone loves it!
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There’schicken saladand then there’s thisWaldorf salad that’s famous for good reason – it has been enjoyed in restaurants, homes, and cottages for over a hundred years. The simplicity though of roasted chicken,celery,apple, grapes, and walnuts gently tossed in a lemony Dijon and mayonnaise dressing is sublime!
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Fresh baby spinach and fennel tossed in a sherryvinaigrettewith bursts of flavourful toasted walnuts and your choice of cheese. We tested therecipeusingblue cheese,goat cheese, gratedmozzarella, and feta. All worked perfectly, so choose your favorite.
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Do you know how everyone says we should eat more broccoli? Here’s why. Garden fresh broccoli tossed with colourful, crunchy raw veggiesloaded with seeds, nuts,apples,and raisins. Just add our BUTTERMILK DRESSING totaste, toss and serve!
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Not a drop of creamy mayonnaise dressing in sight. Instead, we’re taking chopped, boiled new potatoes and tossing them with crunchyveggies,red onions, dill, and chives before finishing the dish with a simple oil and vinegardressing. We’ve had great success serving it with this GLAZED HAM or our perfect BEER CAN CHICKEN.
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Juicy slices of navel orange sprinkled with black olives,garlic,and parsley, then drizzled witholive oiland white balsamicvinegar. We recommend serving this salad with a seafood or fish main course like these JUMBO SHRIMP or our famous GRILLED RAINBOW TROUT.
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As soon as I took my first few bites of this flavour-forward salad, served at a famous Italian restaurant, I instantly knew we had to recreate it. It has chopped salami, provolone, and romaine tossed withchickpeas, artichoke,tomatoes, olives, and hearts of palm in a classic Italian dressing. Try it with our RIB EYE STEAK recipe.
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I’ve probably made this salad hundreds of times. I love it not only for its ease of preparation but also for its really great taste. What’s not to love about seasonal fresh strawberries nestled in Boston lettuce with red onions, fresh dill, and a drizzle of a honey-Dijon dressing? So simple!
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Here’s the salad I often serve for weekend breakfast alongside our GRANOLA. It also makes for a refreshing, simple dessert option too. Assemble your favourite chopped fresh fruit then toss in our fragrant dressing made from cherry,lime, orange, and freshly chopped mint. The freshness is a tastesensation.
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Oven-roasted beets tossed in a bright citrusvinaigrette. Roasting beets is easy enough, but fair warning, we do suggest having a pair of culinary prep gloves on hand for peeling them. We then nestle them on a bed of greens before sprinkling the salad with spiced pecans and crumbled goat’s cheese.
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All you need for this simple slaw is to zip the dressing up and pour it over a package of prepared coleslaw. This salad is truly Asian-inspired and the entire salad is bursting with the flavours of ginger,garlic, soy,honey,cilantro,and sesame. It pairs well with ourSALMONBURGERS and this EASY ASIANSALMONrecipe.
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Mini redpotatoes served still warm with a mix ofcelery, greenonion, and radish tossed in a warmed dressing of grainy mustard, shallots, sour cream, and applecidervinegar. It’s long been a fan (and family!) favourite. Try it with our RIBS WITH BBQSAUCEor served next to our famous GRILLED RACK OF LAMB.
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This easy-to-make salad boasts a healthy and refreshing mix of Englishcucumbers, ripe avocado,feta cheese,and fresh dill tossed with oil and a squeeze of tangylemon juice. This salad is time sensitive – assemble, toss, and enjoy right away!
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This salad is perfect for late summer days or whenever you find sweet, juicy plums at your grocer. We mix together a flavourful combination of assorted greens, radicchio, and fennel, then toss them in a tangy, homemade honey-ginger dressing with juicy plum slices. Always a hit!
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This one is for all vegetariansout there. You can make it with virtually anyveggiesyou might have on hand, just chop them up with some romaine,then add our famous GREEN GODDESS DRESSING.
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If you love a good old-fashioned BLT sandwich, wait until you try it as a salad. Yup! Here’s where we take crispy romaine, curly leaflettuce,andtomatoes, and toss them with garliccroutons and a creamy buttermilkranch dressing. Oh, and don’t worry, there’sbacontoo!
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Orzo, lentils, and wild rice tossed with slivered almonds, currants, chives, and red onion. This fresh-tasting salad is then tossed in a tangy dressing made with whitevinegar, Dijon, and assorted spices including nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and coriander.
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This quinoasalad recipeis bursting with goodness. A superior collection of seasonal freshveggies are chopped up and tossed with feta, quinoa, and a light Dijon andhoneydressing. We love serving it with grilled main courses or on its own for lunch with a warmed pita. One final plus; it’svegan, too!
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Thisrecipeis like a two-for-one special. First, we’re taking fresh baby arugula and tossing it in a light, tangy balsamic dressing with sliced strawberries. It’s then topped with crumbled goat’s cheese and spiced CANDIED PECANS, which not only give the salad a greatcrunchbut can also be served on their own as a snack with co*cktails. In fact, the pecans are so delish, we suggest doubling or tripling therecipe!
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This is the classic creamy coleslawrecipeyou probably remember as a kid. It’s perfect paired with our ROASTED CHICKEN and oven-roasted PORK SHOULDER, but also with our PERFECT BURGERS and even as a topping for our HOT DOGS. Who knew a perfect mix of cabbage, carrot, and green oniontossed in a light buttermilk dressing would be a thing? We did!
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Remember thisrecipe for its dual purpose. You can add a spoonful of this tuna salad into a hollowedbell pepperortomatoas a healthy lunch option, or use it to make our famous GRILLED TUNA MELTS. We love flaked tuna blended with mayonnaise,red onion,celery, redpepper, capers,lemon,and finely chopped pickles. Perfect!
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For best results, try making this salad using locally grown freshvegetablespicked at the height of the summer season – you’lltastethe difference. This mix of blackbeansand stringbeans, tossed with corn,tomato,red onions,andfresh herbsin a tangyhoneymustardvinaigretteis excellent served next to our LAMB CHOPS, MIXED GRILL or SEARED ARCTIC CHAR.
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Oven-roasted cauliflower tossed with a mix of fresh, pickled, and marinated vegetables. Add some parsley, EVOO, andlemonjuice and this simple salad becomes extra flavourful. Fingers crossed there are leftovers; thetasteis even better the next day!
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If you’re a gardener who loves growing your ownveggiesand herbs, this salad is for you. Ideally, you’ll make thisrecipewhen your beefsteaktomatoesare big and juicy and your pot offresh basillooks like a compact hedge. Then, it’s the perfect pairing of vine-ripenedtomatoeswith grilled,sweetonions,finished withfresh basil,blue cheese,and a drizzle of aged balsamicvinegar.
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Adjust the quantities in thisrecipeto create a simple meal for two, or triple it to serve a crowd. Buttery Bostonlettucetossed in a lightvinaigrettewith canned tuna, greenbeans, boiledpotatoes,tomatoes, olives, and a hard-boiled eggas garnish.
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A favorite combination of cucumber,red onion,tomato, redpepper,and black Kalamata olives tossed with saltyfeta cheeseand an oregano-infused dressing. It goes perfectly with our GRILLED LAMB CHOPS and a side of warmed pita bread.
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This freshspinach saladrivals the ones offered at fancy to-go salad bars. It’s all quite simple where we layer baby spinach withtomatoes, choppedbaconandeggand then drizzle it with our tangy POPPYSEED DRESSING. Really yummy!
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