7 Summer Salads Everyone Will Love

With summer comes sweltering temps and high humidity — hardly the weather for soup or casserole. Instead, the season of swimming pools and slip ‘n slides inspires lighter, less rib-sticking food. Salads, for example.

And while the myth that vegans eat nothing but salad is totally false (have you tried our mac and cheeses?) — everyone loves a fresh, crisp bowlful of garden-grown deliciousness on a summer day.

So, we’ve handpicked these simple, extra delicious summer salads — easy to whip up, and perfect for any eater. Here’s to summer days and friends with swimming pools:

Rainbow Kelp Noodle Salad with Lemon Ginger Almond Dressing
Kelp noodles are a salad addition jam-packed with nutrients and a satisfying, crunchy texture. Combined with a lemony ginger dressing, mango, white miso and other delightful add-ins, this is a colorful, fresh seasonal treat from Keepin’ it Kind.

Thai Peanut Kale Salad with Crispy Tofu
Given its nutrient-dense nature, kale is pretty much the perfect vegetable. This recipe from VeganYumminess.com pairs the leafy green with familiar Thai flavors — peanut, cilantro, soy sauce — plus carrots, red bell pepper, and tofu. The end result is a healthy, satisfying salad that’ll appeal to almost everyone.

Southwestern Salad with Black Bean Falafel
Southwestern salads are the perfect entree for skeptical salad eaters. They’re creamy, satisfying, and full of flavor, so no one will walk away hungry. This version from One Green Planet uses a baked black bean falafel, plus cumin, cilantro, jalapeno, corn, and lots of other goodies.

Vegan Cobb Salad
Vegan or not, sometimes you’re just in the mood for those familiar flavors. And the cobb is one old-school salad you’re probably used to. The recipe from SimpleVeganBlog.com uses beans instead of the traditional chicken, cashews instead of cheese, corn instead of egg and tempeh bacon instead of the porcine kind.

Egg-Free Potato Salad
Salad isn’t always about lettuce and greens; what summer picnic is complete without potato salad? Try our super simple, egg-freeTryVeg.com version! It’s easy, creamy, and totally delicious — perfect for a summer picnic, potluck, or barbeque.

Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is always a winner, and this unique version from Oh She Glows pairs familiar flavors with new twists — including chickpea croutons. Topped with a cashew-based, creamy dressing, the salad features kale, romaine, nut and seed “parmesan cheese” — and plenty of other spectacular add-ins.

Vegan Seafood Salad
Summer is seafood season, but for those of us leaving fish off our dish, there are plenty of ways to recreate familiar flavors. This vegan seafood salad from Sinfully Nutritious starts with hearts of palm, which offer a crab meat-esque texture. Vegan mayo, Old Bay seasoning, dill, dijon, and lots of traditional veggies makes it taste just like the seafood salads you’re used to — all while leaving the oceans alone.