Celebrate the sweetest tomatoes, juiciest peaches, most refreshing cucumbers, spiciest radishes and more with this collection of our best summer salad recipes! Filled with bright and breezy Mediterranean flavors, you’ll be making these summer salads all season long.
This collection of refreshing summer salad recipes rewards those with patience. The height of summer celebrates colorful fruits and vegetables when flavor is at its finest. When everything has ripened to perfection, it’s time to make the juiciest Peach Salad, crispest Cucumber Salad, or sweetest Charred Corn and Grilled Romaine Salad. We have delicious summer salads for every occasion, from easy weeknight dinners to backyard BBQs and more!
One reason the Mediterranean Diet has worked for thousands of years is that we eat with the seasons—it’s not even something we think about but rather just part of our DNA! In fact, it’s one of three major principles I talk about in my first cookbook.
Wait for summer’s fruits and vegetables to shine and you don’t need extra “stuff” or hours in the kitchen. You can make a fresh, healthy meal filled with color and flavor with just a handful of simple ingredients.
Juicy Summer Fruit Salads
Sweet, savory, and packed with nutritious fruits and veggies, these juicy summer salads are a refreshing treat on a scorching day. Additions like arugula, feta, and goat cheese balance the fruit’s natural sweetness, making these recipes perfect for a light lunch or appetizer. Particularly with grilled meats like Mediterranean Chicken Thighs and Skirt Steak.
Peach Salad with Arugula, Basil, and Goat Cheese
Sweet, tangy, and creamy, this stone fruit salad tastes like Italian summer on a platter. I like to make it during the peak summer months when peaches are at their juiciest and fresh basil is abundant. It’s best served as a light lunch or side dish, paired with something spicy like Grilled Harissa Chicken and chilled Tomato Gazpacho.
Watermelon Salad with Feta, Cucumber, and Mint
This sweet and salty watermelon salad with feta cheese and a zesty honey lime dressing is one of my favorites! Juicy, hydrating watermelon, cooling cucumber, and fresh mint make this salad super refreshing on a hot day. Serve with Grilled Pork Souvlaki and a glass of White Sangria to quench your thirst.
Summer Berry Salad Recipe with Arugula and Burrata
Quick and easy 5-minute triple-berry salad with blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. The berries are tossed with peppery arugula and thinly sliced red onions to balance their sweetness and add texture. There’s no need for a complicated dressing because creamy burrata cheese adds a touch of indulgence.
Cucumber and Tomato Salads
Very few foods taste more like summer than cucumbers and tomatoes. In fact, the classic cucumber tomato salad, also known as salata where I grew up in Egypt, is a staple in the Mediterranean Diet because of its refreshing flavor and simplicity. Both cucumbers and tomatoes play well with Mediterranean flavors, including feta cheese and Kalamata olives. And, they’re easy to prepare, allowing you to get a fresh vegetable starter on the table in just a few minutes.
Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad
With this summer salad, you can put every garden-fresh tomato and cucumber to good use! Season simply with salt and fresh parsley, or add Mediterranean flair with sumac, red onions, and feta cheese. I eat this quintessential Mediterranean salad on its own but I also use it to dress up other recipes. Add it to pita sandwiches, Chicken Gyro Bowls, or Lahmacun—you really can’t go wrong.
Cucumber Radish Salad
Perfect for picnics and potlucks, this cucumber and radish salad is made in just 20 minutes and serves up to 6 people. Crisp cucumbers, celery, and radishes form the base of this lettuce-free salad, and fresh dill, chives, and mint give it fresh, herby, bright flavors. It’s particularly satisfying on a hot summer night alongside Grilled Salmon Burgers or Grilled Chicken Kabobs.
Caprese Salad
This classic summer salad celebrates the colors of the Italian flag while celebrating summer tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella cheese. The whole thing comes together in minutes and is finished with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The oil is part of the flavor profile of this recipe so make sure it’s a good one. Our Italian Nocellara olive oil is one of my favorites for dressing this salad.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Light, creamy, and nourishing, this extra-cooling cucumber salad uses protein-packed Greek yogurt, which adds a good tang and protein boost. The cucumbers provide cooling relief on a sweltering summer day, along with a crunchy texture and delicate, clean flavor. Take advantage of its cooling nature, and serve this summer salad with a spicy entrée, like Grilled Harissa Chicken Legs.
Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad
This no-fuss side dish is made in just 15 minutes using only 3 main ingredients and a handful of pantry staples. Sweet, sun-ripened cherry tomatoes are tossed with salty, briny olives and soaked in olive oil, lime, and garlic marinade, creating an absolute flavor explosion in every bite! Pair this refreshing tomato salad with a protein like Grilled Shish Tawook to make it a meal!
Simple Heirloom Tomato Salad with Dukkah
I become obsessed with this simple heirloom tomato salad when raw tomatoes are at peak freshness! Tomatoes are the star of the show here, seasoned with a spicy, garlic lemon dressing and Homemade Dukkah. Dukkah is an Egyptian condiment made in just 10 minutes using nuts, seeds, and a few warming spices–make a big batch to use as a dip for bread, crunchy salad topping, to coat Roasted Rainbow Carrots, the list goes on!
Mediterranean Tomato Feta Salad
Make this summer salad if you have a garden bursting with plump, ripe tomatoes that are just begging to be picked or a particularly good grocery store haul. Sweet, vine-ripened tomatoes are sliced and tossed with aromatic herbs, creamy feta cheese, and sumac for a zesty, lemony flavor. Pair tomato and feta salad with a light, summery grilled fish, like grilled salmon or grilled cod.
Panzanella Salad (Bread and Tomato Salad)
This classic Tuscan bread salad uses crusty, rustic Italian bread (like ciabatta, and day-old works great), plump, ripe tomatoes, shallots, and fresh basil for flavor. Everything gets tossed in a tangy, red wine vinegar and Dijon dressing, and then left to soak for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. I like to add a bit of fresh mozzarella and serve it on BBQ night, with Grilled Salmon Kabobs and Stuffed Zucchini Boats.
Summer Salad Recipes with Green Beans, Corn, and Peppers
From raw vegetable salads to charred romaine salad, summer cooking is all about finding new and flavorful ways to prepare an abundance of fresh produce. A crisp, no-cook vegetable salad hits the spot when temperatures are soaring, but a cooked green bean salad can be satisfying as well. Take a look at these healthy, fresh vegetable salads that are simple to make, yet full of big, bold, Mediterranean flavors!
Bell Pepper Salad with Mini Sweet Peppers
The sweet meets savory flavor of this 10-minute, crunchy bell pepper salad is impossible to resist! Not only does it come together in mere minutes, but its flavor intensifies as it sits, making it an ideal make-ahead recipe. Fresh dill and sumac deliver bright, Mediterranean flavors, and garlic, scallions, and olives provide a savory element. Serve this salad in late summer when bell peppers are at their prime, alongside Grilled Lamb Chops and slices of Grilled Watermelon for dessert!
Greek Green Bean Salad
This seriously easy green bean salad features slightly sweet, tender green beans tossed in a garlic lemon dressing. A topping of crumbled feta and chopped olives brings a salty, briny flavor, and the feta is the finishing touch. It’s simple, and a crowd favorite at my house.
Grilled Romaine Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, and Tahini
After a few minutes on the grill, the romaine’s outer leaves develop a slightly smoky, sweet, and charred flavor, while the inner core remains crisp. Then, the grilled romaine is topped with blistered corn, grape tomatoes, and a deliciously nutty Tahini Dressing. This salad is the real showstopper, so serve it with a simple main, like Mediterranean Grilled Swordfish.
Fresh Grilled Corn Salad
Light up your grill and char a few ears of freshly picked sweet corn. Then, shave the corn off the cob and toss it into a delicious summer salad! This salad is boldly flavored with ginger, garlic, dill, cilantro, and cumin, and drizzled with a simple blend of olive oil and red wine vinegar. It’s ideal for picnics or cookouts because its flavor intensifies as it sits! Serve grilled corn salad with Grilled Chicken Wings and a big pitcher of Watermelon Sangria.
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