Fresh and crunchy or grilled and smoky, salads are a wonderful way to use seasonal produce and incorporate new and diverse flavors. In this post, we’ve rounded up our favorite & easy side dish salad recipes that can serve as the perfect compliment to your summer BBQ, or can stand alone as a light dinner meal.
Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey, cranberries, and pecans to make this vibrant fall salad
We love to use seasonal ingredients in our cooking. We find it makes for the best flavor, price, and sustainability! What better way to use all those fresh fruits and veggies than a bright, crisp salad? But salads aren’t just for summer! Just ask Williams-Sonoma and their Salad of the Day calendar.
So what do you include in a seasonal salad? Everyone knows that tomatoes taste best in the summer. But in the fall, roast turkey, apples and cranberries make for great add-ins. Winter brings crunchy broccoli and kale. While in the spring, scan your farmer’s market for tender asparagus or top your salad with perfectly grilled salmon.
The salads listed below can be shared family style as a side dish to BBQ meat or a holiday roast. Or when topped with their own protein, can serve as a deliciously light dinner idea all on their own.
Delicious Side Salads Recipes
Serve alongside grilled chicken, BBQ ribs, or your Sunday roast.
1
Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad Recipe
A simple and delicious grilled romaine Caesar salad elevated with some smoky crispy pancetta (or bacon), grilled lemon, and grilled baguette slices to sub for croutons, and instructions on how to grill romaine lettuce.
Grilled Beet Salad with Rosé Infused Cranberries and Bacon
Beets are incredible cooked on the grill, and even better topped with rosé wine infused cranberries and smoked bacon. This will be your favorite salad all summer long!
Coleslaw is great as a basic side or even a salad. Here are some of our favorites.
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8
Quick and Easy Coleslaw Recipe
This is the easiest coleslaw recipe that works for any occasion. It's great on everything, from a salad to a topping for a great sandwich or slider. This is the best coleslaw recipe you want in your recipe box.
This no mayo coleslaw is made with smoked pickled onions and is fantastic loaded onto pulled pork or chicken sandwiches or as a great side dish for your next backyard BBQ. Fresh and completely mayo free!
A super simple mayo free coleslaw made with shredded cabbage, sliced carrots and onions, salt and pepper, cumin and apple cider vinegar. Easy and delicious, with no mayo.
Healthy Grilled Buffalo Salad recipe that satisfies all your wing cravings, without the guilt. Keto friendly, gluten free, sugar free, low carb, and can easily be adjusted for Paleo and Whole 30.
Grilled Acorn Squash Salad is the perfect side dish or hearty main dish for your fall entertaining or family dinners. Grilling acorn squash is super easy, and adds incredible flavor to this easy salad!
Smoking beets adds incredible flavor to this earthy root vegetable. The smoked beets are slowly smoked until tender, and then served with a creamy goat cheese ranch dip. This recipe was inspired by a restaurant dish I had at the Bird & The Bottle in Santa Rosa, California.
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I'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, founder of Vindulge, and author of Fire + Wine cookbook. Thanks for stopping by!
