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To call something a salad, you don’t need lettuce. A salad is just a bunch of ingredients and dressing. They can be served cold, at room temperature or even warm. Opening up your definition of salads, creates opportunity for when and how you serve them from side dishes to entrees.
Summer is peak no-lettuce salad season, but I make them all year long. The only thing that changes is the amount of fresh produce and pantry ingredients. I put together this list of my favorites.
Also, no greens means no soggy salads. That makes these recipes great for make-ahead lunches and meal prep, potlucks and entertaining.
Canned beans are the ultimate pantry superstar. Black beans and white beans have permanent shelf space in my kitchen because they play so well with other ingredients, and they can stand on their own.
Mediterranean Bean Salad
5 from 8 votes
With cannellini beans, kidney beans and chickpeas, this twist on a three bean salad also has red peppers, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and feta.
Making an herby and zesty vinaigrette is all you need to dress up a couple cans of white beans (any kind will work), chopped red onions and pecorino cheese.
During peak season, I have at least one tomato salad a day because nothing compares to fresh summer tomatoes. That can be small cherry tomatoes cut in half or big heirloom tomatoes cut into wedges.
Marinated Feta Tomato Salad
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With cherry tomatoes and cubes of feta cheese, this salad is a celebration of the season. I like serving it spooned over crusty bread to soak up the dressing and tomato juices.
I always use English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers in salads. Their skins are more delicate, and they have less seeds than regular cucumbers. Then the focus can be all on that fresh crunch.
Chickpea Cucumber Salad
5 from 1 vote
I love this recipe as written with sliced cucumbers, chickpeas, red onions and feta, but you can turn it into a pasta salad or grain salad and make other additions to customize it.
Tossed in a lightly creamy peanut dressing made with ginger and garlic, this cucumber salad has shredded carrots, scallions, chopped peanuts and cilantro.
Beans might argue, but pasta salads are the OG of no-lettuce salads. Paired with roasted, fresh or grilled vegetables, they are packed with fantastic flavor.
Bruschetta Pasta Salad
5 from 2 votes
Inspired by the Italian summer appetizer, I toss heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and basil with balsamic vinaigrette before combining them with pasta, fresh mozzarella and pine nuts.
Even though quinoa is technically a seed, I still include it in this category along with barley, other grains. They make salads more filling and are such a simple element to add.
Greek Quinoa Salad
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Tossed in red wine vinaigrette, I also include quinoa and chickpeas in this hearty and fresh salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onions and feta.
I season cauliflower, sweet potatoes and carrots in a tasty spice blend before roasting them and tossing them with couscous, scallions, parsley and lemon vinaigrette.
You won’t find any classic potato salads with mayo, eggs or boiled potatoes. All these salad recipes have golden brown roasted potatoes and sharp vinaigrettes.
Roasted Green Bean Potato Salad
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I toss roasted baby potatoes and green beans with Kalamata olives, red onions, feta and parsley in a garlicky vinaigrette.
Featuring raw, roasted and grilled veggies, these salads have plenty of greens, just not leafy ones. They really blur the line between salad and side dish.
Three Pea Salad
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This spring version of a three bean salad has snap peas, snow peas and English peas tossed with feta, scallions, parsley, mint, toasted walnuts.
More fruit in salads than typical fruit salads, these recipes have a good balance of savory flavors with fresh sweet accents.
Mango Avocado Salad
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With creamy avocados and crisp bell peppers, this easy mango salad has a mix of interesting flavors and ingredients all tossed in a zesty honey lime dressing.
Together chopped snap peas, mandarin oranges, shredded cabbage, carrots and peanuts make a crunchy, flavor packed salad. (Before you ask, cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, so it's not lettuce.)
One of my go-to base ingredients for a filling lunch salad, I’m a big fan of black lentils, which are always in my pantry (next to the canned beans). They work with roasted and grilled ingredients.
Roasted Zucchini Tomato Lentil Salad
5 from 5 votes
Zucchini and tomatoes share a sheet pan in the oven. Then I combine them with lentils, parsley and parmesan and toss everything in balsamic vinaigrette.
I keep snap peas raw for all that fresh crunch and toss them with crumbled goat cheese, chopped almonds, scallions and fresh herbs in this spring lentil salad.
