Need easy summer salads for lunch or backyard bbq party recipes? Whether you’re lounging by the pool, enjoying a family picnic, or hosting a sun-drenched patio gathering, these simple salad recipes are not only delicious but also incredibly healthy and refreshing. From the crisp, juicy textures of ripe tomatoes and garden cucumbers to summer pasta salads, we’ve put together our best summer salads list to battle those hot, no-cook days!
Best Summer Salads To Add To Your Summer Recipes Rotation!
Ideas For Easy Salads For Summer:
- Chicken Orzo Salad
- Wheat Berry Salad
- Corn And Black Bean Salad
- Italian Cold Pasta Salad
- Homemade Egg Salad
- Easy Asparagus Salad
See the full recipes for salads below!
Savor the Season With These Must-Try Summer Salads
Chicken Orzo Salad (Insalata Florentine)
I start with this one because it’s one of my favorite salads EVER!
If you want vegetarian salads, it’s also just as good if you leave out the chicken.
But, if you have leftover chicken (like the grocery store rotisserie chicken) or chicken from the grill, this recipe is perfect to use up those chicken leftovers!
To make orzo salad, you’ll need:
- Orzo pasta
- Grilled chicken (optional)
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Cherry tomatoes
- Toasted pine nuts
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Capers
- Kalamata olives
- Green olives
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Olive oil
- Honey
- Garlic
- Basil
- Shaved parmesan cheese
GET THE FULL ORZO SALAD RECIPE
Wheat Berry Salad
This salad with wheat berries is one of the go-to recipes for my daughter and me. If you ask us for a salad side dish for dinner, this is probably what we’re making!
If you’ve never cooked with wheatberries (or eaten wheat berries), there somewhere between the texture of rice and orzo. They are chewier than rice and not as soft as pasta, which makes them a perfect addition to any summer salad or healthy bowl recipe.
To make wheat berries salad, you’ll need:
- Cooked wheat berries
- Onion
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Bell peppers
- Balsamic vinaigrette
- Feta
- Salt
- Pepper
GET THE FULL RECIPE FOR WHEAT BERRY SALAD
Corn And Black Bean Salad
This corn and bean salad is a versatile dish for summer!
We sometimes make it as a cookout party appetizer and serve it with tortilla chips like a dip, and sometimes I make this as a dinner side dish for grilled chicken.
Add some fresh avocado and it also makes an easy summer lunch salad.
To make black bean and corn salad, you’ll need:
- Black beans
- Sweet corn kernels
- Red bell pepper (or other bell peppers)
- Garlic
- Green onion or red onion
- Fresh Cilantro leaves (optional)
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper or chili powder
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Limes (fresh lime juice)
- Avocados (optional)
- Sea salt
- Pepper
GET THE FULL RECIPE FOR BEAN CORN SALAD
Italian Pasta Salad
This is another salad recipe that I use as an easy dinner side dish or for hot summer day recipes for lunch when I don’t really want to cook.
RECIPE TIP: Make this ahead and refrigerate it. It becomes more flavorful as it sits!
To make cold pasta salad, you’ll need:
- Penne pasta – or any short to medium pasta — even bow tie pasta, fusilli spiral pasta, or tri color tortellini (or, honestly, any shaped pasta you have in your pantry!)
- Pepperoni
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Mozzarella
- Black olives
- Zesty Italian vinaigrette (the dressing for this pizza pasta salad can be any favorite Italian dressing!)
- Parmesan
GET THE FULL PASTA SALAD RECIPE
Egg Salad
This egg salad recipe is another great go-to for easy summer recipes because you can make it ahead and leave it in the refrigerator for egg salad sandwiches or a on top of lettuce for a salad dish.
To make easy egg salad, you’ll get:
- Hard boiled eggs (fresh eggs or even leftover boiled eggs)
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Onion
- Dill (optional)
- Celery
- Salt
- Pepper
Easy Asparagus Salad
This asparagus vegetable salad drizzled with an easy balsamic vinaigrette is one of our favorite spring salads when asparagus season starts all the way through summer, or when I’m just looking for something different for dinner sides or lunch salads.
If you have leftover grilled asparagus from a cookout, us it for this salad because grilled asparagus salad is awesome. Lightly cooked or grilled asparagus makes the best salad recipe ever!
To make asparagus salad, you’ll need:
- Asparagus
- Olive oil
- Balsamic Vinegar (or favorite store bought vinaigrette)
- Fresh parmesan (shaved parmesan or grated parmesan)
- Nuts (optional, sometimes we make asparagus salad with walnuts, pecans, or toasted pine nuts, but you can leave them out and it’s just as good)
- Salt
- Pepper
GET THE FULL RECIPE FOR ASPARAGUS SALAD
BONUS SWEET SALAD RECIPE! MORE EASY SUMMER RECIPES TO TRY: SUMMER DESSERT SALAD
I hope you enjoy these easy summer salads! Let me know!
