A collection of my most searched and best loved vegan summer salad recipes! They are easy, fresh, and super flavorful. So whether you’re looking for a veggie-forward everyday salad, a hearty plant-based dinner salad or you just want to make better tasting salads, I'm sure you'll find a new favorite right here.
My family loves a BIG vibrant, flavorful salad; and I make A LOT of them. So I know the secret to a good summer salad is tons of texture, extra crunchiness, and a killer salad dressing to pull everything together.
If you want to transform your salad game or are just interested in adding more plant-based meals to your weekly rotation, you're sure to find tons of inspiration below. You'll find everything from simple green salads to pasta salads, grain based salads, BIG chopped dinner salads and more. These all-season salad recipes are make ahead friendly and are perfect for healthy lunches, weeknight dinners, potlucks, summer picnics, and family gatherings.
Let's get straight to the list!
Thai Crunch Salad (vegan + gf)
A vegan spin on CPK's Thai Crunch Salad, this healthy, vegan salad recipe is an irresistible combination of crunchy shredded vegetables, toasted nuts and seeds, topped with the most incredible, drinkable spicy peanut ginger dressing. When you're craving a BIG salad with epic flavor and crunch overload, this Thai Crunch Salad with Thai peanut salad dressing is ready in 30 minutes. Perfect for making ahead all summer long!
Check out this recipe
The BEST Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe
As Tina Turner always says, this Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe is 'simply the best, better than all the rest'. There's no eggs, anchovies or dairy, but it tastes delicious and authentic! Make it fresh in 10 minutes to take to BBQ, cookouts, picnics and family get togethers. This is everyone's favorite caesar salad (vegan or not)!Keep it gluten free with crunchy chickpea croutons.
Check out this recipe
Vegan Greek Salad with Vegan Feta (easy + gf)
Here's a Vegan Greek Salad that's loaded with a bounty of vibrant, fresh veggies like juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Add in Greek olives, crispy fried capers, and creamy salty vegan feta and you've got yourself the makings of a tasty Greek Salad to serve this summer!Easy to make ahead for lunches, dinner or to take to potlucks and picnics.
Check out this recipe
Easy Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas (vegan, gf)
This healthy, Quinoa Summer Salad Recipe is bursting with a fiesta of flavors. A family favorite, this easy quinoa and chickpea salad is packed with plant protein and nutrients, lots of fresh veggies, and a killer lemon balsamic dressing. It's vegan and gluten free!
Check out this recipe
Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad (with balsamic glaze)
With only a handful of fresh ingredients and 5 minutes, this Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad is ready to devour for a tasty weekday lunch or side dish for dinner. Add a handful of almonds or chickpeas for a heartier, high protein version.Top it off by tossing everything in a balsamic dressing and fresh basil leaves - the flavor profile is irresistible. This salad is oil-free, gluten-free, vegan, and 100% nourishing.
Check out this recipe
Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad (vegan + gf)
This crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad is simply scrumptious. There's a ton of epic crunchiness from fresh veggies, toasted ramen noodles, and a mountain of nuts and seeds; but it's the creamy, savory-sweet sesame ginger dressing that pushes this Asian slaw way over the top. It's a vegan salad people will line up for!Vegan, plant based, and gluten free.
Check out this recipe
Vegan Broccoli Salad Recipe (gluten free)
An easy favorite, this healthy Broccoli Salad is packed with flavor, vibrant colors, and tons of texture. From the creamy, tangy dressing to the red grapes and roasted sunflower seeds, this broccoli salad is perfect for lunches, dinner, picnics, and potlucks!
Check out this recipe
Easy Veggie Pesto Pasta (vegan + gluten free)
If it's pasta salad you're craving, this easy Pesto Pasta Salad is a good one. A foolproof salad recipe, it's easy to make and super adaptable for whatever veggies you have on hand.Ready in 35 minutes or less, this veggie-loaded pesto pasta salad is dairy free, vegan and gluten-free friendly.
Check out this recipe
Southwestern Salad with Spicy Tex Mex Dressing (vegan)
If you're feeling like something a little spicy, try this fast & flavorful Southwest Chopped Salad Recipe. It's a ton of fresh veggies plus avocado, black beans, and charred corn tossed in the most delicious creamy Tex-Mex salad dressing topped with some extra crunch!My daughters' favorite salad that's simple to make for weeknight dinners.
Check out this recipe
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe (vegan + gf)
The most craveable crunchy Brussels sprouts salad ever made with pomegranates, pistachios, and toasted ramen noodles - this salad is a showstopper! Easy-to-make, vegan, and gluten-free this flavorful and festive vegan salad is tossed with the prettiest, creamy-tangy pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette - it'll make your taste buds sing.Easy to customize too - the flavor combinations are endless!
Check out this recipe
Healthy Rainbow Salad with Dairy Free Maple Dijon Vinaigrette (gf)
This Rainbow Garden Salad Recipe is a fresh, nourishing, and simple side salad. Bump up the plant protein by adding chickpeas, quinoa, and sunflower seeds to the bounty of vibrant veggies; and you've got yourself a hearty, plant-based, weekday lunch. Either way, don't forget some crunchy croutons and a fabulous salad dressing to pull everything together.
Check out this recipe
Scrumptious Mason Jar Salads (vegan + gf)
My family LOVES taking these fun Mason Jar Salads for lunch! The jars are stuffed full of colorful veggies, leafy greens, and plant protein like quinoa, couscous, and chickpeas or beans. Don't forget your favorite vegan salad dressing!Super healthy, satisfying, and totally customizable, it's easy to meal prep the whole week's worth of lunches in one go!
Check out this recipe
Bonus Salad Recipes
I make these two vegan salads all the time. The 'smashed' chickpea salad is my husband's favorite and the vegan egg salad is my all time favorite for sandwiches. They both store well in the fridge for a few days and are delicious on toast for breakfast!
Vegan Chickpea Salad (high protein + gf)
This vegan Chickpea Salad Recipe is really easy to make and tastes really good. We love it in sandwiches or pitas with a ton of crunchy veggies, sprouts, and pickled red onions. But it's a fantastic way to bump up the plant protein in a huge salad at lunchtime too. Switch up the flavor by adding a mix of different fresh herbs like parsley, dill, basil or cilantro.
Check out this recipe
THE BEST Vegan Egg Salad Recipe (gf)
When I tell you this Vegan Egg Salad is the closest you’ll taste to traditional egg salad without eggs, I’m not joking! It is absolutely incredible, takes under 20 minutes to make, is packed with lean plant protein, and is super creamy and eggy.Enjoy as a vegan egg salad sandwich or add a big scoop to a leafy green salad to bump up the plant protein. Made with cooked tofu, this egg salad is gluten free and vegan.
Check out this recipe
Well, I hope you have some fresh new ideas for vegan salad recipes! Let me know your favorites in the comments below. And if you're looking for more oil-free vegan salad dressings or gluten free vegan salad dressings, check out the blog!
14 Vegan Salad Recipes Everyone Loves! (Bonus Dragon Dressing Recipe)
Everyone knows the secret to a great salad is a killer salad dressing! This magical Dragon Dressing is the most flavorful vegan salad dressing ever. This quick dressing is dairy free, gluten free, and of course plant based.
Rate this recipe!
Equipment
- Vitamix optional
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons water (for thinning as needed)
Optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- I prefer the texture of this dressing when it's blended (you don't have to blend it, but it makes a difference in viscosity). Everything into the Vitamix and blend until smooth.
- OR place all ingredients into a jar, shake it until well mixed. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
NOTES
Tangy or Sour: Add more or less lemon and vinegar.
Sweetener: Sub maple syrup with any sweetener or your choice. Add more or less to taste.
Garlic: If you like a garlicky dressing, feel free to add another clove - however, be aware that the longer the dressing sits in the fridge, the more powerful the flavors become.
Heat: If you love heat, add a few hot pepper flakes, a squirt of sriracha sauce ot a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Salt: I don't add additional salt because of the soy sauce, you adjust to suit your taste.
Nutritional Yeast: (not the same as baking or Brewer's yeast) Find it in grocery stores in the health aisle (usually), bulk stores or online. Bob's Red Mill is popular in most large grocery stores (but also usually more expensive).
This recipe is from simplyceecee.co food blog. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images or republish this recipe without prior permission. Thank you.
Tried this recipe? Tag me!Mention @ceeceecooks or tag #ceeceecooks
Leave a Reply