Bored of your typical salad routine? This colorful collection of vegan summer salads will keep your palate satisfied all season long.
One of my missions in life – and specifically here on TNB – is to eradicate the “sad salad”. The “sad salad” is that afterthought side dish you throw together when you realize you need a little color and freshness in your meal, but aren’t feeling very creative. Half-dead mesclun greens, mealy tomatoes, stale bagged croutons, and some suspiciously goopy store-bought dressing. Sound familiar?
I think we’ve all had that salad one too many times – both in restaurants and at home. I mean, if this is the only instance of vegetables people are consistently exposed to, no wonder so few of us can manage to get our 5 daily servings.
Summer is the perfect time to experiment with new salad concepts and ingredient combos, especially if you can get your hands on local produce from a farmers market/farm stand. Whether you’re gearing up for a bbq, picnic, or having people over – or just brainstorming new weeknight meals – the vegan summer salads below are easy to make and bursting with freshness.
Charred Corn Salad
Serve this Mexican-inspired dish as a salad a dip.
Warm Potato Salad with Olives and Green Beans
The best French-inspired potato salad, dressed in a simple vinaigrette.
Arugula Avocado Salad
Super simple to make and requires zero cooking.
Pearl Couscous Salad
With tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and crispy chickpeas.
Panzanella Toscana
The classic Italian tomato-bread salad.
Massaged Purple Cabbage Slaw
A crunchy mayo-less slaw perfect for bbq and picnic spreads.
Ukrainian Leek Salad
A crunchy and refreshing side dish. Think of it as a spicy cabbage-less coleslaw.
Moroccan-Inspired Shredded Carrot Salad
With raisins, olives, red onion, and parsley.
Thai Salad with Tofu
Seared tofu and rich peanut dressing turn this salad into a complete meal.
Kale Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
Cashews are the secret to this creamy, umami-packed vegan dressing.
Tahini Slaw with Crispy Chickpeas
A Middle Eastern-inspired take on vegan coleslaw.
Tomato-Peach Salad with Corn and Basil
A juicy combo of sweet and savory summer favorites.
Tangy Raw Broccoli Salad
An addictively crunchy broccoli slaw with balsamic dressing.
Cold Udon Noodle Salad
Thick, chewy noodles with fresh veggies and creamy peanut dressing.
Cucumber Kimchi Salad
An easy Korean-inspired number.
Pesto Pasta Salad
A 5-ingredient summer classic.
Vegetarian Niçoise Salad
Nicoise salad is summer in France, in a bowl.
Pesto Rice Salad with Blistered Tomatoes
A unique alternative to pasta salad (or a very lazy risotto).
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