Food & Cooking Recipes Salad Recipes 16 Lunch Salads for When You Crave Something Fresh, Easy, and Filling All of your favorites are here, along with a whole selection of new lunch salad recipes to discover. By Lindsay Tigar Lindsay Tigar Lindsay is a writer focusing on lifestyle, shopping, food, and more. She reports feature stories for a number of leading publications and websites, including Travel + Leisure, Vogue, USA Today, Fast Company, Reader’s Digest, and more. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 13, 2024 Close Whether you are seeking something light or need a refreshing bite, these lunch salad recipes check all the boxes. They are super simple to make and ideal for packing for work, a picnic, or meal prepping for the week ahead. Packed with protein, a variety of toppings, and mouthwatering dressings, you can find one (or two or three) to add to your weekly rotation. Any of these tried-and-true recipes will guarantee you a delicious, satisfying midday meal. All of your favorite lunch salads are here from cuisines all over the world. Find recipes for a classic Cobb, a Mexican-inspired taco salad, a Greek salad, a Scandinavian shrimp salad—and many more. Pull out your cutting board and get to chopping up one of these satisfying lunch salad recipes today. How to Build a Better Summer Salad That Makes the Most of Fresh, Seasonal Produce To keep your salad fresh, consider packing your dressings on the side so the lettuce base doesn’t become soggy in your lunchbox or stored in the fridge. 01 of 16 Scandinavian Shrimp Salad Lennart Weibull Inspired by the Nordic countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, this yummy lunch salad recipe will help you push through any afternoon slump, without feeling too heavy on your stomach. In addition to the protein-rich shrimp and eggs, the fennel and cornichons add a satisfying crunch. View Recipe 02 of 16 Chicken Paillard With Caprese Panzanella Con Poulos Is there anything that feels more like you’ve been whisked away to the Italian seaside than a classic salad Panzanella? While this may seem heavy with ingredients, it’s surprisingly light, featuring vine-ripe tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fast-to-make chicken cutlets. You can skip or add the bread—but we suggest toasting it and drizzling a bit of olive oil for a mouthwatering bite you won’t forget. View Recipe 03 of 16 Cobb Salad Con Poulos This popular salad consists of shredded chicken, hard-cooked eggs, tomato, avocado, blue cheese, shredded romaine lettuce, and crumbled bacon. It requires only 15 minutes of prep time, but you can cut that down further by using rotisserie chicken instead of roasting your own chicken breasts. View Recipe 04 of 16 Taco Salad With Sweet Potatoes Lennart Weibull A hearty vegetarian salad, this recipe uses sweet potatoes and black beans as a base, jazzed up with pickled jalapeños, sliced radishes, goat cheese, and a zesty lime-cilantro vinaigrette. View Recipe 05 of 16 Grilled Skirt Steak Salad Con Poulos Crunchy romaine creates the base of this salad, topped with grilled vegetables and thinly sliced skirt steak that has been drizzled with vinaigrette while still hot. Top with feta for a salty finish. View Recipe 06 of 16 Italian-Hero Chopped Salad Justin Walker This fun recipe uses whatever deli meats you have on hand, along with an array of marinated vegetables and mixed greens. Serve with cheesy croutons and dressing for dipping. View Recipe 07 of 16 Niçoise Salad This super-quick version of this time-honored favorite can be ready in only 20 minutes. Canned tuna mixed with vinaigrette tops Bibb lettuce, along with blanched green beans, hard-cooked eggs, plum tomatoes, and olives. Roast the tomatoes, if you like, to concentrate their flavor. View Recipe 08 of 16 Chicken Caesar Salad This take on a chicken Caesar salad has the familiar flavors of romaine lettuce, sliced chicken breasts, Parmesan cheese, and crunchy croutons. Make components ahead and assemble when ready to serve. Add radicchio if desired for color and added flavor. View Recipe 09 of 16 Marinated-Artichoke and Green-Bean Pasta Salad Ren Fuller This fresh-tasting pasta salad features jarred marinated artichokes, green beans, sliced red onion, lemon, and Parmesan. It can be made up to 4 hours ahead and served chilled or at room temperature. View Recipe 10 of 16 Greek Taverna Salad Petrina Tinslay This colorful Greek salad does not have any lettuce, just chopped fresh vegetables, feta, and a lemony-herb vinaigrette. View Recipe 11 of 16 Warm Lentil Salad With Poached Eggs Christopher Testani French lentils and Swiss chard come together in this hearty warm salad that's topped with a soft poached egg. Goat cheese, almonds, and parsley add delicious texture. View Recipe 12 of 16 Warm Spinach Salad With Shiitake Mushrooms and Red Onion An absolute beauty of a salad, this salad features spinach in two forms—sautéed with shiitake mushrooms, as well as raw. Pickled red onions add crunch and color. View Recipe 13 of 16 Asian Chicken Salad Shredded red cabbage and chicken are combined with fresh mint and cilantro, then topped with a spicy, sweet dressing to make a salad packed with flavor and texture. A jalapeño pepper brings the heat to this dish; remove its seeds and ribs for a milder dressing. Swap cubed firm tofu for the chicken to make the salad vegetarian. View Recipe 14 of 16 Pasta Salad With Roasted Broccoli This salad features the zesty flavors of a traditional Italian antipasti platter mixed with penne. You have roasted red peppers, olives, and walnuts, along with delicious roasted broccoli. View Recipe 15 of 16 Strawberry Spinach Salad Kelsey Hansen Sweet seasonal strawberries are a delightful contrast to the savory zing of spinach tossed with vinaigrette. Nuts and feta add delicious crunch and saltiness. View Recipe 16 of 16 Chicken Club Salad The filling from this classic sandwich is reinvented as an equally tasty salad. Diced chicken breasts, tomatoes, celery, and onion are dressed with mayonnaise and vinegar, then served on a bed of lettuce topped with crumbled bacon. Cooking bacon on the same baking sheet as the chicken breasts lends them extra smoky flavor. To make ahead, store each component separately and combine just before serving. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit