Salad recipes

Grilled vegetable salad with eggplant, roasted peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and red onion tossed in a balsamic basil vinaigrette. Make it hours ahead and serve at room temperature for peak flavor.

Pear and parsnip salad with blanched parsnips, fanned fresh pear slices, green onions, and a light honey yogurt dressing. A low-fat, elegant side for fall and winter.

Minted fruit salad tossed in a citrus syrup of orange juice, lemon, and a whisper of mint extract. Make-ahead friendly, the fruit drinks in the syrup as it chills, turning ordinary fruit into a brunch centerpiece.

Crisp raw cauliflower florets and fresh spinach ribbons tossed in a garlicky white wine vinaigrette with dry mustard and basil, finished with crunchy slivered almonds. A light, no-cook side salad ready in 20 minutes.

Fava bean salad with lemon, olive oil, garlic, and fresh parsley. Dried favas simmered until tender and tossed in a bright Italian-style dressing.

Another salad substitute that's both scrumptious and entertaining for dinner with family or friends.

Walnut orange salad with honey-cinnamon marinated oranges, mixed greens, radishes, and purple onion dressed in olive oil. A bright, no-vinegar salad with natural citrus dressing.

Melon, hearts of palm, and prosciutto salad on mesclun greens with red-wine vinaigrette. An elegant Italian-inspired starter with sweet cantaloupe, salty prosciutto, and tender palm hearts.

Brightly colored vegetables soak up a tangy vinegar-oil marinade, softening just enough while keeping their crisp bite. Broccoli, carrots, peppers, and zucchini mingle in this make-ahead salad that gets better as it sits and flavors meld.

Hot German bean salad gives black and kidney beans the sweet-and-sour treatment, with a glossy vinegar dressing and crisp-tender carrots, celery, and onion. Served warm, oil-free, and vegan. A fast, tangy twist on the bean salad.

Fresh spinach topped with spirals of sliced strawberries and drizzled with a tangy raspberry vinegar and shallot dressing. A bright, simple salad ready in 15 minutes.

Tangy cabbage relish salad tossed in a sweet-and-sour dressing of brown sugar, dry mustard, and apple cider vinegar. No mayo, no oil, ready in 15 minutes.

Orange jicama salad over butter lettuce with red onion, fresh cilantro, and a bright orange juice and white wine vinegar dressing. A crisp, no-cook Mexican side that comes together in 25 minutes.

Roasted vegetable salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, and new potatoes tossed in balsamic-garlic dressing. A farmers market side that eats like summer on a sheet pan, finished with fresh basil.

Boiled crayfish tails tossed with spinach, Belgian endive, blanched green beans, and fresh herbs, dressed in nutty hazelnut oil. A refined French-inspired seafood salad ready in 45 minutes.

A retro molded Jello salad loaded with dark sweet cherries, pineapple chunks, and chopped pecans, spiked with red wine and nutmeg. Potluck royalty.