25 Easy Salad Ideas to Make All Year Round

To help you find your way around, I’ve divided my 25 salads into four categories: complete-meal salads, vegetable-based salads, potato salads, and more creative, sweet-and-salty salads.

Complete Meal Salads

1. Lentil, Mint, and Feta Salad

One of my favorite salads when I need a lunch that’s both filling and refreshing. Firm lentils (which you can cook yourself or buy canned to save time), cucumber for crunch, plenty of mint and dill, and feta crumbled by hand. If you cook the lentils yourself, start them in cold water and rinse them as soon as they’re done—that way, they stay firm instead of getting mushy.

2. Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Pesto

I make this whenever the weather is nice, and it’s always a big hit at the dinner table. Al dente penne, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mozzarella balls, and homemade arugula pesto with almonds. Perfect for a barbecue or a buffet.

3. Rice Salad with Tuna, Corn, and Tomatoes

A classic dish that I often prepare in advance for my lunchboxes. Fluffy, loose-grained rice (use basmati or Thai rice, not short-grain rice that sticks together), tuna, corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper for some crunch. The only pitfall is not seasoning it enough: the rice tends to “soak up” the dressing, so don’t hesitate to add a little lemon juice and olive oil before serving.

4. Quinoa Salad with Mint and Lime

I love this salad because it’s pretty light and has a slightly tangy flavor. Be sure to rinse the quinoa well before cooking to remove any bitterness. It’s perfect for meal prep or for sharing.

5. Kale, Lentil, and Avocado Salad

This is a salad I love to make in the winter, when kale is in season! I use fairly firm lentils (like Beluga or Puy lentils), kale that I sauté for just 5 minutes in a pan to tenderize it, toasted pecans, a little feta, and—most importantly—I serve it with nice slices of creamy avocado.

6. Fresh Salmon Salad

Perfect when I’m in the mood for something fresh and hassle-free. I bake the salmon in the oven for about 15 minutes, let it cool, then flake it over cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and avocado. I add the avocado and the lemon vinaigrette right at the end. A light, well-rounded meal—perfect for summer.

7. Tuna and Tomato Salad (Spanish recipe)

I discovered it on a trip to Seville, Spain, and I’ve been making it all summer ever since. Large, ripe tomatoes, good-quality canned tuna, red onion, capers, a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar—that’s it. The secret is to let it sit for a quarter of an hour at room temperature before serving, just long enough for the tomatoes to release their juices. Serve with some nice, crusty bread for mopping up the juices.

8. Chickpea and Broccoli Salad with Tahini Dressing

I love the combination of chickpeas and broccoli, especially with this creamy tahini-lemon sauce. I just blanch the broccoli so it stays crisp, roast the chickpeas in the oven for a few minutes with smoked paprika to make them crispy, and add a few dried apricots for a touch of sweetness. With the toasted almonds and fresh herbs, it’s simple but full of flavor—I make this dish all the time in the spring.

9. White Bean and Tuna Salad

The kind of salad I make when I want a complete meal without spending time in the kitchen: it all comes together raw in 10 minutes. Canned white beans, tuna, cucumber, red onion, the zest and juice of a lemon, and olive oil. The key is not to forget the fresh herbs—dill and parsley. Serve it with some toasted bread.

10. Niçoise Salad (with green beans)

Auguste Escoffier’s version of the traditional Niçoise salad, with green beans and potatoes that make it a well-rounded dish. I roast the potatoes in the oven instead of boiling them—they have more flavor—and I blanch the green beans so they stay crisp. Tuna, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, Nice olives, and capers, with a mustard vinaigrette. A real summer meal.

11. French-Style Tabbouleh (Taboulé)

The ultimate summer classic! I make it the day before for picnics: fine couscous, lots of fresh herbs, tomatoes, and a generous squeeze of lemon. By letting it sit overnight in the fridge, the couscous really soaks up the flavor of the lemon and herbs. Simple, fresh, and always devoured down to the last grain.

Vegetable-based salads

12. Grilled Zucchini, Feta, and Mint Salad

My favorite summer salad! I slice the zucchini into thin strips, then grill them for one minute on each side in a skillet. I serve them with a little arugula, feta, pine nuts, mint, basil, and a bit of lemon zest. It’s fresh and flavorful—perfect as a side dish for grilled meats!

13. Grated Carrot Salad with Lemon and Cumin

A classic from my childhood that I make all year round. Very finely grated carrots, cumin, lemon, and raisins for a touch of sweetness. I let it sit for ten minutes before serving, to give the carrots time to soak up the dressing. It goes well with just about anything: a quiche, white meats, or a cheese platter.

14. Melon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad

One of my favorite sweet-and-savory salads when the warm weather arrives. All you need is a nice, ripe Charentais melon, some diced cucumber, feta, basil, mint, and a squeeze of lime. It’s ready in 5 minutes and perfect for a barbecue.

15. Cucumber Salad with Cream

A fresh and creamy salad, ready in just 5 minutes. I let the cucumber sit in salt for a quarter of an hour to draw out the water so it stays crisp and doesn’t release too much liquid into the dressing. Then, I add crème fraîche, red onion, dill, and a little lemon juice. Let it chill for an hour, and it’ll taste even better—perfect with fish.

19. Pointed Red Cabbage and Feta Salad

One of my favorite salads to serve alongside a slightly rich dish in the winter. I always start by chopping my red cabbage, then I massage it for five minutes with oil, lemon juice, and salt to tenderize it. Next, I add carrots, feta, a dash of balsamic vinegar, and parsley. Simple but delicious!

17. Fennel, Apple, and Burrata Salad

A fresh and slightly fancy appetizer that I always make whenever I have guests. I slice the crisp fennel and Granny Smith apple very thinly using a mandoline. Then, I let them marinate for a few minutes with lemon, salt, olive oil, and mint. Just before serving, I add a nice, creamy ball of burrata and some crushed pistachios.

18. Pea, Mint, and Feta Salad

When fresh green peas are in season in the spring, I can’t resist them. I blanch them for a few minutes, then plunge them into ice water to keep them green and crisp, along with raw snow peas, radishes, arugula, feta, and pistachios. A vinaigrette made with lemon, mustard, and honey really brings the whole dish to life. It’s light and full of freshness.

19. Leeks with vinaigrette

A bistro-style appetizer that I love, summer or winter. My version: I brown the leeks for a minute in olive oil before boiling them—it gives them a slight toasted flavor. A zesty vinaigrette with mustard and shallots, a chopped egg mimosa-style, and roasted hazelnuts on top. So simple and so delicious.

Potato Salads

20. Alsatian Potato Salad

If you’ve never tried adding white wine and chicken broth to your potato salad, you’re in for a surprise! While they’re still warm, the potatoes first soak up the white wine and chicken stock—they become creamy without a drop of cream. Then, red onion, parsley, chives, and a mustard vinaigrette. I serve it warm with grilled meats in the summer.

21. Potato and Green Bean Salad

I make this dish very often for barbecues and picnics. I cook the green beans with the potatoes in the same pot, and I pour the potatoes—while they’re still hot—into the mustard vinaigrette so they soak it up well. If you prepare this ahead of time, set aside half the dressing for serving, since the potatoes tend to “soak up” the dressing.

Creative and Sweet-and-Salty Salads

22. Fig and Fresh Goat Cheese Salad

Figs, fresh goat cheese, and walnuts… just thinking about it makes me want to make another one. On a bed of arugula and lamb’s lettuce, with dry-roasted walnuts for extra flavor, red onion, and a little thyme. I serve it with a fig vinegar vinaigrette that plays on the sweet-and-tart balance. It’s simple and elegant—perfect as a fall appetizer.

23. Panzanella with Peaches and Burrata

A salad I often make in the summer. Some juicy heirloom tomatoes, ripe peaches, a creamy burrata and some croutons to add some crunch. I toss the bread and tomatoes with the vinaigrette and let it sit for ten minutes: the bread soaks up the juices—that’s the whole point.

24. Tomato Carpaccio with Pickled Mustard Seeds

Very easy to make, but incredibly chic on the plate. I slice the tomatoes very thinly so they soak up the vinaigrette well, and I sprinkle them with “mustard caviar”—pickled mustard seeds that are sweet and tangy. Red onion, parsley, a little fleur de sel, and a drizzle of olive oil. I serve it as an appetizer with some good bread.

25. Pink Caesar Salad

My colorful, French-style take on the Caesar salad. The pink color comes from Rosa del Veneto radicchio, which is milder than red radicchio, as well as red endives and red currants. I kept the Caesar dressing light by replacing a good portion of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt. Add some crispy croutons and Parmesan shavings, and it always makes a great impression when I have guests over.

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