20 Quick Side Salad Recipes for Any Occasion

Make this 20-minute salad in the winter when you need something crisp and bright for the table. The vegetables are tossed with fresh parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese.

Fancy a healthier version of the classic cocktail? Whip up this colorful salad made with heirloom tomatoes and garnish with celery seeds, caraway seeds, and freshly grated horseradish. It takes just 15 minutes to assemble from start to finish.

Looking for a new way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet? This crispy, crunchy salad will become your new go-to side. The vinaigrette is a classic blend of honey, Dijon, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Serve it with burgers, grilled fish, or just eat it on its own—this protein-packed salad includes canned white and pink beans, fresh green beans, crunchy celery, and jarred sweet roasted peppers.

Add a nutritious boost to any meal with this fiber-packed, slightly tangy salad. It's a great make-ahead option and a good choice for potlucks and parties. Briny olives, preserved lemons, carrots, and cilantro add color against pearl barley.

Crunchy cucumbers and scallions meet tart kumquats in this alluring, tangy salad. Sumac, a lemon-flavored spice, is an unexpected flavor that ties every ingredient together.

If you've never used radicchio, a slightly bitter, bright purple leaf, before, try it in this elegant salad. Our recipe serves two but can be easily doubled or tripled depending on how many people you're serving.

How stunning is this salad? Pomegranate arils look gorgeous against pale crunchy endive, fennel, celery root, and Granny Smith apples. Not only is it quick, but this salad can also be made up to three days in advance—perfect if you're hosting a dinner party and want to get ahead with prep.

Not all salads are slaws, but all slaws are fabulous side salads. And who could resist digging into this Asian-inspired slaw with a delicious dressing made with rice vinegar, ginger, and lime juice?

Layered heirloom tomatoes over a spicy yogurt spread truly tastes as good as it looks. Perhaps the best part is that it comes together in 10 minutes.

When you want a side salad that feels a little bit indulgent, this is the recipe for you. Crumbled bacon makes this salad next-level irresistible.

It's all about the dressing here—garlic, anchovies, Dijon, and olive oil create a flavorful dressing for any leaves. We particularly love it with escarole, a vegetable we think is sadly underutilized.

Use that big bag of radishes hanging out in the crisper drawer in this lively salad. Their fresh crunch and bright pink color pops against the peppery watercress and slightly bitter radicchio.

When you're craving something healthy during the holiday season, make use of seasonal persimmons, which add color and tartness to bitter escarole.

Similar to a Panzanella, this salad features the flavors of a gazpacho. Mini cucumbers, yellow bell pepper, small tomatoes, country bread, and sweet onions are tossed with a Dijon and sherry dressing.

This salad is like spring on a plate! From the blanched, shelled English peas to the toasted almonds and raw asparagus, everything about this dish is a welcome bite.

An upgrade on the usual spinach salad, soy sauce, sliced cremini and shiitake mushrooms, and carrots come together to give this side an Asian flavor.

Sweet and creamy, this salad can easily be scaled up for a larger crowd (the recipe only serves one). Or make it ahead for a fabulous lunch—just keep the dressing on the side so that the greens don't wilt and get soggy.

When sour cherries are in season, let them shine atop mixed greens, sliced fennel, radishes, spring onions, and fresh tender herbs. It's tart, bright, and a delight to dig into.