Produce-Packed Salads for People Who Don't Like Lettuce

August 27, 2019
Not in the mood for greens? No problem. Try these lettuce-less and healthy salad recipes for your next dinner or backyard barbeque.
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Composed Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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Channel your inner food stylist while arranging the beans and vegetables for this show-stopping composed bean salad recipe. Serve at a potluck or for a beautiful salad at brunch alongside grilled chicken, scallops or fish.

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Super-Green Edamame Salad

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Avocado, fresh chives and spinach are blended right into the creamy, bright-green dressing in this healthy edamame salad recipe. Pink beans are popular in the Caribbean, but you can substitute pinto beans or light red kidney beans if you can't find them.

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Heirloom Tomato & Summer Vegetable Salad

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Allowing the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving means the raw vegetables get a chance to soak up the tangy-sweet dressing in this healthy side dish recipe. Serve with grilled chicken, steak, mushrooms or tofu.

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Summer Succotash Salad

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This summer salad is based on the Southern favorite, succotash, and is a fresh-tasting combination of butter beans, corn, summer squash and tomatoes. Butter beans, the same species as lima beans, are the bean of choice in the South. When they're in season you may be able to find them fresh--shell them yourself. Or use frozen butter beans, baby lima beans or even edamame.

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Caprese Salad

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Summer-ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella need only a sprinkling of fresh herbs, salt and pepper to shine in this simple summer salad.

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Tomato & Fennel Salad

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We like to use heirloom tomatoes in this simple salad. They're at their peak during the summer months and worth seeking out at your local grocery store or farmers' market. Which varieties you choose is up to you--any will work well here.

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Tropical Cucumber Salad

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Combine cucumber, avocado and mango with a salty-sweet dressing for a taste of the tropics.

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Spiralized Mediterranean Cucumber Salad

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Save time and spiralize crisp cucumber instead of chopping it for this easy, healthy vegetable side. Want to make it a meal? Just add grilled chicken, shrimp or canned chickpeas.

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Pineapple & Avocado Salad

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This refreshing, simple Cuban salad recipe captures the flavors of the tropics. Serve alongside spiced chicken or pork, with rice and beans.

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Tomato-Basil Zoodle Salad

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Spiralized zucchini noodles make the perfect base for this colorful and flavorful salad--think pasta salad without all the carbs! It comes together quickly for a light lunch or easy side. Add grilled chicken, shrimp or chickpeas to make a heartier meal.

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Hasselback Tomato Caprese Salad

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Use the hasselback technique to upgrade plain caprese salad with this fun twist! Cutting partially into the whole tomato creates openings to layer in fresh mozzarella cheese, basil and a balsamic drizzle for tons of flavor in this unique vegetable side dish recipe.

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Broccoli Rabe & Orzo Salad

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Lemon, oregano and feta add zing to broccoli rabe tossed with whole-wheat orzo.

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Japanese Cucumber Salad

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This Japanese-inspired cool, crisp salad is as elegant and well balanced as it is simple.

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Scallion-Dill Potato Salad

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In this healthy potato salad recipe, yogurt replaces mayonnaise to create a creamy dressing spiked with scallions and dill.

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Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon & Cumin

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Don't skip salting the cucumbers in this quick cucumber salad recipe--just 10 minutes pulls out some of their excess moisture, concentrating the flavor and keeping the salad from being watered down. Serve as a healthy side dish at a summer cookout alongside burgers and hot dogs.

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Bacon, Tomato & Farro Salad

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We love farro, a high-fiber whole grain, because it cooks in about 15 minutes and has an amazing toothsome texture perfect for grain salads. In this healthy farro salad recipe we combine it with smoky bacon, sweet cherry tomatoes and fresh basil for an easy side dish or light lunch. Look for farro at natural-foods stores and gourmet food markets

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Purple Fruit Salad

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Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy plums, grapes and berries on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like red, green and orange) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish.

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Couscous & Fruit Salad

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Try this fruit-and-nut-studded couscous salad alongside grilled salmon or chicken for supper or on its own for a fresh lunchbox treat.

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Orange Fruit Salad

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Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy melon, clementines and mango on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like red, purple and green) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish.

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Red Grapefruit Salad with Avocado & Pistachios

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The simplicity of this grapefruit salad recipe really lets the flavors of the fruit and avocado shine through. If you haven't tried chervil, it's worth seeking out. The herb looks like lacy parsley and, though subtle, has hints of licorice and anise with a touch of basil. Serve as a first course or as a side for roast pork.

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Spiced Eggplant-Lentil Salad with Mango

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Spiced eggplant, lentils and mangoes combine deliciously in this Indian-inspired vegetarian salad. Customize the spiciness of this by choosing mild, medium or hot versions of salsa, chili powders and curry powder. The flavor is even better when the salad is prepared ahead. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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Roasted Corn, Black Bean & Mango Salad

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This simple, fresh-tasting salad adds delicious variety to grilled foods, such as salmon, halibut, chicken or pork. Browning the corn in a skillet gives it a nutty, caramelized flavor that contrasts with the sweetness of the mango.

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Zesty Shrimp & Black Bean Salad

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Loaded with fresh tomatoes, peppers and cilantro and seasoned with cumin and chile, this shrimp and black bean salad recipe has all the flavors of a great fresh salsa and is a quick and easy no-cook recipe. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh corn tortillas.

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Better Three-Bean Salad

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Traditional three-bean salad gets a healthy, fresh spin with the addition of black soybeans, snap peas and a tarragon-infused dressing. Find black soybeans near other canned beans; they're a sweeter, creamier relative of the green ones you're probably familiar with.

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Smoked Turkey & Farro Salad

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This whole-grain farro salad recipe is studded with lean turkey, plenty of crunchy bell pepper, celery, smoked cheese and avocado--a perfect summer salad recipe to serve on a hot summer night. Look for farro--a quick-cooking high-fiber whole grain--in the bulk section or near other grains in natural-foods stores. Or skip Step 1 and add cooked barley as a substitute for the farro in Step 2. Serve with baby spinach salad with toasted almonds and creamy garlic dressing.

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Vidalia Onion & Cucumber Salad

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For this old-fashioned Southern cucumber salad recipe, thin slices of cucumber and onion marinate just long enough to develop a touch of tanginess without any sharp bite. Serve with sweet dishes like barbecue to lend a refreshing balance.

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Asparagus & Radish Salad

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This colorful asparagus and radish salad is dressed with a sesame-soy vinaigrette. Pair it with grilled shrimp and rice noodles.

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King Crab & Potato Salad

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Bright lemony dressing graces this summery combination of green beans, snappy radishes, earthy red potatoes and crab. All you need is crunchy bread and a bottle of A to Z Pinot Gris.

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Roasted Beet Salad

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Walnuts, red onion and dill make this roasted beet salad recipe a fantastic accompaniment to chicken or topping for hummus. If you can't find beets with greens attached, use 1 pound of beets and 8 ounces of chard leaves.

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Watercress, Pistachio & Beet Salad

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Sweet, quick-pickled beets, peppery watercress and the delicate licorice flavor of crunchy fennel make a healthy salad that artfully balances flavor, texture and color.

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Grape & Fennel Salad

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Crunchy fennel and celery are combined with grapes in this delicious salad recipe.

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Cherry, Wild Rice & Quinoa Salad

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This whole-grain wild rice and quinoa salad recipe is perfect for toting to summer potlucks. It features sweet cherries, crunchy celery, nutty aged goat cheese and toasted pecans. If you can find red quinoa, it's particularly pretty.

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Watermelon, Olive, Caper & Feta Salad

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This sweet-and-savory fruit salad recipe is all about the quality of the watermelon: you want its flesh to be really sweet so that all the savory ingredients--the capers, the olives, the feta--shine.

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Fresh Fruit Salad

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This refreshing fruit salad is a classic combination that will be the favorite at any potluck or cookout. Serve with a creamy yogurt dressing to take this side (or dessert) to the next level.

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Fresh Tomatillo Salad