30+ Hearty, Fresh Salads for Dinner

This collection of the best fresh vegetable salads will have your mouth watering and wanting to prepare them for dinner tonight.

by Sabrina Snyder

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3 image collage of finished salad recipes - Chinese chicken, Chickpea, and Steak

These aren’t just your run-of-the-mill dinner starter, but hearty meal-worthy salads made with exciting ingredients and dressings that keep you coming back for more. From seasonal toppings over mixed greens to chopped veggies with whole grains to classic recipes made well, every recipe just bursts with flavor, color and wholesome goodness! Whether you’re looking for a recipe with familiar ingredients or to try something new, you’re sure to find a salad that will satisfy your tastebuds and feel healthy at the same time.

Hearty Salad Ideas

Fresh, filling and flavorful!

Classic Main Dish Salads

These familiar salads are ones you know and love, made all that more delicious with homemade dressings!

All salad ingredients in bowl before tossing
Southwest Salad Recipe
Easy Southwest Salad recipe is loaded with tasty toppings and topped creamy avocado cilantro dressing. This might be your new favorite salad!
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Cobb Salad on serving plate with dressing
Cobb Salad
Cobb Salad is the perfect refreshing lunch with crunchy lettuce, creamy avocados, and it has plenty of protein with chicken breast, bacon, and boiled eggs.
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Green salad with sliced chicken breast on top, on dinner plate.
Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
Chinese Chicken Salad is easily made with pan-seared chicken, tossed in a nutty vinaigrette, served on a fresh bed of greens and vegetables.
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Grilled chicken salad on serving plate.
Grilled Chicken Salad
Grilled Chicken Salad makes the perfect lunch or side dish with flavorful chicken tossed with fresh veggies, blue cheese, and dressing.
Bowl of salad next to platter of salad
Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe
Classic Chicken Caesar Salad is a tasty version making your own chicken and creamy dressing! Perfect as a light side to your pasta! Try soon!
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Lettuce salad with tomato, onion, and croutons.
Italian Salad
Italian Salad is a delicious and refreshing dish that's crisp and light with fresh veggies tossed in a tangy, homemade vinaigrette dressing.
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Stand Out Salad Recipes

Take your salad game to the next level with one of these fancy, elevated, and downright exciting options.

green veggies, cheese, onions, tomatoes, and cooked beef on a plate with dressing on the side in a bowl
Steak Salad Recipe
This Steak Salad is a fresh, hearty, satisfying, and bold-flavored steakhouse-style favorite. Try making today!
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island salad with dressing on side
Tropical Luau Macadamia Chicken Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette Recipe
Light and refreshing, this Tropical Luau Macadamia Chicken Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette is a total island escape in a crunchy salad form.
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Asian salad in serving bowl 1x1
Asian Chicken Salad with Sesame Peanut Dressing Recipe
Asian Chicken Salad with Sesame Peanut Dressing is an easy recipe with veggies, crunchy peanuts, chicken, and an Asian spicy peanut dressing.
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Finished green salad with turkey and cranberries
Cranberry Harvest Turkey Salad Recipe
Cranberry Harvest Turkey Salad is a vibrant salad that's sweet, tangy, and perfect for a festive meal or made from holiday leftovers!
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green veggies, berries, onions, chicken, and cheese salad in a white bowl
Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe
Strawberry Spinach Salad is a fresh and flavorful dish balancing sweet and savory flavors! Made with zesty dressing and perfect for lunch!
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Thai Salad on serving tray 1x1
Thai Beef Salad Recipe
Thai Beef Salad is a tangy, slightly spicy salad with plenty of flavorful veggies and tender steak. Topped with zesty dressing, try it today!
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sliced pear salad with walnuts and cheese crumbles
Winter Pear Salad
Winter Pear Salad with a tangy and sweet balsamic dressing is the perfect addition to your holiday meal with sliced pears, cheese, cranberries, and walnuts.
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Fresh salad on a large serving dish.
Burrata Salad Recipe
Burrata Salad is a fresh Italian dish that captures all the textures and flavors, with creamy, crisp, bright, and tangy, all on one plate.
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Salad on plate with creamy dressing and chicken.
Green Goddess Salad Recipe
Green Goddess Salad is a crisp and creamy, freshly flavored salad that comes together quickly for a satisfying meal.
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Fiber Filled Salads

Hit your daily fiber goals with these healthy salads loaded with wholesome grains, hearty legumes, and root veggies!

Bowl of greens and ingredients in a wooden bowl
Beet Salad Recipe
This Beet Salad is a fresh, colorful dish with an earthy flavor, vibrant appearance, and has a sweet and savory taste that the family enjoy!
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Chickpea Salad being mixed
Chickpea Salad
Chickpea Salad is the perfect fresh and healthy dish with a homemade red wine vinaigrette over chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, and onions. 
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Farro salad on plate with fork and spoon.
Farro Salad
Farro Salad makes a flavorful and healthy dish with fluffy, savory farro, fresh arugula, crisp apples, cheese, and homemade dressing.
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Dressed couscous and vegetables on plate with fork.
Couscous Salad Recipe
Couscous Salad is a flavorful Mediterranean salad with a lemony vinaigrette, and bright and bold flavors to bring this dish full circle.
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Chickpea Tex Mex Salad made with crispy seasoned chickpeas, avocados, olives, corn and a greek yogurt salsa in less than 20 minutes.
Chickpea Tex-Mex Salad
Chickpea Tex-Mex Salad made with crispy seasoned chickpeas, avocados, olives, corn and a greek yogurt salsa in less than 20 minutes.  Pairs perfectly with Pure Leaf® Sweet Iced Tea.
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Pomegranate Quinoa Salad with Tea Vinaigrette with crunchy hazelnuts, creamy goat cheese and fluffy quinoa is a delicious and healthy lunch option you'll love.
Pomegranate Quinoa Salad with Tea Vinaigrette
Pomegranate Quinoa Salad with Tea Vinaigrette with crunchy hazelnuts, creamy goat cheese and fluffy quinoa is a delicious lunch option you’ll love.  Pairs perfectly with Pure Leaf® Pomegranate Flavor Iced Tea.
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Taco and Burger Salads

Skip the tortillas and buns with these delicious beefy salads that let you have all the goodness of takeout in a healthier way!

Taco Salad Recipe
Taco Salad is the perfect quick and easy weeknight meal. The kids will want to help make it and actually eat it with chips on top!
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Big Mac Salad in bowl
Big Mac Salad
Big Mac Salad is a healthier twist on fast food! Easy cheeseburger salad with homemade croutons and copycat McDonald's Special Sauce!
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Assembled Taco Salad in bowl with lettuce, black beans, seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, avocado, and dressing.
Beef Taco Salad Recipe
Taco Salad is a quick, easy, and delicious salad. Romaine lettuce with your favorite personalized toppings. Perfect for the whole family!
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Salads without Lettuce

These salads have all of the crunchy veggies you love without all that pesky lettuce getting in the way. Perfect for picnics!

salad thats chopped ready to serve
Chopped Salad Recipe
Finely chopped and perfectly balanced, this salad delivers a mix of textures and flavors that make every forkful beyond irresistible. Try it!
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Israeli salad on serving plate with large spoon.
Israeli Salad
Israeli Salad is the perfect refreshing blend of veggies with Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, lemon juice, and fresh mint.
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Dinner plate with salad.
Green Bean Salad Recipe
Green Bean Salad is a crisp and tender salad, layered with texture, colorful to the eye, and tossed in a citrusy dressing.
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Easy Greek Salad with cucumbers, grape tomatoes, feta cheese and kalamata olives with a lemony red wine vinaigrette dressing in just five minutes.
Easy Greek Salad
Easy Greek Salad with cucumbers, grape tomatoes, feta cheese and kalamata olives with a lemony red wine vinaigrette dressing in just five minutes.
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Cucumber Tomato side salad on a white plate
Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
Cucumber Tomato Salad with a quick and easy dill vinaigrette in just 10 minutes is the perfect side salad full of fresh summer vegetables.
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Recreate you favorite restaurant salads with these easy, delicious spot on recipes. Note – my Olive Garden Dressing recipe includes how to build the full salad at the bottom of the post.

Salad ingredients on a plate
Cheesecake Factory Luau Salad (Copycat) Recipe
Cheesecake Factory Luau Salad with an Asian Balsamic Vinaigrette, crunchy wonton sheets, vegetables and macadamia nuts, this recipe is a perfect copycat!
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Salad from above with fruits, nuts, cheese, and chicken
Chick-fil-A Market Salad Recipe
Copycat Chick-fil-A Market Salad topped with sliced chicken, blue cheese, apples, berries, granola, walnuts and apple cider vinegar dressing.
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Dressed salad in white bowl
Costco Chinese Style Salad Kit (Copycat) Recipe
Bring all the bold, crunchy, craveable flavors of Costco's Chinese-Style Salad Kit to your kitchen without the over $10 price tag!
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Cobb Salad with grilled chicken, bacon, eggs, gorgonzola, and more, topped with Vinaigrette dressing.
Cosi Cobb Salad with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette (Copycat) Recipe
Enjoy the vibrant flavors of the Cosi Cobb Salad, perfect for a filling meal. It is a crowd-pleaser with excellent flavors. Try this today!
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Bowl of salad dressing next to salad
Olive Garden Italian Salad Dressing (Copycat) Recipe
Olive Garden Italian Salad Dressing (Copycat) tastes exactly like the zesty, flavorful restaurant version we all love so much. Try today!
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If you’re going for the soup-and-salad combo meal and you need some ideas, try my creamy and delicious Soup Recipes. For more healthy meal inspiration, be sure to check out my Lunch Bowl Ideas collection.

3 image collage of Chinese chicken salad, chickpea salad, and steak salad recipes

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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