Best Summer Salad Recipes - Ideas for Potlucks

Why is it that food always tastes so good when you eat outdoors? Dinners on the deck, picnics on the beach and snacks on a wharf are always so tasty and so much more fun to eat! Summertime dining begs for ALL the salads.

These all-vegetarian salads make perfect sides for your grilled foods. They're the ones you'll want to load up on to fill your plate and then come back for seconds.

Searching for summer salad ideas? I've sorted this collection into sections to make it easy to find what you're looking for. Scroll all the way through, then enjoy every healthy bite!

If you're looking for the best summer salads to feed a crowd, you'll find lots of ideas here. While these salads are great for sharing with friends, they also make an easy light dinner when it's too hot to cook.

The recipes in this round-up are all vegetarian. You'll find lots more summer salad ideas including those with shrimp, salmon, or chicken in my Salads and Dressings category.

Mixed Green Salad with Berries and Balsamic Dressing

Triple Berry Mixed Green Salad

This Triple Berry Mixed Green Salad with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, feta cheese (or goat cheese) and toasted almonds is perfect for a potluck, deck party or any occasion. A fresh and tasty spring and summer salad with a creamy balsamic dressing that always gets devoured!

Triple Berry Mixed Green Salad

Blackberry Kiwi Salad with Oranges

Blackberry Kiwi Salad with Oranges

This Vitamin C-rich Blackberry Kiwi Salad with Oranges is full of antioxidants! It combines baby spinach, arugula, fruit and berries with a smattering of feta cheese. Tossed with a simple honey-citrus dressing, this salad is as tasty as it is pretty!

Blackberry Kiwi Salad with Oranges

Strawberry Mango Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

Strawberry-Mango Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

This Strawberry-Mango Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese combines fresh sweet strawberries, mango, spicy arugula, creamy avocado and goat cheese and is drizzled with a flavourful honey-citrus vinaigrette.

Strawberry-Mango Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

Kiwi Cucumber Salad with Walnuts and Fresh Mint

Kiwi Cucumber Salad with Walnuts and Fresh Mint

This Kiwi Cucumber Salad with Walnuts and Fresh Mint is definitely green, but it's not your typical green salad! Tender butter lettuce, crisp cucumbers and heart-healthy kiwi fruit are drizzled with Lime Vinaigrette in this tasty salad!

Kiwi Cucumber Salad with Walnuts and Fresh Mint

Strawberry Kale Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Strawberry Kale Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

This Strawberry Kale Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is packed with delicious flavours. Strawberries, creamy avocado, tangy feta, toasted sunflower seeds and a sweet dressing will make this baby kale salad your new summer favourite!

Strawberry Kale Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Savory Summer Fruit Salads

Blackberry Honeydew Salad with Basil

Blackberry Honeydew Salad with Basil

Sweet honeydew, tart blackberries and pungent basil combine to make this fresh Blackberry Honeydew Salad with Basil as appetizing to look at as it is to eat.

Blackberry Honeydew Salad with Basil

Greek Watermelon Salad with Basil

Greek Watermelon Basil Salad

This summer watermelon salad with fresh Greek flavours from vine-ripened tomatoes, olives, red onion, feta cheese and basil is quick to make and needs no dressing.

Greek Watermelon Basil Salad

Mediterranean Cantaloupe Salad with Olives

Mediterranean Cantaloupe Salad

This Mediterranean Cantaloupe Salad with olives and red onion is a refreshing summer salad. It's sweet, salty and spicy, all in one bite! Quick and easy.

Mediterranean Cantaloupe Salad

Peach and Tomato Salad with Grilled Halloumi

Grilled Halloumi, Peach and Tomato Salad with Croutons

This delicious heirloom tomato salad has sweet grilled peaches, crisp croutons and grilled halloumi cheese. It's topped with fresh basil and a simple balsamic dressing.

Grilled Halloumi, Peach and Tomato Salad with Croutons

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil, Capers & Feta

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil, Capers and Feta

Basil, capers and feta cheese enhance the natural flavours of late-summer tomatoes in this simple recipe for Heirloom Tomato Salad. 

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil, Capers and Feta

Mango Avocado Chili Lime Salad

Mango Avocado Chili Lime Salad

Sweet mango and buttery avocado flavoured with chili and lime make this healthy mango avocado chili lime salad one to remember! It's Vegan, Whole30 and Paleo-approved.

Mango Avocado Chili Lime Salad

Honeydew Blueberry Salad with Blue Cheese

Honeydew Blueberry Salad with Blue Cheese

This honeydew blueberry salad with blue cheese makes an impressive starter or side. With cool, crisp cucumbers and a mint lime dressing, this melon salad recipe is healthy and refreshing!

Honeydew Blueberry Salad with Blue Cheese

Green Bean Potato Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Green Bean Potato Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Mediterranean flavours dominate in this potato salad with tender green beans, tomatoes and olives in a pungent anchovy dressing. An ideal potluck salad!

Green Bean Potato Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Easy Tabouli Pasta Salad

Easy Tabouli Pasta Salad

All your favourite Middle Eastern tabouli flavours, now in an easy tabouli pasta salad! Toss fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and mint with pasta and toss it all with fresh lemon juice and olive oil. Easy and incredibly delicious.

Easy Tabouli Pasta Salad

Honey-Dijon Broccoli Salad

Honey-Dijon Broccoli Salad with Cranberries

This vegetarian Broccoli Salad is mayo-free but tastes even better with Honey-Dijon Dressing. Great for potlucks and parties!

Honey-Dijon Broccoli Salad with Cranberries

Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Dressing

Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce

This Asian broccoli salad with peanut dressing combines shredded broccoli, carrots, edamame and red onion. It's tossed with peanut sauce and garnished with crunchy salted peanuts. Simply satisfying with amazing flavours!

Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce

Protein-Rich Quinoa Salads and Bean Salads