Main Dish Salad Recipes

These delicious salads are perfect for summer picnics and barbecues.

A perfect salad for leftover BBQ, boiled, broiled or baked chicken. A very crunchy salad with a tasty sweet Asian-style dressing. The kids love it too! The Chinese rice noodles are of the cellophane type and can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. They are often in rectangle form and in clear packaging.

With just a few things done ahead of time, your dinner can be a breeze.

This is an attractive and zesty all in one dish. It's full of veggies and chicken, and loaded with flavor. A quick fix for a long day. If desired, top with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Steaming the kale removes some of the bitterness. The salad dressing ties all the flavors together. A quartet of super foods (kale, quinoa, avocado, and olive oil) make this a healthy meal!

This is a wonderful Southwestern style salad that is quick and easy to make.

Great salad with chicken, avocado, and goat cheese.

Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and can be used as an alternative to white rice or couscous in most dishes. The arugula has a rich peppery taste, and has an exceptionally strong flavor for a leafy green which goes well with the slightly nutty flavor of the quinoa.

I got this recipe from the restaurant my dad built. I love the unique way of cooking the quinoa and the great combinations of the flavors.

This is perfect for summer. You can even buy cooked chicken if it's too hot to cook your own. This makes two large dinner portions.

Delicious and nutritious! This salad is sure to please the crowd! And with so many options to mix and match to your tastes, you can't go wrong. You can play with the kale-to-quinoa ratio to make this your own. Use alternative nuts and dried fruit to customize to your own taste buds.

This salad is always a hit. Everyone loves it! Can be refrigerated 2 to 3 hours before serving.

This rice salad is a great summer salad in place of potato salad, or any time of year!

This is a super-easy dinner and very refreshing for an outdoor barbeque or spring dinner. The lemon adds a fresh taste to a simple chicken dish.

This is a great low-carb alternative to your standard homemade tacos. I love Mexican food and wasn't willing to part with tacos after starting my low-carb diet. This always satisfies my craving.

When you get home from work, you hardly want a big production for dinner. That's when this recipe can be your standby. Cook your ground turkey, then add veggies, cole slaw mix, and sauce and in 10 minutes you've got a hearty meal for everyone to enjoy.

This is a great dish for pot-lucks. It's easy, and can be made in advance. Add dressing just before serving.

This is a quick-to-throw-together taco salad that even picky family members will eat, as you can serve any of the ingredients on the side. I sometimes serve with taco shells and let my five-year-old make tacos out of the ingredients (minus the dressing for the salad). Serve salad with tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, and Cheddar cheese to taste. Yum!

This is a quick and easy meal for those hot summer evenings.

Elevate chicken salad to new heights with feta and bell peppers.

Great way to prepare a Mexican favorite.

A delicious bulgur salad that is filled with tomatoes, green onions, and cucumber. It is seasoned in the traditional way, with fresh mint and lemon juice.

BBQ steak salad with a sesame-rice vinegar dressing.

This is a simple make-your-own taco salad. Both my kids, ages six and two, LOVE this! I have made this both with two boneless chicken breasts and beef. Both are a great hit and so easy. I have also used this for Super Bowl party... they LOVED it!