Salads are the perfect summer dish. There’s little to no cooking involved, the ingredients are always fresh, and they’re great for any occasion, whether you’re planning a BBQ, family reunion or just a small gathering with loved ones. If you’re looking for refreshing, delicious summer salads for a crowd, I have 20 recipes that you’ll love.
20 Refreshing Summer Salads to Make for a Crowd
1. BLT Pasta Salad
I love the flavors of the recipe and how easily it comes together. For this salad, you’ll need your favorite short cut pasta (like rotini), spicy cheddar, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, avocado and cooked bacon. You can skip the bacon if you want to make this a vegetarian dish or use grilled chicken instead as a healthier option.
Half Baked Harvest also includes their recipe for jalapeno ranch dressing, which I can’t recommend enough.
2. Best Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad is synonymous with summer, and this classic recipe is the perfect side dish. Yes, the ingredient list is long, but it’s so easy to make. I recommend using a food processor to speed up the prep process.
You’ll need elbow macaroni pasta, fresh vegetables, hardboiled eggs, parsley and a few other ingredients. For the dressing, whisk mayo with sour cream, apple cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. You can make this ahead of time – it tastes better the next day.
3. Lemon Herb Potato Salad
One of the best and easiest summer salads for a crowd is potato salad. You can easily make a huge batch at once, and it always tastes better after sitting overnight in the fridge.
I love this recipe because it adds lemon into the mix for a refreshing twist that you don’t always find in potato salad recipes.
I recommend using a good Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice and herbs. Potato salad is simple, so the quality of your ingredients is what will matter most.
4. Panzanella Salad
Panzanella salad is so refreshing and simple – and it’s also a great way to use up old bread. You can easily double this recipe if you’re feeding a large crowd. The base for this salad is so easy and quick to put together: Italian bread, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion and basil. The dressing is just some olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Easy and delicious!
5. Rainbow Vegetable Salad
Want to add a healthy salad to your spread? You’ll love this recipe. It’s a feast for the eyes and the taste buds.
As you may have guessed, this recipe calls for a ton of fresh vegetables: asparagus, bell peppers, greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red cabbage and avocado. Pumpkin seeds, lemon juice and fresh dill add more flavor and nutrients.
6. Pearl Couscous Salad
One of my favorite summer salads for a crowd is this pearl couscous salad. It’s always a crowd-pleaser, but it’s surprisingly simple to make. The citrus dressing is delicious and adds tons of flavor.
For the base of the salad, you’ll need pearl couscous, spinach, tomatoes and red onion. How simple is that? And you can easily double or triple the recipe, depending on the size of the crowd.
Related: How To Eat a Salad Every Day and Like It
7. Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Strawberries and Feta
This salad is the epitome of summer. It has all of your refreshing favorites: watermelon, cucumber and strawberries. Feta, lime juice and mint amp up the flavor. There’s also the option to add thinly sliced jalapeno for a little spice. I dare you to try it!
Your guests will devour this salad, and I recommend serving it in a pretty bowl that makes the colors really pop.
8. Grilled Corn Salad
What’s more refreshing than a grilled corn salad? I highly recommend grilling your corn, but if you can’t, try frying it in a cast iron skillet.
The recipe itself is super simple. You’ll need corn, tomatoes, fresh herbs (basil and parsley), red onion and feta cheese.
9. Broccoli Salad with Bacon
Bacon and broccoli are a match made in heaven in this salad recipe, which also includes slivered almonds, grape tomatoes, sweet onion and smoked Gouda cheese. Spring for the highest quality smoked Gouda you can find because it really complements the bacon and broccoli.
Not a fan of bacon? You can use prosciutto instead or skip it altogether.
10. Sweet Corn Salad with Peaches
Peaches and sweet corn are bountiful in the summer, and while these two summer crops aren’t usually found in the same dish, they work surprisingly well together. They add a subtle sweetness to the salad.
This salad recipe also calls for onion, jalapeno, avocado, lime juice and a few other pantry staples, including honey. You can skip the jalapeno if you aren’t a fan of spicy food, but I think it adds an interesting element to the dish.
11. Black Bean and Corn Salad
Black beans, corn, fresh lime juice and peppers make this dish perfect for summer. While this dish also calls for cojita cheese, you can use feta or whatever kind of cheese you want instead.
The homemade dressing mixes cumin and garlic with avocado oil and lime juice for an explosion of flavor.
Related: Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl Salad
12. Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad
Looking for unique summer salads for a crowd? You’ll love this recipe. It’s different from the usual corn and tomato style salads we see in summer.
For this recipe, you’ll mix shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken will save you time) with coleslaw mix, almonds, dried cranberries, sesame sticks, cilantro, mandarins and a delicious homemade dressing that’s easy to make.
13. Grape Salad
For those super-hot days, this grape salad is perfect for serving a crowd because there’s no cooking involved. You’ll need four pounds of grapes for this recipe, along with cream cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, crushed pecans, brown sugar and confectioner’s sugar.
This salad is really more of a sweet side dish or even a dessert than a main dish. But the kids and everyone else will love it.
14. Italian Tortellini Salad
Pasta salads are a summer staple at our house, and you can’t beat a good tortellini salad. It’s always a crowd-pleaser, and you can load it up with whatever ingredients you have on hand.
This recipe adds deli meat, red onions, tomatoes, fresh bell peppers, Parmesan cheese, basil and a tangy Italian dressing. Serve it in a pretty bowl and watch it disappear in minutes.
15. Caprese Melon Salad with Prosciutto and Mozzarella
Here’s a great salad for a barbeque. The melon and prosciutto pair so well together. To make this salad look as pretty as a picture, you’ll need a melon baller. I also love that this recipe calls for pineapple vinegar, but you can’t find that, you can use any type of vinegar you have in the pantry.
Use the freshest basil, cantaloupe and honeydew you can get your hands on.
Related: 20 Easy High Protein Salads for Meal Prep
16. Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad
A fresh Greek salad is perfect for serving at a summer gathering. This recipe combines fresh red onion, cucumber, kalamata olives and tomatoes with feta cheese, fresh mint, fresh dill and a homemade dressing.
You can add whatever else you want to this dish. Pepperoncini would be a great addition. You can add chickpeas or grilled chicken if you want to add some protein.
17. Antipasto Grain Salad
This fun and flavorful salad serves up to 12 people, so that’s way more than enough for a crowd. This recipe calls for farro, but if you can’t find it, you can use quinoa or even brown rice.
You’ll also need olives, peppadew peppers, pickled pepperoncini, tomatoes, bocconcini and fresh herbs.
18. Zesty Carrot Salad
Want a quick and easy salad that feeds a crowd? Here’s a great one to try. You’ll need some carrots, pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries, pistachios, fresh parsley and spices. The citrus juice dressing adds so much flavor to this dish, as do its unexpected ingredients.
19. Summer Citrus Salad
Citrus always hits the spot on warm, summer days. This vitamin C-packed salad supports the immune system and is filled with other great nutrients thanks to the:
- Mixed greens
- Citrus fruits
- Blackberries
- Red onions
- Avocadoes
- Orange citrus dressing
If you have a local farmer’s market near you, I highly recommend sourcing some of these ingredients there because they taste so much better fresh.
Serve on a wooden salad plate, or in a bowl if you don’t mind all of the flavors mixing together.
20. Best Thai Cucumber Salad
Thai salads are always a delight for the tastebuds. You might think, “it’s just a cucumber salad,” but you’ll add in the flavors of red onions, cilantro, roasted peanuts, salt, Thai sweet chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, sugar and water.
The dressing makes this salad a must-have on a hot summer day or cool summer night.
You’ll need a small sauce pan to make the dressing, measuring cups and tongs to mix all of the ingredients well.
