Salad recipes

Gazpacho salad takes all the fresh vegetables from the classic cold soup and serves them chopped over lettuce with a tangy herb dressing. No cooking, no blender, just crisp tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers chilled until the flavors meld.

Tuscan tuna salad with kidney beans, olives, tomatoes, and a zesty picante-Italian dressing served over fresh spinach. A no-cook, protein-packed lunch ready in 20 minutes flat.

Mexican beef salad with seared round steak strips, hominy, olives, and Monterey Jack over lettuce and tomato in a cumin-oregano vinaigrette. A Tex-Mex taco-salad alternative.

Baja chicken pasta salad pairs poached chicken breast and orzo with crunchy jicama, dried fruit, and a chile-spiked mayo-sour cream dressing. Sweet-savory chilled salad with a Southwest twist for picnics or weekday lunches.

Chili taco salad: spicy chicken chili with kidney beans and chickpeas piled on tortilla chips with lettuce, tomato, jack cheese, sour cream, olives, and jalapenos.

A tangy kidney bean salad dressed in spiced non-fat yogurt with chili powder, cumin, and oregano. No cooking required. Serve over lettuce with cornbread for an easy Mexican-inspired lunch.

Mexican chef salad with hot spiced smoked sausage and kidney beans tossed over crisp lettuce, avocado, cheddar, tomatoes, and crushed taco chips in a French onion dressing with hot sauce.

Lean ground beef simmered in a spiced no-salt tomato sauce, served in crispy baked tortilla bowls on a bed of shredded lettuce with cherry tomatoes, carrots, and Parmesan. A lighter taco salad that doesn't skimp on flavor.

Mexicali pasta salad: tricolor pasta tossed with tart tomatillos, sweet pineapple chunks, jalapeño, cilantro, and a lime-zest dressing made from the reserved pineapple juice. Sweet, tangy, fiery summer side.

Mexican Chicken Salad with sour cream, cilantro, capers, cumin, and hot sauce - a creamy, spicy no-cook lunch served on lettuce with fresh avocado wedges. Ready in 40 minutes.

Mexican pasta salad with cumin-rubbed chicken breast, fettuccine, lime, cilantro, and fresh zucchini. A weeknight bowl that bridges Italian comfort and Tex-Mex brightness.

Spicy Mexican four-bean salad with black, kidney, white, and green beans plus corn, red onion softened in chili powder, and fresh cilantro. Vegan, high-fiber.

Chicken and orange salad with avocado, cilantro, green peas, and a cinnamon-spiked mayonnaise dressing. A Mexican-inspired no-cook lunch with citrus and lime.

Hollowed tomatoes stuffed with chunky guacamole made from avocado, green chiles, onion, and lemon juice, topped with crumbled bacon. A fresh Mexican-inspired salad appetizer.

A vibrant chilled rice salad tossing wild and basmati rice with snow peas, green beans, cucumber, oranges, and Granny Smith apples in a ginger-soy-honey-lime sauce. Fresh, crunchy, and full of contrast.

Grilled fish salad bruschetta piled onto garlic-rubbed Italian bread with charred zucchini, eggplant, peppers and a lemon-basil fish flake topping. Summer entertaining at its most relaxed.