Serious Eats: 20 Summer Salad Main Dishes

Serious Eats has compiled 20 summer salad recipes that move beyond a side dish to become a meal's centerpiece. The collection highlights techniques for maximizing flavor, from salting vegetables to prevent sogginess to creating two-zone fires for perfect grilling.

Many of the featured salads incorporate whole grains, beans, pasta, and proteins. The goal is to provide hearty, vegetable-forward options that make the most of seasonal produce throughout the summer.

Grilling for Smoky Sweetness

Grilling is a key technique for several salads, adding a smoky char that defines the dish. For the Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad, grilling peaches softens their flesh and caramelizes natural sugars. A two-zone fire is recommended to sear the fruit without it overcooking or falling apart. Similarly, the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad calls for grilling every component except the dressing-marinated chicken, romaine lettuce, and baguette slices-to infuse each bite with smoky flavor.

Salting for Better Texture

Drawing out moisture is a key step for achieving the ideal crisp-tender texture in vegetable salads. The Sichuan-Style Smashed Cucumber Salad requires smashing English cucumbers before dicing and salting them for ten minutes. This process helps the cucumbers quickly absorb the vinegar and garlic dressing while concentrating their flavor. For the Make-Ahead Quinoa Salad, salting cucumbers and tomatoes ahead of time prevents the dish from becoming soggy, allowing it to be prepared a day in advance.

Global Flavors and Bold Combinations

The selection draws inspiration from various global cuisines, offering bold and savory combinations. The Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites) chars corn kernels in a skillet before mixing them with feta or Cotija cheese, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, and a creamy, spicy dressing. Tam Khao Pod Kai Kem, a Thai corn salad, simmers corn in coconut milk before tossing it with dried shrimp, long beans, tomatoes, and a fish sauce-lime dressing, topped with salted duck egg.

Hearty Main-Dish Salads

Several recipes are explicitly designed as satisfying main courses. The Steak and Corn Salad repurposes leftover steak, dressing it with a punchy Spanish-style salsa verde made with capers, cornichons, garlic, parsley, mint, anchovies, and sherry vinegar. The Buffalo Chicken Salad recreates the classic wing flavor by tossing spicy chicken with both homemade Buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing, using creamy avocado to tame the heat.

Quick Prep and Make-Ahead Options

For busy nights, the collection includes speedy and preparable dishes. The Quick-Marinated White Bean Salad and Feta Lettuce Cups comes together in just 20 minutes, combining canned beans, olives, cucumbers, and feta. It can be eaten with a fork or packed into lettuce cups for a handheld meal. The Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad mixes cooled orzo with radicchio, chickpeas, Parmesan, and banana peppers, dressed in a bright balsamic and lemon vinaigrette.

The final recipe suggests a Chickpea Salad Sandwich for dinner, describing it as a cross between falafel and hummus, best served in pita or on crusty bread with fresh tomatoes and crisp lettuce.