Salad recipes

Fresh spinach salad tosses tender baby spinach with a Caesar dressing thinned by cottage cheese for a creamy, lightened-up dressing. Three-ingredient salad ready in minutes.

Mediterranean lentil salad tosses green lentils with roasted red peppers, fresh basil, toasted walnuts, and balsamic, served over dandelion greens dressed with lemon.

Italian rice salad with green peas, scallions, ripe olives, pimentos, and fresh basil tossed in Italian dressing. Cold side dish for picnics, potlucks, and summer cookouts.

Cherry jello salad: a retro congealed salad with orange gelatin, canned red cherries, celery, and orange juice, molded firm and served on lettuce with mayonnaise and nuts. Midcentury classic.

Originating from the Castle Restaurant, Olean, NY, this house salad dressing was particularly famous. The restaurant closed in the mid-1980's. The recipe was created by Chef Anthony Quirino Lentola in the 1950's.

German chicken salad with hand-shredded chicken, crushed pineapple, green peas, and mayonnaise. A sweet and savory cold chicken salad with just five simple ingredients.

Cold seafood pasta salad with shrimp, tri-color spiral pasta, zucchini, carrots, and bell pepper tossed in a creamy white wine Worcestershire dressing.

Pennsylvania Dutch dandelion salad with a warm bacon and cream dressing made from eggs, vinegar, butter, and sugar. A classic spring foraging recipe.

Lentil and wheat berry salad tossed with fresh vegetables and herbs in a fat-free red wine vinegar dressing. High-fiber, vegan, and endlessly customizable with whatever produce you have on hand.

Orzo salad with sun-dried tomatoes, red bell pepper, olives, and scallions in a mustard red wine vinaigrette. A light, Mediterranean-style cold pasta salad for potlucks and picnics.

Vintage molded gelatin salad with cream cheese, crushed pineapple, marshmallows, chopped nuts, and whipped cream. A retro potluck classic that sets overnight.

Applesauce jello salad -- A delicious jello salad, taken from The Monterey Coast Guard Officers' Wives Club Cookbook. My sister-in-law was the president of the club which put that cookbook together.

Chilled pearl barley salad tossed with fresh parsley, basil, green onions, and diced tomatoes in a bright lemon-soy dressing. A chewy, herbaceous grain salad for potlucks and meal prep.

Cajun artichoke salad mashes fresh artichoke hearts with garlic and salt to build a punchy dressing for canned artichoke quarters. A bold marinated salad with lemon, vinegar, and hot sauce.

Old-fashioned banana salad with a tangy cooked vinegar and egg dressing, topped with crunchy ground peanuts. A Southern potluck favorite that serves a crowd and keeps beautifully in the fridge.

Retro jello salad made with lemon gelatin, hot tomato juice, and hard-boiled eggs set in a mold. A savory vintage side dish served on a bed of lettuce.