Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused Diets Healthy High-Protein Recipes High-Protein Salad Recipes 28 High-Protein Salads for Sunday Dinner By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 30, 2021 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jason Donnelly If you're looking for a light, yet satisfying, dinner idea, these salads are the perfect choice. These salads are packed with fresh vegetables and include at least 15 grams of protein per serving thanks to ingredients like shrimp, chicken, beans and more. Recipes like Caesar Salad with Steak and Citrus Lime Tofu Salad are a bright and tasty choice for Sunday dinner. 01 of 28 Smoked Salmon Salad Nicoise View Recipe This twist on a classic salade Niçoise uses smoked salmon in place of tuna and adds extra vegetables in place of hard-boiled eggs and olives. Lovely served as an untraditional brunch, special weekend lunch or light supper. 02 of 28 Citrus Lime Tofu Salad View Recipe This veggie-packed salad has plenty of protein and fiber, so you'll feel full and satisfied. Prep the ingredients ahead of time for an easy vegan lunch idea to pack for work. 03 of 28 Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing View Recipe We've replaced chicken with shrimp in this delicious and easy spin on the classic Cobb salad. This satisfying salad takes just 20 minutes to make, so it's perfect for weeknight dinners, but it's elegant enough to serve to guests. 04 of 28 Greek Salad with Edamame View Recipe Edamame adds protein to the classic Greek salad: romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dried oregano or za'atar. 05 of 28 Caesar Salad with Grilled Steak View Recipe Jason Donnelly Traditional Caesar salad dressing uses egg yolk to make it creamy. Here we use mayo instead for the same rich results without the raw egg. 06 of 28 Kale Salad with Spiced Tofu & Chickpeas View Recipe To top this zesty raw kale salad recipe, we toss diced tofu and chickpeas with a flavorful Moroccan-inspired spice mixture before roasting. The hot oven turns the outside of the tofu crisp and the inside pleasantly chewy. 07 of 28 Shrimp & Avocado Salad View Recipe Jennifer Causey Peppery fresh radishes complement sweet shrimp and creamy avocado in this quick salad. Enjoy this healthy salad as a quick light dinner or for lunch. 08 of 28 Blackened Chicken with Chopped Salad View Recipe Jason Donnelly In this spin, we coat this blackened chicken with spices common to Cajun cooking, like dried thyme and cayenne pepper. Then, instead of using the traditional method of searing in a cast-iron pan, we take advantage of the warmer weather by grilling outside. 09 of 28 Superfood Chopped Salad with Salmon & Creamy Garlic Dressing View Recipe Curly kale forms the base of this salad, but you could use chard or spinach. To the greens, add a multitude of chopped veggies, such as broccoli, cabbage and carrots. Finish with rich salmon for protein and a drizzle of creamy yogurt dressing to bring it all together. 10 of 28 Southwestern Steak Salad This steak salad recipe is packed with fresh summer corn, ripe tomatoes and silky avocado. It might be hard to imagine that this healthy dinner can be whipped up so quickly but the secret is in the timing. While the steak is cooking under the broiler, you'll have plenty of time to whisk together the lightened-up creamy chipotle dressing and assemble the rest of the salad. Serve with crumbled tortilla chips for an extra crunch. 11 of 28 Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing View Recipe Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe--canned chickpeas add too much moisture. 12 of 28 Chopped Cobb Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing View Recipe Joy Howard In place of bacon, this satisfying salad uses store-bought crispy chickpeas for lower saturated fat and less prep time. Using fresh herbs, bright citrus and a creamy base of yogurt and mayonnaise for the dressing gives it a flavorful finish. 13 of 28 Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas View Recipe In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables. 14 of 28 Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Ginger-Wasabi Dressing View Recipe This quick, healthy dinner salad recipe is ready in 40 minutes thanks to preshredded carrots and coleslaw mix. If you have leftover quinoa, skip Step 1 and use 2 cups in the salad. If you want a bigger flavor kick in the dressing, up the wasabi powder to 1 tablespoon. 15 of 28 Salmon Caesar Salad View Recipe This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too. 16 of 28 Green Goddess Salad with Chicken View Recipe In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss and chicken salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. Any extra dressing is delicious served over grilled chicken or flaky white fish, such as cod or flounder. 17 of 28 Chili-Rubbed Flank Steak Salad View Recipe Transform steak into a nutritious meal by serving it atop this lively Southwest-inspired salad recipe. If you make the dressing when you marinate the steak, this meal comes together quickly. 18 of 28 Spring Roll Salad View Recipe All the tastes, color and fun of a spring roll without all the work! This healthy salad recipe is bursting with the colors of rainbow from generous amounts of fresh vegetables, shrimp and whole grains all topped with a peanut dressing for the ultimate satisfying salad. 19 of 28 Avocado & Shrimp Chopped Salad View Recipe The smoky flavors of grilled shrimp and corn in this healthy chopped salad recipe are a tasty match for the creamy cilantro dressing. 20 of 28 Crunchy Chicken & Mango Salad View Recipe This Asian-inspired dinner salad has terrific crunch, thanks to sugar snap peas and napa cabbage. Give the dressing a kick of heat by adding a bit of sambal oelek, an Indonesian hot sauce that you can find in most large supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. 21 of 28 Greek Salmon Salad View Recipe If mixed salads fail to fill you up, try this hearty Greek salmon salad recipe, which calls for bulking up a traditional bed of mixed greens with roasted vegetables and protein-rich salmon. Leftovers make it a breeze to put together this delicious Mediterranean salad. Here we suggest two recipes you could meal-prep ahead of time--Lemon-Roasted Mixed Vegetables and Sweet & Spicy Roasted Salmon--but you can use whatever roasted veggies you have on hand and pick up a precooked salmon fillet from the deli counter at your grocery store. This healthy salad would also be good with chicken. Serve it for an easy dinner or pack it up for lunch. 22 of 28 Steak Salad with Charred Onion Vinaigrette & Garlic-Cumin Yogurt Celebrate grilling season with this robust steak salad recipe from James Beard Award-winning chef Steven Satterfield of Atlanta's Miller Union. The restaurant is known for showcasing seasonal produce from local farmers in simple preparations, such as this salad. To make it faster, prep the yogurt and dry rub ahead of time. Then prep the ingredients for the vinaigrette while the grill preheats. 23 of 28 Shrimp Salad with Peanut Dressing View Recipe Using applesauce in the peanut dressing lends a sweet, tart flavor that pairs wonderfully with shrimp. 24 of 28 Steak and Chimichurri Salad View Recipe Chimichurri sauce is an essential part of Argentinean cuisine and goes great with grilled beef or chicken. This recipe takes advantage of the great flavor combination of Chimichurri sauce with steak and dressed greens, making it the perfect summer meal. 25 of 28 Chopped Cobb Salad with Chicken View Recipe This healthy chopped salad is a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. You can reserve the remaining hard-boiled egg half for a snack. 26 of 28 Salmon & Avocado Salad View Recipe Tender salmon tops a hearty salad of red cabbage, carrots and avocados tossed with a creamy dill vinaigrette in this quick, easy dinner. 27 of 28 Chopped Salad with Chicken & Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing View Recipe This herb-loaded green goddess-inspired dressing gets a color boost from creamy avocado. Make a double batch of this healthy salad dressing to keep on hand for salads throughout the week. 28 of 28 Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Salad View Recipe Grilled flank steak is served over salad greens with sweet corn, peppers, and tomatoes, and topped with a fresh cilantro dressing. Was this page helpful? 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