Salad/5 recipes

Waldorf chicken salad with poached chicken breast, crisp red apples, toasted pecans, and a tangy yogurt-mustard dressing. A lighter take on the classic with three built-in variations.

Spicy spaghetti salad tosses kamut pasta with navy beans, tomatoes with green chilies, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, and cumin. A vegetarian, no-cook-after-boiling dinner.

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.

Italian wild mushroom topping with dried porcini, fresh portobello, tomatoes, rosemary, sage, and garlic marinated 24 hours in olive oil and lemon. Use on bruschetta or pasta.

Chicken tostada salad piles a quick saute of chicken, beans, peppers, and lime over crisp lettuce, finished with cheddar, olives, and crushed tortilla chips. A 30-minute weeknight Tex-Mex bowl.

Brazilian-style grilled chicken salpicão with charred red onion, carrots, parsley, and a Spanish paprika mayo dressing. Finished with crunchy potato straws on top. Ready in 30 minutes for a bright weeknight chicken salad.

Curried Waldorf salad reworks the classic with yogurt, a whisper of curry powder, orange segments, crunchy toasted walnuts, and golden raisins. A lighter take on the retro lunch staple.

Greek potato salad with dried tomatoes: roasted potatoes and concentrated tomatoes tossed in a bright lemon-and-olive-oil dressing, then chilled. A no-mayo Mediterranean side served cool.

Greek-style chicken salad built fast from pantry staples: canned chicken and tomatoes tossed with cucumber, zucchini, red onion, black olives, and feta in a sharp white wine vinegar dressing.

Creamy braunschweiger spread shaped into a ball and frosted with cream cheese. Tangy sweet pickles and onion cut through the rich liverwurst. A retro Midwestern appetizer that belongs on every party table.

Curried chicken barley salad with grapes, walnuts, and celery in a curry mayonnaise dressing. A hearty, chilled main-course salad served in cantaloupe halves.

Crunchy buttermilk coleslaw with napa cabbage, snow peas, and grated carrots in a tangy ginger-rice vinegar dressing. An Asian-leaning slaw that skips the heavy mayo load.

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.

Five pounds of chicken wings marinated in cayenne pepper sauce and Italian dressing, then grilled or baked until sticky and charred. Only 3 ingredients. Big heat, minimal effort.

Macaroni, tuna salad suitable for main or sid dish

Hawaiian chicken salad with curried sour cream, chutney, toasted coconut, and ginger, served in cantaloupe halves or over shredded lettuce.