Salad recipes

Asian-style pasta salad tosses cheese tortellini with sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and five-spice dressing alongside snow peas, red pepper, scallion, and shredded carrot over cabbage. East-West fusion that works.

Marinated spaghetti squash salad with artichoke hearts, fresh herbs, and two cheeses in a tangy rice vinegar dressing. A make-ahead vegetarian side that chills overnight for bold, layered flavor.

Brown rice summer salad with tarragon vinaigrette, fresh vegetables, peas, and pimentos. Low-fat, no-mayo, and served cold. A make-ahead side dish for hot weather meals.

Auntie Yuan duck salad slivers honey-roasted duck and crispy skin over puffed mai fun noodles, shredded lettuce, scallions, and cilantro. Drizzled with garlic-soy-rice vinegar dressing for a Chinese-American restaurant classic.

Cantonese-style chicken salad with hand-shredded roast chicken, crispy fried rice noodles, roasted cashews, cilantro, and a hot mustard-sesame dressing. Crunchy, savory, and full of Cantonese flavor.

Japanese chuka soba noodle salad tossed with cold shrimp, crisp cucumbers, bean sprouts, and a tangy rice vinegar-soy dressing. A make-ahead summer dish that travels well to potlucks.

Marinated black beans and red lentils on a composed salad platter with red potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. A tangy mustard-garlic vinaigrette with red pepper flakes ties this high-protein salad together.

Flank steak and greens braised with a Cajun-leaning spice blend, browned flour roux, and a quart of mixed greens. The Louisiana-style one-pot beef-and-rice dinner with deep, smoky depth.

This is a great dinner side dish to accompany almost any kind of meat, poultry, or fish. Or serve for lunch with a salad.