Food & Cooking Recipes Salad Recipes 16 Summer Dinner Salad Recipes That Make Easy, Satisfying Meals Fresh and light yet also hearty, these entrée salads—which call on lean proteins and in-season produce—will leave you satisfied, not stuffed. By Emily Goldman Emily Goldman Emily Goldman is a former digital editor at MarthaStewart.com and a New York City-based bridal and lifestyle editor with eight years of experience at Bridal Guide Magazine, MarthaStewart.com, and Hearst Magazines. Editorial Guidelines and Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years. Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 7, 2024 Close Photo: Bryan Gardner Summer nights are made for refreshing, fuss-free suppers starring in-season produce—and these main-course salads fit the bill. Each is packed with crisp, crunchy ingredients and bursting with nutrients and protein. They're filling enough to serve as your entrée but light and bright enough to suit the warm-weather season—plus, they're big on taste and low on prep time. Some are built around grilled chicken or steak; others feature shrimp or cheese. All have a colorful range of crunchy fresh produce, so you'll feel like you're eating with the seasons. 19 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce 01 of 16 Grilled Skirt Steak Salad Con Poulos The best of summer on a platter, this colorful salad stars cherry tomatoes, corn, romaine, bell peppers, red onion, and juicy steak. View Recipe 02 of 16 Greek Salad Made with romaine, feta cheese, black olives, and red onion, this Greek salad delivers a refreshing meal. Serve with pita or another flatbread. View Recipe 03 of 16 Mexican Seafood Salad Sidney Bensimon Red-snapper fillets and shrimp are served over bibb lettuce in this bright seafood salad that's perfect for lunch or a light dinner. Thinly sliced jalapeño adds a subtle dose of spice. View Recipe 04 of 16 Chicken Caesar Salad Adding chicken cutlets to this classic salad makes it a full meal. You can sit down to this Caesar—including homemade croutons and dressing— in 45 minutes. But it's also a perfect candidate for making the components ahead of time, stashing them in the refrigerator, and assembling in mere minutes. View Recipe 05 of 16 Salmon Nicoise With Caper Dressing Bryan Gardner Make your salade Niçoise more sustainable by using salmon instead of the traditional tuna. It's loaded with heart-healthy omega fats and pairs beautifully with creamy potatoes, briny olives, and tender green beans. View Recipe 06 of 16 Broiled Coconut-and-Lime-Crusted Shrimp With Rice-Noodle Salad Bryan Gardner Ready in 25 minutes, this salad is packed with crunch and bright flavors. In addition to the crispy coconut-coated shrimp, there's a cooling rice noodle salad with romaine, radishes, avocado, and chile. View Recipe 07 of 16 Summer Waldorf With Yogurt-Tarragon Dressing Bryan Gardner How do you make a Waldorf summery? Replace the apples with sweet-tart plums. We also mix things up by adding toasted almonds instead of the usual walnuts. View Recipe 08 of 16 Greek Mezze Salad Armando Rafael Roasted za'atar chickpeas, grape leaves, cucumber, and creamy yogurt come together in this quick yet filling summer salad. View Recipe 09 of 16 Shrimp Cobb With Cilantro-Lime Dressing Bryan Gardner Shrimp replace the usual chicken in ths delicious riff on on the classic cobb salad. All the other elements are there; hard-boiled eggs, sliced avocado, romaine and watercress, and cherry tomatoes. It’s the protein-packed summer dinner of your dreams. View Recipe 10 of 16 Grilled Chicken and Eggplant With Mozzarella and Tomatoes Linda Xiao A flavorful take on the caprese salad, this satisfying main-course salad adds chicken and eggplant and puts one of summer's star players on display: tomatoes. We like mixing varieties—our recipe calls for both heirloom and cherry. View Recipe 11 of 16 Barbecued Chicken Salad Bryan Gardner Toss flame-kissed chicken and corn with lettuce, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and tortilla chips for this smoky, satisfying salad. View Recipe 12 of 16 Crispy Panko Shrimp Salad Ren Fuller Panko fried shrimp gives this satisfying salad a little crunch. It comes together in under 30 minutes and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. View Recipe 13 of 16 Roasted-Chicken Bread Salad With Peas Johnny Miller Toasted rustic bread soaks up the delicious roast chicken juices, and green peas, sugar snap peas, and pea shoots add the perfect amount of freshness and crunch. View Recipe 14 of 16 Chicken Taco Salad Mike Krautter Skip the fast-casual Tex-Mex and treat yourself to this zesty salad instead. It packs a serious punch thanks to all of its flavorful components. View Recipe 15 of 16 Italian Hero Chopped Salad Justin Walker This versatile salad works with whatever meats you have available. Spicy marinated vegetables give the classic chopped salad an Italian flavor. View Recipe 16 of 16 Grilled Asparagus and Farro Salad Chris Simpson Freshly grilled asparagus is the star of this delicious grain salad, which features lemon zest, sliced almonds, and briny feta cheese atop filling farro. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit