On a hot night, a refreshing summer salad is a fantastic dinner option. Serve one of these easy salad recipes to your family and you won’t hear complaints about salad for dinner. Packed with flavor and made with simple ingredients, you won’t be heating the kitchen for a long period when preparing dinner. Plus, these recipes easily feed a crowd or have enough leftovers for the next day. If you’re looking for a lighter (but hearty) meal, try one of these delicious 22 summer dinner salads tonight.
Orzo and Spinach Salad
"Want something a little different in a summer salad? Well, here it is. This salad is bursting with flavor and is so quick and easy. You eat serve it as a side salad or add some grilled chicken, shrimp, or even canned tuna and make a light meal." - Grace
Grilled Chicken Teriyaki and Pineapple Salad
"On hot summer days I enjoy light meals that do not require a lot of cooking and this grilled chicken teriyaki and pineapple salad is perfect! Teriyaki sauce is a simple Japanese sauce that is both sweet and salty and in this recipe, it’s used both as a marinade for the chicken and in the salad dressing. Once the chicken has marinated in the teriyaki sauce it’s quickly grilled, along with slices of pineapple and red bell peppers, before being sliced into bite-sized pieces for the salad." - Kevin
Spaghetti Salad With Balsamic and Basil Dressing
"Basil is plentiful in the garden now and I love the way it pairs with the pungent-sweet flavor of balsamic vinegar. This is very good with grilled chicken but delicious all by itself. You could make this with any pasta that you have on hand." - Gretchen
Best Cobb Salad With Buttermilk Garlic Dressing
"Best Cobb Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Dressing is a hearty, satisfying main dish salad, with plenty of proteins, good fats, flavor, and a delicious dressing." - Paula
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
"This is a recipe that I created. You can adjust the amount of hot sauce and blue cheese to your liking. Much less messy than eating actual Buffalo wings!" - Melissa
Savory Summer Seafood Salad
"I love this recipe. It is a hit anytime it is made, Not just for summer, but for any time." - Donna
Balsamic Grilled Flank Steak Caprese Salad
"Today’s recipe is a simple way to enjoy the recent balsamic grilled flank steak recipe, in a salad! On hot summer days, I like to have light meals, that do not require a lot of work or cooking and simple salads with grilled meat are perfect! This meal is as easy to make as grilling a steak and serving it on a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, avocado, onion, and basil, all dressed in a tasty balsamic vinaigrette." - Kevin
Summer Spaghetti Salad
"It's quick to make, uses easily accessible ingredients and packs a big flavor punch. We added the optional grilled chicken and it was delicious!" - The Kitchen Crew
Chicken Waldorf Salad
"My husband and I both love this as a main dish salad. What could be easier, especially on a busy day or a hot day!" - Marlene
Grilled Chicken and Tortellini Salad
"This is a great chicken pasta meal. It can also be prepared without the chicken, and other vegetables - artichoke hearts are popular with this dish." - Peggy
Ramen Chinese Chicken Salad
"Though not a traditional dish, this Chinese Chicken Salad is still a fave in our family!" - Fran
Black and Blue Salad
"Black and Blue Salad Recipe is a hearty entree salad recipe with a spice-rubbed, blackened steak, blue cheese crumbles, and balsamic salad dressing. It has just a few simple ingredients but yields a bold flavor." - Paula
Bulgur Salad With Lemon-Cumin Dressing
"We loved this flavor-packed salad. The salad is refreshing filled with crisp, cool cucumber, sweet yellow tomatoes, and zesty red onion. Lucy's lemon cumin dressing really elevates the salad and makes all the flavors come alive. Don't be surprised if you find yourself going back for thirds." - The Kitchen Crew
Citrus & Feta Salad, Homemade Honey-Lime Dressing
"This citrus salad is different and delightfully refreshing. With a honey-citrus flavor and a mild Dijon tang, we loved the salad dressing. The mix of greens with sweet clementines and pomegranate arils (seeds) is so delicious. Feta cheese crumbles and sunflower seeds add a little salt that balances the sweetness of the fruit. For extra flavor, add grilled chicken to the top for a complete meal." - The Kitchen Crew
Acapulco Avocado Salad
"This is a great summertime salad for you out there that are always trying to keep your weight down and this is a little fatting due to the avocado." - Gloria
Susan's Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta Salad
"My family loves this yummy salad It's similar to La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta Salad, with the added protein of chicken. Served with a green salad, it's a complete meal." - Susan
Orzo Salad
"This is a favorite salad I make often. It's so versatile you can really make it your own easily!" - Lindsey
Italian Shrimp and Scallop Salad
"This is a light, fresh-tasting salad. It's a garlic and seafood lover's dream! I created this for a summer family get together and it was a big hit." - Lillian
Healthy Lentil Salad
"This is a very wonderful tasty salad. You can serve it plain or on a bed of lettuce. Family and friends will love it. This is one of my favorite recipes with keeping my weight in check and leaving me full and satisfied at the table. Never leave the table hungry, that's my kind of recipe." - Marti
Asian Vegetable Pasta Salad
"This is a variation of a recipe I created several years ago that gave me an opportunity to participate in a cook-off for Cooking Light magazine. I didn't win the cook-off, but the recipe is still a winner in my book. Plus it's easy, with familiar ingredients and even the pickiest eaters like it." - Linda
Orange Chicken Salad
"This is lovely for a light supper at the end of a summers day as you sit on your veranda surveying your gardens on your estate. Okay, I suffer from delusions of grandeur, but you get the idea." - CC