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Home Recipes Course Lunch & Dinner Salads Healthy Salad Ideas for Summer

Healthy Salad Ideas for Summer

Posted:7/27/21
Updated:7/27/21

If you’re looking for summer salad ideas we’ve rounded up the best salads before the season ends! Getting in a salad every day can be so beneficial to your overall health. Change up your salad routine by trying out some of these amazing healthy recipes.

So honestly, I love salads. LOVE them. And when people say they hate salads, I don’t get it. It’s gotta be a mindset thing, you know? Like you’ve consciously made the decision to not like them… I get it, I’ve been there. Basically I was there for most of my life until I actually started giving real food a shot.

There are so many flavor combinations you can create with a salad, you are bound to find something you like! Not to mention #allthetoppings. I love adding different textures and layers of toppings to create the perfect salad. Things like fresh berries, seeds, nuts, crumbled cheese, beans, chickpeas, tempeh, chicken, pork, fish, etc. all have a place on top of a pile of fresh greens! You just have to find a combination that’s right for you.

So because I lurrrrve salads so much and want you all to too, I thought I’d round up the best of the summer salads before the season changes! Summer ain’t over yet, my friends. So let’s see how many of these salads you can try in the next few weeks.

How to Prep Salads for the Week

It’s easy to get stick in a rut with making the same salad over and over again, but with a little prep you can have salads ready all week long as a quick lunch easy side dish with dinner.

  1. Chop Veggies – Take a few minutes to chop your veggies and maybe roast some sweet potatoes.
  2. Prep Protein – Cook your protein once for the entire week. Grill some chicken, roast chick peas, drain and season some black beans. Whatever protein you prefer. You can also freeze some of this to not have to do it every single week.
  3. Get Creative – Try some fun combinations! I love throwing roasted sweet potatoes and quinoa into a salad to change things up. Or make a simple homemade dressing and fruit.

With a little bit of prep, you can quick throw together a meal and try some new flavors. You might be surprised what you come up with and love!

Healthy Salad Recipes for Dinner

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad

A simple & healthy Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad to ring in the end of summer that is both gluten-free and paleo-friendly! With sweet strawberries, protein-packed grilled chicken, and superfood greens all tossed in my favorite Almond Butter Balsamic Dressing, you’ll want to make this summer salad recipe again and again!

grilled chicken strawberry salad in a white bowl with a fork

More Easy Salad Recipes

  • Strawberry Mango Salad – Fit Mitten Kitchen
  • Steak Salad with Creamy Herb Sauce – Clean Foodie Cravings
  • Chicken Bacon Avocado Chopped Salad – All the Healthy Things
  • Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad – Orchids + Sweet Tea
  • Easy Salmon Salad with Greek Yogurt Dill Dressing – Fit Foodie Finds

Vegan Salads

Easy Chickpea Shawarma Bowls

These Chickpea Shawarma Bowls are so simple yet so delicious! An easy plant based recipe with roasted chickpeas in shawarma inspired spices and lemon tahini dressing. Ready in about 30 minutes and perfect for meal prep, too. 

chickpea shawarma bowl

More Vegan Salad Recipes

  • Crunchy Cashew Quinoa Salad – Fit Mitten Kitchen
  • Mediterranean Chickpea Salad – Fit Mitten Kitchen
  • Strawberry Spinach Salad – Fit Mitten Kitchen
  • Peach Salad with Quinoa & Arugula – Fit Mitten Kitchen
  • Southwest Quinoa Salad – Fit Mitten Kitchen
  • Vegan Burrito Bowls – Fit Mitten Kitchen
  • Roasted Asparagus Salad – Fit Mitten Kitchen
  • Vegan Kale Caesar Salad – Fit Mitten Kitchen
  • Chipotle Chickpea Taco Salad – Marisa Moore
  • Vegan Crispy Cajun Fried Tofu Salad – Jessica in the Kitchen
  • Blackened Tempeh Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing – Eating Bird Food
  • White Bean, Basil & Arugula Mason Jar Salad – Hummusapien
  • Strawberry White Bean Caprese Salad – Fooduzzi

Easy Side Salads

Blueberry Watermelon Salad

I love a good summer salad and this one is super simple – Blueberry Watermelon Salad with feta and mint. Just six ingredients and thrown together in 10 minutes.

More Side Salad Recipes

  • The Best Greek Salad – All the Healthy Things
  • Arugula Peach and Halloumi Salad – The Healthy Maven
  • Green Goddess Avocado Kale Salad – Emilie Eats
  • Grilled Corn Kale Salad – The Almond Eater

Wasn’t that fun?

Okay, but really. See how many ways there are to enjoy salads? Getting in your greens on the daily WILL benefit your health. Load up your salad with fruits and veggies, and you get antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and some fiber. Throw on some nuts or seeds, or use an oil-based dressing such as extra virgin olive oil and balsamic, and you get heart healthy fats too. So much good comes from salads… as long as we’re filling up on the greens and staying away from unhealthy dressings.

Let me know if you make any of these recipes by leaving a comment and letting me know your favorite recipess! Xx, Ashley

About Ashley

"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Marina @ A Dancer's Live-It says

    8/31/2016 at 7:23 am

    YUM! Love getting in my daily dose of greens!! 🙂 These salads all look AMAZING. So many recipes, so little time! 😉

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      8/31/2016 at 11:22 am

      “so many recipes, so little time!” my life motto these days, fo REAL.

      Reply
  2. Emily says

    8/31/2016 at 10:08 am

    I think people don’t know how versatile salads can be; this post DEBUNKS that 100%. My favorite salad would be with a lettuce base or spring mix topped with nuts, fruit, cheese, other veggies, roasted veggies, and dressing.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      9/2/2016 at 5:28 pm

      YES to all of those toppings. Love all the texture on salads 🙂

      Reply
  3. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says

    8/31/2016 at 11:47 am

    I’ll have one of everything please! 😉

    Reply
  4. Jess @hellotofit says

    8/31/2016 at 6:55 pm

    Thanks for da featureeeee 🙂 xoxo
    I love any salad that doesn’t have blue cheese 😛

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      8/31/2016 at 7:04 pm

      lol <3 I don't discriminate against blue cheese on salad however one time I had it in a calzone unknowingly at the dorm cafe and thought I was gonna die. WAY too much stinky cheese.

      Reply
  5. Alexa [fooduzzi.com] says

    8/31/2016 at 8:05 pm

    Thanks so much for the feature, Ashley! Summer salads are the best <3

    Reply
  6. Allie @ Miss Allie's Kitchen says

    9/1/2016 at 9:41 am

    Oh my gosh this is a gold mine! Loving it!!!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      9/1/2016 at 10:09 am

      Thanks Allie! Hope you find something you like 🙂

      Reply
  7. Erin @ Erin's Inside Job says

    9/1/2016 at 9:57 am

    I have a thing about cold salads. Give me a nice, hearty, warm salad and I’m all over it. HELLO Sweetgreeeeeeeen!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      9/1/2016 at 10:08 am

      Lol I get that! Like when you go to a restaurant and order a salad with meat, I truly hope the meat is grilled and warm because I get so disappointed when it’s not.

      Reply
  8. Cassie says

    9/1/2016 at 10:41 am

    Now I’m totally dreaming of tempeh and falafels! Summer salads are AMAZING. And they’re wonderful for fall, too!

    Reply
  9. Britney says

    9/1/2016 at 3:01 pm

    Wow! Great post! I love summer salads. When the season changes, I’m always left feeling like I didn’t get enough fruit in my salads.. then I miss them all year round. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
  10. Brittany says

    9/1/2016 at 5:57 pm

    Girl!! I am so in love with this post! So such salad inspo! Thank you for including my blackened tempeh salad, too.

    Reply

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