A collection of 5 loaded crunch salads that you'll actually want to eat! Every one is a treasure trove of fresh veggies, crunchy add ins, plant protein, and an incredible dressing that makes you crave just one more bite!
I love a good salad. My favorite are loaded, dinner size salads. You know the kind I'm talking about - lots of color, tons of texture, crunch galore, and of course a flavorful dressing that's so delicious and exciting it makes your taste buds sing.
Crunch salads are all that and more! Today I'm sharing 5 supreme crunch salads you're going to LOVE, plus some epic, 5 minute salad dressings.
All the salads are vegan, vegetarian, plant based, and gluten free plus high protein and high fiber. Add extra plant protein to any salad, and you've got a healthy, filling weeknight meal.
Thai Crunch Salad
This Thai Crunch Salad is the most popular salad on the blog for good reason! It's loaded up with crunchy veggies, edamame for plant protein, a mountain of crunchy toppers, and a totally addictive Thai peanut dressing. This healthy, make-ahead salad is one of my family's favorites!
“This is one of the best crunchy salads I have ever made. It will be in my weekly
Fresh Stuff Repertoire. We LOVED IT!!” — Kathie
Edamame Crunch Salad
Oh boy, this Roasted Edamame Crunch Salad is everything! It's the ultimate loaded salad. There are layers upon layers of goodies to dig through from crisp veggies, edamame two ways, and crunchy pistachios, drenched in an irresistible, creamy sesame dressing. Every forkful is another crunchy craveable surprise. I can't wait for you to try this combination!
“This is by far my favorite salad! I make it all the time. Tons of flavor and plenty of
crunch and filled with so many goodies like the edamame 2 ways and the pistachios,
plus the dressing is so dang good!” - Daniel
Crunchy Asian Ramen Salad
The crowd-pleaser! This crunchy Asian cabbage salad is piled high with a rainbow of veggies and a mountain of crunch from toasted ramen noodles, peanuts, and sesame seeds. The vibrant carrot ginger dressing makes this Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad a star at dinners, potlucks, and BBQs.
Slaws are the best make-ahead salad recipes because the sturdy veggies hold up beautifully when dressed in advance. Sprinkle with crispy lentils, crispy quinoa or some baked tofu for a delicious and satisfying dinner-size salad!
“Made this on Sunday for supper. It was so delicious - bursting with flavor and
crunch, not to mention that dressing… Wow Wow and Wow! Will be making it
again!” — Arleigh
Harvest Salad with Crispy Quinoa
This Fall Harvest Salad recipe is a delicious combination of the best fall produce and flavors in one gorgeous crispy salad. It features leafy greens, honeycrisp apples, crispy quinoa, pomegranate jewels, candied nuts, and crumbled cheese - all the goodies - tossed in an incredible honey mustard vinaigrette. It's the mother of all loaded crunch salads - packed with texture, brimming with flavor, and completely addictive to the last bite.
“This Harvest salad has so much flavor and such great texture. The dressing is
spectacular, the candied nuts are incredible, and the crispy crunchy quinoa puts this
big dinner salad over the top. Everyone raves about it!” - Joyce
Broccoli Crunch Salad
The potluck hero! The combination of fresh broccoli, red grapes, chewy cranberries, and crunchy sunflower seeds tossed in a creamy, dairy free dressing sends this crunchy salad straight to the top of the Ultimate Summer Salads category. This vegan version has all the flavors and textures you expect from a Classic Broccoli Crunch Salad. It's super satisfying and filling without being heavy!
A hit for picnics, potlucks and lunches, it holds beautifully for days in the fridge.
“I've made this salad several times and every time… I bring home an empty bowl!”
- Kimberly
OMG! Salad Dressings
A salad is only as good as its dressing: boring dressing = boring salad. An amazing dressing changes everything - it's makes salads exciting to eat. Here's a few 5 minute dressings & sauces I batch mix so there's always an incredible homemade dressing in the fridge:
- Creamy White Balsamic Dressing
- Miso Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Everyday Lemon Vinaigrette
- Asian Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Vegan Caesar Dressing
- Sweet and Spicy Tahini
- Creamy Sesame Ginger Dressing
What Makes a Crunch Salad Craveable?
Salad Boosters launch your crunch salad from ordinary to extraordinary. They are the supreme crunch upgrade that can be prepped ahead then stored in the fridge ready to use all week. Here's just a few popular salad crunchies to try:
- Crispy Shredded Sweet Potatoes: This addictively spicy, salty, crunchy salad topper is baked (not fried), and they stay crunchy for days.
- Crispy Roasted Edamame: Only 5 minutes of hands on time to make these chewy, crispy flavor bombs in the oven or air fryer. High protein, high fiber, tons of flavor, and EASY to make.
- Crispy Roasted Lentils: The best salad topper of all time! Easy to make, super flavorful, Incredibly crunchy, high protein, high fiber, and gluten free.
- Crispy Quinoa: Quinoa is good, crispy quinoa is spectacular!
- Toasted Ramen Noodles or Chow Mein Noodles: Easy, quick, inexpensive, super crunchy. Toast them in the air fryer, toaster oven or the oven until lightly golden.
I share tons of tips and recipes for How to Make an Epic Salad on this post if you want a template for creating incredible salads that people actually want to eat!
More Tasty Salad Recipes
Looking for more even more delicious salad recipes?:
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
- Taco Salad Bowl
- Favorite Vegan Caesar Salad
- Quinoa Chickpea Salad
- Spicy Southwestern Salad with Tex-Mex Dressing
If you make any of these crunch salad recipes, I’d love to hear how they turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers find my recipes.
If you're hungry for more craveable vegan recipes that everyone loves, join my free Newsletter.
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