Our 20 Best Salads of 2023
If you’re looking to add some vegetables to your plate, turn to these main and side dish salads. Bursting with colorful, nutritious produce, these salad recipes were clicked on most by EatingWell readers in 2023. Four- and five-star rated recipes like our Chopped Power Salad with Chicken and our Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon are so delicious and satisfying that we know you’ll want to make them again and again.
Chopped Power Salad with Chicken
Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor.
Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon
This cucumber chickpea salad with feta and lemon is tangy and refreshing. You can enjoy it on its own or toss it with greens for an easy lunch or dinner. We love the grassy flavor of dill, but another fresh herb like oregano, parsley or chives will work well in its place.
Crab Louie Salad
At the Bayside Cafe in Morro Bay, California, this classic West Coast salad is made with Dungeness crab caught in the coastal waters. Lump crabmeat is a good substitute.
Eat-the-Rainbow Chopped Salad with Basil & Mozzarella
This fresh and colorful chopped salad has all of the delicious flavors you love from a classic caprese salad, plus even more healthy veggies. Add grilled or roasted chicken for a quick main dish.
Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta
This quick and easy chopped salad is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean, including chickpeas, cucumber and feta. A garlicky oil and vinegar dressing brings everything together.
Green Goddess Salad
This gorgeous green goddess salad combines fresh shrimp, cucumber, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes with homemade dressing.
Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta
This delicious and healthy lentil salad comes together in just 30 minutes and makes a wonderful hot-weather meal. Serve with whole-wheat pitas, if desired.
Cucumber, Tomato & Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing
This Greek-inspired tomato salad is packed with fresh veggies and flavor-boosting ingredients, like balsamic vinegar, Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. This delicious salad takes just 15 minutes to make and while you could eat it right away, it tastes even better the longer it sits, so plan to leave at least an hour of marinating time before serving.
Loaded Broccoli Salad
This is the broccoli salad you will get special requests for. The combination of bacon, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions and Cheddar is hard to resist.
Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing
We've replaced chicken with shrimp in this delicious and easy spin on the classic Cobb salad. This satisfying salad takes just 20 minutes to make, so it's perfect for weeknight dinners, but it's elegant enough to serve to guests.
Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans
Loaded with roasted sweet potatoes and shallots, black beans, quinoa, feta and pepitas, this salad makes for a satisfying meatless meal. Not only does massaging the kale tenderize it, it also helps the greens absorb more of the bright dressing.
Apple-Cranberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese
The tangy-sweet dressing in this spinach salad beautifully amplifies the apples and cranberries—and the creamy goat cheese transforms it into the perfect salad. Tasters raved about this easy fall salad. If you can't find Pink Lady apples, any sweet, crisp apple is a worthy substitute. Want to make this salad a main meal? Top with some rotisserie chicken, chickpeas or tofu.
Kale & Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing
This kale-quinoa salad pops with different flavors and textures. Massaging the kale helps break down its fibrous nature, while add-ins like toasted almonds, feta and cucumber add crunch and saltiness.
Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens
Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.
Vegetarian Chopped Power Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing
This healthy vegetarian salad recipe features chickpeas and quinoa for a boost of protein. Cilantro adds color and flavor when blended to make a creamy dressing. Serve this cold salad for lunch or dinner.
Sesame Kohlrabi & Chicken Salad
Kohlrabi (a bulbous vegetable related to broccoli and Brussels sprouts but with a milder, sweet flavor) and almonds add crunch to this crowd-pleasing salad. Baked tofu or shrimp can be used instead of the chicken.
Avocado Caprese Salad
This avocado caprese salad has all the flavors of a classic caprese salad with the addition of creamy avocado. The sweet and tangy balsamic dressing pulls everything together, with fresh basil adding a refreshing pop of color. Add capers for an even bigger flavor.
Fig & Goat Cheese Salad
The sweet-and-savory combination of the figs and earthy goat cheese will surely satisfy the palate. If you can't find dried figs, try swapping in dried apricots.
Kale Salad with Balsamic & Parmesan
In this healthy kale salad recipe, you massage the dressing into the kale, tenderizing the leaves and infusing the salad with sweet balsamic flavor. Creamy pine nuts and salty Parmesan cheese added at the end balance the flavors. Enjoy this salad on its own as a side dish or add cooked chicken, shrimp or steak to make it a full meal.
Warm Butternut Squash & Kale Salad with Goat Cheese & Pepitas
This healthy salad makes the perfect side dish for the holidays. Butternut squash turns tender in the oven, while goat cheese and pumpkin seeds add creaminess and crunch. Letting the kale and lemon juice sit helps tenderize the leafy green, so don't skip that step.
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