Salad recipes

Cool, refreshing big-batch fruit salad with watermelon, cantaloupe, plums, nectarines, and grapes tossed in chilled mint-lime simple syrup. A summer party showstopper.

No-cook tropical stuffed pears filled with a sour cream, crushed pineapple, coconut, marshmallow, and pecan mixture. A retro fruit salad side dish ready in 15 minutes.

Big-batch melon and citrus fruit salad with honeydew, cantaloupe, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, bananas, and cherries in fresh orange juice. Feeds 20 and keeps a week.

No-cook black bean fiesta salad with corn, red peppers, red onion, and jalapeño in a zesty lime-cilantro-cumin dressing. Vegetarian, vibrant, and feeds a crowd in 20 minutes.

Chilled prawn salad with melon balls, strawberries, avocado, and celery in a fresh strawberry-orange dressing. A light, elegant appetizer that's naturally low in fat and ready in 30 minutes with no cooking.

Pickled rosebuds preserved in white wine vinegar and sugar for one month. A floral, tangy garnish for salads, sandwiches, and cheese boards.

Homemade herb croutons toasted then sauteed in seasoned butter with garlic salt and garden herbs. Crunchy topping for salads, soups, and casseroles.

Couscous salad with almonds and currants: steamed vegetables tossed with fluffy couscous in an orange-lemon-cinnamon marinade. North African-inspired vegetarian side that travels well.

Breadless egg salad sandwiches using Monterey Jack cheese slices as the "bread." Low-carb, gluten-free, and stacked with tomato, lettuce, pickles, and olives.

Retro molded tuna salad with black olives, hard-boiled eggs, toasted almonds, and a creamy lemon-spiked mayo-sour cream dressing set with gelatin. A stunning cold lunch or party centerpiece.

Crispy baked tortilla baskets shaped in a brioche pan. Just oil and a flour tortilla, baked golden at high heat for a crunchy edible bowl for salads and fillings.

Salmon and pasta stuffed tomatoes: chilled macaroni salad with canned salmon, yogurt, dill, cucumber, and carrot, spooned into fresh tomato cups. A no-cook summer lunch.

Gado gado is the Indonesian salad of stir-fried cabbage, bell pepper, and bean sprouts drizzled with a warm peanut sauce spiked with garlic, shallot, cumin, and lemon. Vegetarian one-bowl meal.

Savory honeydew melon tossed with rice vinegar, fresh chile strips, and torn cilantro. A four-ingredient cool fruit salad that turns sweet melon into a Thai-inspired brunch starter.

Missing egg sandwich is the classic vegan dupe for egg salad: mashed tofu mixed with green onion, mayo, dill relish, mustard, and cumin. Creamy, tangy, and piled on whole wheat with lettuce and tomato.

Vintage Midwest Jell-O salad with lime gelatin, sour cream, crushed pineapple, pecans, and maraschino cherries. No baking required. Set, slice into squares, and top with whipped cream.