25 Healthy and Hearty Salad Recipes That Are Endlessly Satisfying

Making healthy meals doesn’t have to be boring – try out some of these nourishing yet flavorful salad recipes and delight your taste buds! With a combination of fresh fruits and veggies, proteins, grains, and nuts, the combinations are endless. And don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients on hand – feel free to mix and match depending on what’s available in your pantry. Let’s get cooking these mouthwatering salads that will leave you feeling energized and satisfied every time!

Salads are an easy way to get lots of vitamins and nutrients, plus they’re super easy to make. From protein-packed salads to vegan delights, there’s something for everyone in this collection. If you’ve shunned salads over the colder months, it’s time to return to them as the weather is finally becoming warm and full of sunshine again, much like these delicious salad recipes!

Celery Caesar Salad

Hearty Salad Recipes
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For some folks, celery is a polarizing ingredient. If that’s not the case for you, you are in for a real treat with this crunchy and refreshing Celery Salad. Instead of gloopy dressing, this one is finished closer to a vinaigrette, so it’s lighter and brighter. It’s one of our go-to salad recipes.

Chrissy Teigen’s Broccoli Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing

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If you’re looking for something truly different, consider your salad options and go for something more unconventional. Chrissy Teigen‘s Vegan Broccoli Salad has a little sweetness, a little spice, and a hint of creaminess thanks to the dressing. Not every salad recipe must have leafy greens.

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

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This hearty salad recipe is perfect for a filling lunch or as a side dish. The kale and quinoa are packed with nutrients, while the lemon dressing adds a bright, fresh flavor.

Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, and Farro Salad

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This salad is perfect for fall, with its roasted sweet potatoes, kale, and farro. The maple or honey dressing ties all of the flavors together perfectly.

Winter Detox Salad

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This salad recipe is perfect for helping you detox after indulging during the holidays. It’s packed with nutrient-rich ingredients like kale, apple, Brussels sprouts, and pomegranate seeds.

Massaged Kale Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

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This salad recipe is a great way to use up kale and by massaging it, you will get a more tender chew. The cranberries and pecans add sweetness and crunch, while the lemon dressing keeps things light and refreshing.

Swiss Chard Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

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This colorful salad is perfect for a summer picnic or potluck. It’s packed with healthy ingredients like swiss chard, oranges, and almonds. The orange vinaigrette offers the perfect sweet zip to balance out the slight bitterness of the chard.

Spicy Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

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This salad recipe is perfect if you’re looking for something a little bit different. The spicy Thai flavors are paired with a creamy peanut dressing, making it irresistibly balanced. It’s also secretly vegan.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Corn

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This protein-packed salad is perfect for a quick lunch or as a side dish. The black beans and corn add texture and flavor, while the cumin and lime dressing gives it a Southwest twist.

Arugula Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese

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This salad recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. The strawberries add sweetness, while the goat cheese provides a creamy, salty contrast. The balsamic vinaigrette ties everything together perfectly.

Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint

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This salad recipe is earthy and flavorful, thanks to the beets, feta cheese, and mint leaves. A honeyed balsamic vinegar dressing balances out the bitterness of the yummy beets.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

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This salad recipe is full of Mediterranean flavors like chickpeas, olives, feta cheese, and red onions. It’s perfect for a filling lunch or dinner and is quite punchy. If you’ve got a can of chickpeas in your pantry, you’re halfway there!

Classic Cobb Salad

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This classic American salad recipe contains chopped lettuce, chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, and blue cheese. It’s perfect for a hearty meal. We know it’s not the healthiest salad on this list but we love it all the same.

RELATED: 21 Smoothie and Juice Recipes That Are As Delicious as They Are Nutritious

Thai Chicken Salad

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This salad recipe is full of Thai flavors like papaya, bok choy, and fish sauce. It’s perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner and it sure to please.

Southwest Chicken Salad

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This salad recipe contains chopped romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, avocado, grilled chicken, and a dazzling southwest avocado dressing. To start, you marinate the chicken which puts this salad recipe above others in terms of packing a flavorful punch.

Italian Rucola (Arugula) Salad with Lemon and Parmigiano-Reggiano

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This deceptively simple salad recipe uses a few ingredients to deliver flavor. The classic Italian salad is made with arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, and salty hard cheese. It is best enjoyed with a hunk of bread on the side. This is one of the easiest salad recipes on the list.

Grilled Caesar Salad

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Take your salad to the next level with romaine that’s striped with grill marks. A classic caesar dressing offers that savory, umami flavor bomb that we all know and love. If you’re looking for extra heartiness, consider frying some pancetta to sprinkle over top or, since you already have the grill lit, throw on some chicken breast.

Kale Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing

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Carrot and ginger dressing is a gift and we all should be using it more. This salad is covered in it and also contains crunchy roasted chickpeas, avocado, watermelon radish, and pepitas for even more crunching. Yum!

Panzanella Salad

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This salad recipe is best enjoyed at the height of summer when tomatoes taste their best. They’re the star of the show so find only the highest quality. They are paired with toasted bread, basil, mozzarella, and a simple vinaigrette. You won’t regret this one.

Salade Niçoise with a Twist

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A classic Niçoise salad recipe contains tuna fish, potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives, and capers. This recipe is unique by adding avocado slices, lime-marinated onions, and a spicy serrano cilantro vinaigrette. It’s one of the most elegant things you can prepare with a can of tuna.

Tabbouleh

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This fresh herb and bulgur salad recipe, with tons of parsley, is full of diced cucumber and tomato and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. It’s refreshing and not too heavy.

Spicy Watermelon Salad with Cilantro and Lime

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A humble watermelon is elevated to art in this dynamic salad recipe with a dressing made of cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, olive oil, and chili flakes. Sweet, spicy, crunchy, refreshing, and tangy. Delicious!

The Perfect Spinach Salad

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When in doubt, turn to classic flavor combinations. This spinach salad recipe is not breaking new ground but it is truly perfect. Nutty, sweet, shallot-y, and cheesy flavors all propel protein-packed hardboiled eggs right into your mouth.

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Greek Orzo Salad

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Enjoy this delightful pasta salad that comes together in 25 minutes! Tender orzo is paired with juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and plenty of fresh herbs. Feta and olives add a tangy flavor, while the zesty lemony vinaigrette brings it all together.

With these 25 healthy and hearty salad recipes, you’re sure to find something that fits your tastes, dietary needs, and cooking style. Whether you’re looking for a yummy lunch or an impressive dinner salad, one of these recipes is guaranteed to bring delicious satisfaction to the table. Bon appétit!

For more healthy recipes, keep reading. We’ve got our favorite smoothies to share with you.

Avocado, Basil, Boba, and Lime Smoothie

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Let’s kick things off with an unconventional recipe. This one features avocado, basil, and tapioca pearls (boba) for a creamy, delicious beverage with some zip from lime juice. Incredible! Get the recipe here.

Strawberry, Banana, and Balsamic Vinegar

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Take the classic strawberry and banana combination to the next level with the addition of tangy and fruity balsamic vinegar. As any smoothie enthusiast knows, frozen strawberries are the way to go. Get this delightful recipe here.

Coconut and Raspberry

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This recipe could not be any simpler. Frozen raspberries, coconut flakes, and a milk of your choice are all it takes to make a fruity and refreshing drink. If you’re not using coconut in your smoothies, you’re really missing out! Pro tip: if you’ve got the time to toast your coconut flakes before blending, it takes on an even nuttier and sweet flavor. Get the recipe here.

Batida de Lechosa

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Are you looking for an invigorating beverage best enjoyed on a hot day? Batida de lechosa is a papaya drink that’s a favorite in Dominican Republic. Blend papaya with milk, vanilla extract, lime juice, and zest for a frosty and frothy treat. Get the recipe here.

‘Green Kale Kiss’

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The creator of this recipe refers to it as “Green Kale Kiss.” It’s a yummy one! You are missing out if you don’t have a kale smoothie recipe in your arsenal. Kale blends well into many beverages, and you likely know it’s one of the most nutritious leafy greens to put in your body. Kale, spinach, banana, and pineapple are the stars of the show in it. Get the recipe here.

Tahini and Banana

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Do you love banana nut bread? Who doesn’t!? Bananas, dates, tahini, vanilla, and cinnamon replicate the flavors found in many banana bread recipes. This one is a must-try: creamy, nutty, warm-flavored, and dreamy. Get the recipe here.

Spiced Apple Juice (Apple Tea)

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We’ve got more warming spices headed your way! Many of us enjoy warm apple cider for the holidays, but you can enjoy it year-round and chilled. You can extrude your own apple juice or make it easy on yourself by purchasing store-bought. Apple juice, cinnamon, star anise, and ginger come together on the stove, allowing the juice to pick up all those beautiful spices. Enjoy hot or let it cool and refrigerate to enjoy cold. Get the recipe here.

Acai Berry Goodness

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Acai berries come frozen, or you can use a powder. Either way, it’s very, very good for you. This four-ingredient smoothie combines frozen blueberries, bananas, and coconut water for a vegan-friendly beverage packed with antioxidants. Get the recipe here.

Milk-Free Cacao and Almond

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The Spruce’s “Cacao Almond Bliss Smoothie” is one of our favorites when we’re craving chocolate (which is always). Nut milk, almond butter, raw cacao powder, banana, honey, and cinnamon perfectly harmonize this smoothie that drinks like a milkshake. Get the recipe here.

Paradise in a Glass

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When you feel low and need a zesty pick-me-up, reach for this tropically flavored beverage with banana, strawberry, pineapple, peach, mango, and flax seed for protein. Get the recipe here.

Nutty Tofu and Banana Protein Blast

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Are you looking for a recipe that’s completely packed with protein? This one is perfect to fuel your next workout or get you through your day’s start. Tofu, nut butter, banana, cocoa, and various seeds will get you in gear. Get the recipe here.

Broccoli, Apple, and Spinach

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If you’d like a beverage that’s like the most nutritious salad in a glass, you have to try this recipe that is packed with spinach and broccoli power. A few fruits are added for sweetness, but this recipe’s earthy goodness still shines. Get it here.

Mango and Yogurt Smoothie

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The sweet tartness of mango and the creamy smoothness of yogurt are a match made in heaven. A little honey, a squeeze of lime, and a hint of cinnamon put this one over the top. Get the recipe here.

Balanced Fig and Yogurt Smoothie with Honey

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Figs, a date, honey, yogurt, and lemon juice come together in one of the most balanced recipes on the list. Get the recipe here.

RELATED: Two Smoothie Recipes Jessica Alba Drinks To Help Stay Healthy

Very, Very Berry

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Put a bag of frozen mixed berries to good use in this sweet yet tart recipe. Yogurt adds creaminess and balances the acidity of all the berry goodness. Get the recipe here.

Mint Melon Smoothie

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Mint and watermelon is one of the most beloved flavor pairings. For a refreshing summertime smoothie, try this one with strawberries and a little yogurt for added body. Get the recipe here.

Pina Colada Smoothie with Just Three Ingredients

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This pineapple and coconut milk smoothie is so amazing you might be tempted to dump some rum into it, but let’s keep it healthy, folks. It only takes three ingredients to bring this baby to life. Get the recipe here.

Orange and Cream in the Style of Orange Julius

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Orange and cream really can’t be beaten. If you love those famous Orange Julius smoothies, we’ve got a copycat recipe to share. The secret ingredient? Banana! Get it here.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Reese Witherspoon Drinks This Healthy Green Smoothie Every Day: Here’s How to Make It!

Pear and Kale

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If you’re looking for a smoothie for a healthful reset, let us introduce you to this lovely recipe. Pear, kale, nut butter, and coconut milk will do the trick. Get the recipe here.

Gingered Carrot and Tumeric Juice

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Lemon, ginger, turmeric, pineapple, and carrot come together to create an earthy, sweet juice packed with flavor and nutrition. Get the recipe here.

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