14 Easy Summer Salads for Weight Loss
You're going to love digging into these bright, fresh salads that come together in a matter of minutes. Each of these recipes is refreshing and tasty, the perfect salad for a hot summer day. Every salad contains less than 550 calories and more than 6 grams of fiber per serving. The low-calorie and high-fiber combo is helpful for weight loss, if that is your goal. Plus, they are packed with protein for some staying power. Recipes like our Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing and Summer Vegetable Gnocchi Salad are equally delicious and nutritious.
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Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalapeño-Avocado Ranch
This healthy, super-fast salad recipe swaps out romaine for kale, giving you more than 10 times the vitamin C. Easy flavor hacks like store-bought ranch and pickled jalapeños help make a creamy, tangy and spicy dressing you'll want to drizzle on everything from salad to sliced veggies and shredded poached chicken.
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Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing
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.
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No-Cook Black Bean Salad
A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
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.
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Chopped Cobb Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing
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.
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Salmon & Avocado Salad
Tender salmon tops a hearty salad of red cabbage, carrots and avocados tossed with a creamy dill vinaigrette in this quick, easy dinner.
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Summer Vegetable Gnocchi Salad
This riff on pasta salad is best served warm while the gnocchi are nice and tender. Plus, the grilled veggies taste extra-good fresh off the fire in this easy gnocchi recipe.
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Shrimp & Avocado Salad
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.
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Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing
This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers.
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Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.
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Stetson Chopped Salad
Knock it out of the park at dinner with this composed salad recipe inspired by the crazy-popular Stetson Chopped Salad at Cowboy Ciao in Scottsdale, Arizona. It packs in colorful vegetables and a variety of textures from whole grains, seeds and a creamy homemade dressing for a photo-worthy, healthy meal. Keep it vegetarian or add smoked salmon or roasted chicken.
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Southwestern Salad with Black Beans
Here we top salad greens with black beans, sweet corn and grape tomatoes and bring it all together with a tangy avocado-lime dressing for a Mexican-inspired salad. Try this salad for a take-along lunch. To keep the salad greens from getting soggy, pack the greens, salad toppings and dressing in separate containers and toss them together just before eating.
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Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta
This delicious and healthy lentil salad comes together in just 30 minutes and makes a wonderful hot-weather meal. Serve with whole-wheat pitas, if desired.
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Breakfast Salad with Egg & Salsa Verde Vinaigrette
Salad for breakfast? Don't knock it until you've tried it. We love how this meal gives you 3 whole cups of vegetables to start your day.