These big salad recipes are hearty enough to serve as a main dish, featuring a variety of proteins, grains, and fresh veggies.
If you're someone who believes a salad should be more than just a side, you're in the right place. This collection of 20+ big salad recipes proves that dinner can be fresh, flavorful, and fully satisfying. Each one is loaded with satisfying ingredients like grilled meats, roasted veggies, whole grains, and bold dressings that bring everything together.
These salads are perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or when you just want something lighter that still fills you up. Say goodbye to skimpy salads, these recipes are built to be the main event!
why you'll love these salads
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One bowl meals: Everything you need including lean protein, veggies, grains all in one satisfying dish.
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Variety: Easily customize with seasonal ingredients or whatever’s in your fridge. This happens to be my fave "clean out the fridge" dinner.
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Fresh but filling: Light enough to feel good, hearty enough to keep you full.
Tips for the Best Salads
- Texture: Mix crisp, creamy, chewy, and crunchy ingredients (think: crisp romaine + creamy avocado + crunchy nuts).
- Layer Flavor: Include something salty, something sweet, something tangy, and something fresh. Layering is especially important when meal prepping in jars!
- Don’t Skip the Seasoning: A pinch of salt and pepper can transform even the simplest bowl.
- Dress It Right: Toss your greens with dressing in a large bowl before adding toppings to coat everything evenly.
- Add Protein: Grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, beans, tofu, or salmon can turn your salad into a full meal.
- Use Fresh Herbs: A handful of basil, mint, or dill adds brightness and depth with little effort.
- Switch Up Your Greens: Mix leafy bases like spinach, arugula, and kale for more flavor and variety. Cabbage is great for adding crunch!
Grain-Based Salads
Kale and Quinoa Salad
Kale & quinoa salad is hearty, veggie-packed, and bursting with nourishing ingredients! Drizzled with a white wine vinaigrette, it's full of fresh flavor and texture. Gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly!
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Southwestern Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Salad
Wild rice and sweet potato salad is loaded with healthy veggies and tossed in a chili lime vinaigrette. Gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and perfect for lunch or a side salad!
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Taco Salad with Shrimp
A fresh and light taco salad recipe that is packed full of veggies, topped with honey lime shrimp, and tossed in a honey lime vinaigrette!
Kale Barley Salad with Feta and a Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette
This kale barley salad is full of whole grain, nutrient-rich ingredients that will nourish your body and fill you up! Easy to prepare, vegetarian, and meal prep-friendly!
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Summer Barley Salad with Corn and Blueberries
Enjoy an easy summer barley salad with grilled corn, blueberries, goat cheese and almonds, all tossed in a simple white wine vinaigrette. This fresh, light, and satisfying salad is the perfect picnic food!
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Refreshing Quinoa Black Bean Salad
Refreshing quinoa black bean salad is a big batch salad you can prep ahead. Perfect for a picnic, pot luck, or meal prep lunch! Gluten-free, vegetarian (vegan-friendly!), and clean eating.
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Strawberry Arugula Salad with Steak & Balsamic Vinaigrette
This delicious salad is packed with fresh berries, almonds, feta and arugula, topped with seared steak, and drizzled with a simple and delicious balsamic vinaigrette! A fast and easy week-night dinner!
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Caprese Chicken Quinoa Salad
This caprese chicken quinoa salad is the perfect light and nourishing salad, with lots of protein! Made with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, chicken, quinoa, and drizzled in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette!
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Healthy Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
Greek chicken pasta salad has fresh vegetables, chicken and pasta marinated in a Greek red wine vinaigrette with dill and feta cheese. Tangy, crunchy, cool and refreshing, it's perfect for a picnic, potluck or for meal prep.
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Chopped Chickpea Salad (Make Ahead)
This chopped chickpea salad has bulgur wheat, crunchy veggies, feta cheese, and a delicious honey lemon vinaigrette is a delicious vegetarian salad that tastes even better on day 2!
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Kale Chicken Pasta Salad
This kale chicken pasta salad is made with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries. A healthy meal that works great for meal prep, or an easy weeknight dinner!
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Thai Chickpea Mason Jar Salad
Thai chickpea mason jar salad has a tangy peanut dressing, quinoa, zucchini, carrots and cabbage and is topped with honey roasted peanuts! Ready in under 25 minutes.
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High-Protein Salads
Crock Pot Beer Chicken Taco Salad With Cilantro Vinaigrette
This creative taco salad has slow cooked beer chicken and a tangy cilantro vinaigrette. It's an easy, fresh and delicious dinner! Perfect for those days when you don't want to turn on your oven.
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Steak Salad - It Starts With Good Food
A healthy, filling steak salad that works great as a main dish for lunch or dinner. This recipe makes it easy to stick to your diet with simple step-by-step instructions and can even be prepared ahead of time!
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Southwest Chicken Salad
This delicious Southwest Chicken Salad is bursting with flavor! It is full of greens, tender chicken, avocado, beans, and corn!
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Taco Salad Recipe
Ditch the messy tacos and make this healthy taco salad recipe instead...loaded with delicious turkey taco meat, crunchy tortilla chips, cheese and more! Easy to prep and perfect for a meal prep lunch or dinner.
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Green Goddess Salad
This Green Goddess Salad features perfectly grilled chicken, crunchy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and an herby dressing that is absolutely irresistible!
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Chicken Satay Salad
This chicken satay salad has fresh, crunchy vegetables and grilled chicken tossed in a spicy peanut-ginger sauce. An easy, fresh dinner.
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Asian Salad with Salmon, Ginger, and Lime Dressing
A bright and flavorful Asian salad with salmon, fresh veggies, creamy avocado, and candied ginger all tossed in a tangy lime vinaigrette.
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Meal Prep Salads
Asian Chicken Soba Noodle Salad
You're going to love this Asian chicken soba noodle salad with a tangy sesame vinaigrette and a whole rainbow of fresh veggies for a tasty lunch or dinner. Fresh, crunchy and easy to customize with your favorite salad add ins.
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Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad
This Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad features fresh cabbage, carrots and bell pepper, all topped with a creamy peanut dressing! This easy recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken or veggies and is perfect for meal prep!
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Caprese Chicken Salad Meal Prep Bowls
Caprese chicken salad meal prep bowls are fresh, summery and delicious. With baked chicken, fresh cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, quinoa and basil leaves all drizzled in a balsamic vinaigrette.
Italian Chopped Salad - The Best Keto Recipes
This Italian Chopped Salad is an easy no cook meal. Loaded with meat, cheese and vegetable this filling salad has fewer than 6 net carbs per serving.
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Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad (Meal Prep)
This southwestern chopped chicken salad is going to be your new favorite work lunch! Prep ahead on the weekend and when you're ready to serve, drizzle with ranch and sprinkle with tortilla strips.
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Slow Cooker Chipotle Honey Chicken Taco Salad Lunch Bowls
Make your meal prep hands off with this smoky chipotle honey twist on a taco salad. The chicken simmers in the slow cooker, with the sauce doubling as a dressing for the salad!
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Mexican Cobb Salad
Mexican cobb salad made with guacamole, pickled onions, bacon, and jalapeno havarti cheese. A fresh twist on classic cobb salad that works great for meal prep and lunch on the go!
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