Salad recipes

Lentil fatta salad with soft-cooked lentils, cubed pita bread, scallions, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil. A warm Middle Eastern salad with hearty texture.

Marinated bean salad with five beans (yellow, green, kidney, lima, garbanzo) and bell peppers tossed in a sweet-and-tangy brown sugar vinaigrette. Make ahead for picnics, potlucks, and barbecues.

Authentic German potato salad with diced apple, hard-boiled eggs, spicy mustard, and pickle juice in a creamy dressing. Best when chilled overnight for fully developed flavors.

Chili taco salad: spicy chicken chili with kidney beans and chickpeas piled on tortilla chips with lettuce, tomato, jack cheese, sour cream, olives, and jalapenos.

Smoked potato salad with cold smoked potatoes, celery, green onion, capers, and lemon mayo. A smoky, briny twist on the classic picnic side dish.

Josephine's pineapple salad: retro molded gelatin salad with cream cheese, crushed pineapple, and whipped cream. A classic potluck centerpiece from grandma's recipe box.

A colorful five-bean salad with green beans, lima beans, kidney beans, wax beans, and chickpeas tossed in a tangy sweet vinegar dressing with green pepper, celery, and green onions. Best made overnight.

Marinated mushroom salad with vinegar-poached mushrooms, blanched carrots, celery, and bell peppers dressed in oregano olive oil. A make-ahead antipasto-style cold salad.

Green olive-cucumber salad set in lime gelatin with lemon juice, lemon zest, and onion-stuffed olives. A retro molded salad with a tangy, savory twist.

Cilantro potato salad dressed in a homemade cilantro-garlic mayonnaise made from scratch in the blender. A bold, herby twist on classic potato salad.

Warm Cajun potato salad with crispy kielbasa, red onion, and a tangy hot vinegar-mustard dressing. No mayo, all flavor. Served warm and ready in about an hour.

Potato-pear salad with thinly sliced boiled potatoes and fresh pears in a simple oil and vinegar dressing. Serve warm or chilled on a bed of romaine.

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

Chilled wild rice chicken salad tossed with sweet green grapes, crunchy water chestnuts, and cashews in light mayo. A refreshing make-ahead lunch or potluck crowd-pleaser that serves six.

Swiss cheese salad with hard-boiled eggs tossed in a creamy sour cream dressing spiked with mustard, horseradish, and cumin. Served chilled on crisp lettuce.

Southwest pasta salad with a creamy cilantro-lime-jalapeno dressing, fresh tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. A zesty make-ahead side that chills in an hour.