Our collection of substantial main-course salads are quick to prepare and delicious -- perfect for busy weeknight dinners.

It's easy to love a salad packed with such familiar ingredients as turkey breast, avocado, and Monterey Jack cheese -- and even easier with no-fuss buttermilk dressing.

Here's a salad that, with its hearty chicken cutlets served next to crunchy blanched green beans, holds its own against any three-course meal.

What do you do with leftover steak? Why not make a beautiful, good-for-you salad with it? Everyday Food editor Sarah Carey shows you how to compose a springy steak salad that's lovely enough for company.

We've given the classic Caesar a down-home spin with homemade multigrain croutons and a buttermilk dressing used twice: once to marinade chicken breasts, then tossed with the salad.

Mushrooms broiled till tender add a savory touch to this salad of spinach and quinoa; crumbled feta adds a salty, creamy touch to the dish.

Our mixture of skillet-fried ground turkey, zucchini, bell pepper, and green salsa would be perfect for tacos -- but serve on a bed of lettuce and tortilla chips for a slightly lighter approach without sacrificing flavor.

Salmon's a great go-to fish for leafy salads, boldly flavored but still mild enough to pair with other ingredients like goat cheese, pecans, and tomatoes.

Pick up some rotisserie chicken to cut down on the cook time for this leafy salad of spinach and thin-sliced zucchini dressed with lemon juice, pecans, Parmesan, and mint.

There's always something yummy on your fork in a good chopped salad like this one, which combines chile-rubbed pork, romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, corn, cheese, and a garlicky buttermilk dressing.

The classic steak and salad comes alive with a few easy, Latin-inspired twists like a fiery spice rub for the meat and a simple dressing of vinegar and store-bought salsa for the arugula.

Here's a salad that delivers a feisty protein kick from shredded chicken and black beans, and a little fire from ground cumin and a minced jalapeno.

Aromatic cumin, lemon, and scallions add Middle Eastern allure to this vegetarian salad. Chickpeas and whole-wheat couscous provide complete protein.

We use light mayonnaise and low-fat buttermilk in our blue cheese dressing, omitting the egg yolks to cut down on fat and calories in our version of this diner classic.

Once you've used our method to poach fillets of salmon, you'll never use another. The end result is creamy and supple, perfect for pairing with bold ingredients like the capers, parsley, and red onion in this salad.

Feel free to substitute pork or beef for the chicken in this recipe; our Asian dressing will add a sweet and spicy spin to any meat you like.

Watch as Lucinda Scala Quinn uses a supermarket staple for our version of the favorite French salad.

Feel a little better about getting a chicken and bacon fix. Crumbled bacon stretches the smoky flavor further than whole slices might, while light mayonnaise and crisp veggies add fiber without adding carbs.

Dust shrimp with cumin, coriander, and oregano to give the skin a nicely spiced crust, then serve with a crunchy salad of hearts of palm and sliced cucumbers.

Soba noodles have a light, bready texture that compliment crisp veggies like cucumbers and bell peppers, and sauces like our marinade of sesame oil, lime juice, and vinegar.

There's a secret ingredient in this salad of leafy spinach, thick ham, and hard-boiled eggs: thin-sliced radishes, which add a peppery crunch to every bite.

White beans are a great source of fiber and protein. Their mild, creamy flavor is a perfect match for bolder meats, like these shrimp fried in bacon grease.

Cherries aren't only for jams and pies -- these juicy, ruby-red summer beauties are ripe for the picking in this refreshing salad of Boston lettuce, goat cheese, walnuts, and sliced chicken.

Water-packed artichokes, rather than oil-packed ones, will have a lighter flavor profile, giving you more control of the overall flavor of this mixed salad of pasta, greens, and beans.

We created this recipe with the busiest cooks in mind. Prep the meat, lettuce, and dressing early in the day, then assemble in the kitchen, or at the table, when it's time.

We created this recipe with the busiest cooks in mind. Prep the meat, lettuce, and dressing early in the day, then assemble in the kitchen, or at the table, when it's time.

Chunks of mango and a dressing that incorporates Major Grey's mango chutney give this salad a distinctive orange hue, contrasting wonderfully with the bed of baby spinach.

The pasta water does double-duty here, boiling the noodles and then cooking the shrimp before both are tossed with cucumber, dill, and a lemony vinaigrette.

We've pared down the traditional Chicken Cobb salad to what are arguably its main components -- greens, egg, bacon, poultry, and blue cheese -- and then taken it even one step further, using turkey bacon to cover two of those requirements.

An entire rotisserie chicken goes into this salad, but with so many other ingredients -- romaine, cabbage, bell peppers, cashews, cilantro -- it doesn't seem out of balance at all.

Feta and white beans provide plenty of protein in this main-course salad. If you don't have white-wine vinegar, you can substitute red-wine or balsamic vinegar.

Chunks of broiled salmon and crisp cabbage are tossed with an Asian-style dressing of sesame oil, honey, and rice vinegar in this colorful recipe sent in my reader Marc Glomb of San Francisco.

The dressing for a Caesar salad traditionally includes anchovies -- and this one is no exception. You can omit them if you like, but their flavor is more subtle than you may think, so why not give them a try?

There's no reason why the boldly sour flavors of pink grapefruit should be consigned to breakfast. Break them free with a combination of spinach, supple shrimp, and a mustardy vinaigrette.

The crispness of the romaine lettuce and radishes contrasts nicely with the smooth richness of the ripe avocado slices and the saltiness of the tuna.

Not every steak entree can boast as much vitamin C as this one, with orange segments mingling with strip steak, red onions, and romaine lettuce in an OJ-based vinaigrette.

As our readers have noted, there's nothing to stop you from grilling the corn alongside the chicken to make this vibrant arugula salad.

Watch as Everyday Food editor Sarah Carey makes a light Caesar salad with flavorful, zesty shrimp.

Watch as Martha and Sarah Carey prepare a quick chicken recipe with a light watercress salad.

Broiling the steak, rather than pan-frying or grilling it, leaves you free to blanch the green beans at the same time, cutting your cooking time to just 30 minutes.

Here's a quick and tasty pasta salad that's perfect for when gluten-free guests come over: soba noodles, red cabbage, shredded chicken, and scallions, tossed in a gluten-free soy-based sauce.

We like to heat white beans a touch before combining with the other, more pungent ingredients in this recipe, like tuna and olives. It helps to marry the flavors, and makes the end result smoother and a little creamier.

Toasted pistachios and spiced chicken elevate this winter salad to a special main course; salty feta complements the sweet oranges.

Baked corn tortillas provide the perfect crunchy platform on which to serve melted cheese, crisp lettuce, creamy avocados, and tender rotisserie chicken. (Perfect for when you've got leftover breast meat in the fridge, too!)

The undisputed star of this rodeo is the vinaigrette, a potent combination of chipotle chiles, lime juice, honey, and juices from the cooked skirt steak.

Here's a dish that blurs the line between salad and stir-fry: sesame-crusted chicken and bok choy tossed in a tart ginger-soy vinaigrette and served on a bed of cucumbers.

Sometimes a surprising vinaigrette is all it takes to make a simple salad something special. This one, with lime zest, honey, minced chiles, and finely chopped pineapple, will certainly get tongues wagging.

Chopped veggies, crumbled feta, and a can of chickpeas are tossed with a red onion vinaigrette in a meatless salad so nourishing, we've repurposed the same ingredients to make a hearty sandwich as well.

Here's a meatless take on the taco salad that we've created with the harried shopper in mind. Most of the ingredients, like canned beans, frozen corn, and baked tortilla chips, are readily available year-round in grocery stores.

One of breakfast's reigning combinations is served here in slightly different fashion on a crunchy salad of radicchio, red onions, and tomatoes that perfectly counters the chewy, intense appeal of skirt steak and hard-cooked eggs.

Sauteed shrimp and strips of romaine lettuce get a crisp, creamy blast of lime, buttermilk, and avocado in this summery salad, while toasted pepitas -- pumpkin seeds -- add an earthy crunch to every bite.

Soba noodles are Japanese in origin, but don't let that stop you from pairing them with non-Asian ingredients like feta cheese.

Don't worry about leftovers; with just a few adjustments, the tender steak and grilled onions that form the heart of this salad double the next day as the basis of a yummy sandwich.

Add your own distinctive touch to this soothing salad of arugula, tomatoes, rotisserie chicken, and white rice by using your favorite herbs in the dressing. Parsley and cilantro? Thyme and sage? It's up to you.

This crisp salad gets its summery flavor from a slightly sweet vinaigrette speckled with poppy seeds. It's delicious on its own or stuffed into a pita.

Here's a dish that should appeal to fans of chili powder. The earthy spice makes two appearances here: once on the crust of the pork and once in the vinaigrette, mixed with honey and lime juice.

There's lots going on in this dish, but tomatoes, shiny with oil, are probably the stars here. Both green beans and chickpeas are high in protein, making this an excellent main-course option for vegetarians.

Toss some of your favorite antipasto items with a small twisty pasta like campanelle to create a fun and satisfying dish. We chose salami, olives, and mozzarella; what will you choose?

Serve your family a full-flavored steak-and-potatoes dinner without worrying whether there will be room for dessert. Shaved Parmesan and a thin vinaigrette of lemon juice and oil is all you need to marry the bold flavors.

With their robust flavor, lamb chops often benefit from a sweet counterpoint. This salad is no exception, with crunchy sliced pears providing a lovely foil to the gamy meat.

We've added a number of Asian-inspired touches that set this colorful and aromatic salad apart, including ginger, edamame, and sesame oil.

Supermarket rotisserie chicken comes together with sweet grapes and savory bacon in a fast, fresh dinner. Shred or slice the leftover meat and use in a sandwich, quesadilla, or pasta dish for another quick meal.

You could say there are two dressings for this salad: a mixture of oil, lime juice, and cilantro for the lettuce, and a quick saute of onions, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and oil for the shrimp.