15 Hearty Salad Dinner Recipes
Looking for a fresh, healthy meal? All these salad dinner recipes highlight wholesome, vibrant ingredients like fresh greens, veggies, and quality protein. Elevate your salad game in no time at all.
Entree Salad Ingredients:
While a fresh, crunchy salad makes a stellar side, it makes an even better dinner!
The key to make a salad filling enough for dinner is to include high-quality protein. While meat is a good option, there’s plenty of great plant-based options too! Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- Meat – Sliced chicken breasts, sliced steak, ground chicken, ground beef, or chopped chicken thighs
- Seafood – Salmon, shrimp, tuna, mahi mahi, swordfish
- Beans – White beans, black beans, chickpeas
- Seeds & grains – Pepitas, chia seeds, cooked quinoa, farro, brown rice, lentils
- Nuts – Sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc.
- Miscellaneous – Boiled eggs, tofu, tempeh, yogurt-based dressings
It’s easy to add protein to an already delicious salad to make it into a meal. Or to swap the protein with a plant-based option if you’re vegan or vegetarian.
Salad Recipes:
1. Seared Shrimp and Avocado Salad
This seared shrimp and avocado salad is vibrant, crunchy, and full of lean protein!
Tender shrimp, creamy avocado, salty feta, and quick-pickled onions make a delicious combo.
Pick up your favorite store-bought green goddess dressing or make your own at home.
This salad is easy to customize too! Just throw in whatever extra veggies you have on hand.
2. Greek Steak Salad with Herb and Garlic Vinaigrette
Marinated, juicy, medium-rare steak takes this Greek salad over the top! It’s packed with fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, salty olives, and punchy red onions.
But the best part is the tangy, lemon-y, garlicky dressing drizzled all over it.
3. Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
A chicken Caesar salad that packs a punch of flavor!
Crunchy romaine, salty parmesan, freshly cracked pepper, juicy grilled chicken, and a homemade Caesar dressing are pure magic.
The chicken marinade is easy and delicious. It would work great for meal prepping!
4. Salmon Niçoise Salad
This salmon niçoise salad will transport you right to a quaint French cafe! It gets an upgrade with wild salmon instead of canned tuna.
It’s topped with roasted potatoes, roasted green beans, boiled eggs, sweet cherry tomatoes, and salty olives. It will fill you up with feel-good ingredients!
5. Savory Steak and Squash Salad
I bet you haven’t heard of this savory salad before! It’s made with flank steak, yellow squash, butternut squash, and dried cranberries.
It’s colorful, nutritious, and tossed in a maple mustard vinaigrette. It’s creamy, crunchy, sweet, savory – ALL the things! A real crowd pleaser.
6. Spicy Southwest Salad
You can’t go wrong with a southwest salad!
Marinated chicken gets sliced into juicy strips, then tops a bed of lettuce with all the goods – corn, black beans, tomatoes, creamy avocado, and crunchy tortillas.
Mix some hot sauce into your favorite store-bought ranch and you’re in business! As my 5 year old’s teacher says, easy peasy lemon squeezy!
7. Chicken Ramen Salad
This chicken ramen salad is a hearty salad with a savory dressing that brings colorful veggies to life.
Crunchy, fresh, satisfying, and packed with feel-good ingredients, this salad is sure to make it into your regular weeknight dinner rotation.
8. Chopped Salad with Shrimp
This chopped shrimp salad is light, fresh, and herbaceous! Juicy shrimp top crunchy greens with creamy avocado, sweet corn, and a cilantro lime vinaigrette.
It’s healthy and crave-able, my favorite type of salad! Plus, since shrimp cooks so quickly, it comes together in a flash.
9. Shrimp Macaroni Pasta Salad
This lightened up version of pasta salad includes shrimp, avocado, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes! It’s cold, crunchy, and fresh.
You can easily swap the mayo with an olive oil mayo or heart-healthy version. It’s perfect for entertaining like potlucks or barbecues. Everyone will ask for the recipe!
10. Chicken Caprese Salad
This kale salad tastes delicious and works great as a make-ahead lunch. Since kale has sturdy leaves, it doesn’t wilt quickly like other greens.
It’s topped with grilled chicken, creamy avocado, sweet corn, creamy mozzarella, and a homemade honey balsamic dressing.
11. Kale Crunch Salad
This kale crunch salad is delicious and easily turned into a filling entree! Just add grilled chicken, tofu, or white beans.
It features crunchy cabbage, roasted almonds, and a homemade maple Dijon dressing. Kale is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and beta-carotene to help you feel your best.
12. Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken
This strawberry spinach salad is a crowd pleaser! It has ALL the things – sweet, salty, crunchy.
It’s jam-packed with juicy strawberries, salty feta, creamy avocado, candied pecans, and a homemade balsamic dressing.
Grilled chicken adds high-quality protein and dinners ready.
13. Classic Chef Salad
A chef salad with bacon, cheese, red onion, croutons, boiled eggs, and ham – this salad is a classic for a reason! It’s an entire meal on a plate.
This version is topped with the most addictively creamy and tangy dressing. You’ve got to try it!
14. Ancient Grains Salad with Tahini Dressing (Vegan)
This nutritious salad is packed with ancient grains for more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
It features a mixture of quinoa, farro, and pearl barley with sweet cherry tomatoes, salty olives, and red onion.
You can cook the grains ahead of time to make this salad come together in a snap.
15. Taco Salad
Everyone loves a taco salad! It’s basically a deconstructed taco with seasoned ground beef, cheese, and all your favorite toppings.
This version is topped with the best, zippy lime vinaigrette! You can’t go wrong.