Updated potluck salads for the summer 2024 season from crisp slaws and creamy potato salads to creative grain salads and International faves.
image source: Issuu
Let’s dig in!
Bean Salads
Take the good old 3 bean salad Grandma made, for instance. It was good, if a little slimy, and I’d argue that you can still make a killer bean salad from canned beans. With a little creativity and some great fresh ingredients, the bean salad can once again rule the potluck table!
- Edamame Salad ~ an Asian inspired bean salad employing creamy edamame beans and lots of colorful crunch!
- Chickpea Salad with Pesto ~ vibrant basil pesto makes a fabulous and unexpected dressing for this Mediterranean bean salad ~ the deeply toasted pine nuts are the bomb.
- Mediterranean Bean Salad ~ a loaded bean salad with all the healthy benefits of the Mediterranean diet!
Pasta Salads
It’s the ultimate warm weather comfort food, who doesn’t love a pasta salad? But the same old mayo-drenched elbow macaroni doesn’t cut it anymore. Here are some inspiring pasta salad updates…
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad ~ this gorgeous pasta salad is a meal in itself.
- BLT Pasta Salad ~ takes your favorite sammie and turns it into the best summer side ever.
- Thai Spaghetti Salad ~ a classic with a Thai spin, peanut dressing and all.
Chopped Salads
This might just be my favorite potluck category. I love a great chopped salad; they’re colorful, and so bamboo plate and fork friendly.
- Arabic/Israeli Salad Recipe with Za’atar Dressing ~ an old favorite on the blog, the fresh crunch of this salad is epic. In Israel they eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
- Chopped Asparagus Salad ~ this colorful salad makes a beautiful presentation.
- Cowboy Caviar ~ this micro-chopped salad can double as a dip!
Vegetable Salads
Summer’s bounty is starting to pour in, and vegetable salads are a great way to celebrate it.
- Summer Beet and Corn Salad ~ this vegetable salad is hearty enough for a meal, and I can’t stop eating it!
- Farmer’s Market Vegetable Salad ~ when you can’t decide which fresh veggies to buy, buy them all! (The tarragon anchovy lemon vinaigrette is to-die-for.)
- Summer Vegetable Salad ~ fresh corn, ripe tomatoes and crunchy green beans star in this multicolored salad!
Fruit Salads
Fruit salads can be amazing, or they can be downright yucky ~ it’s all in the details. Try one of these, there’s not a mushy banana or canned mandarin in the bunch.
- Melon Salad with Chile and Lime ~ a south of the border inspired salad and a lovely way to use a ubiquitous summer melon.
- Berry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing ~ a celebration of summer’s best berries.
- Red White and Blueberry Salad ~ we make this patriotic fruit salad for Memorial Day and 4th of July, for sure!
Grain Salads
Hearty grain salads are the comfort food of the salad world. They’re especially helpful to vegans and vegetarians who have to hunt and peck their way through a potluck lineup.
- Jeweled Tabbouleh ~ a dressed up version of the classic Middle Eastern cracked wheat salad.
- Instant Pot Wheat Berry Salad ~ A year round salad that goes from the office to the potluck and picnic.
- Wheat Berry Salad with Beets ~ hearty and really delicious, the sweetness of the beets plays well with the earthy wheat berries.
Potato Salads
Potato salads can be incredibly…boring, so I suggest boosting them with extra flavor. For instance, how about dill pickles, a garlicky aioli dressing, or eggs, herbs and mustard seeds?
- Mom’s Creamy Potato Salad Recipe ~ we spruced mom’s recipe up for a new generation!
- French Potato Salad ~ proof once again that the French do everything better.
- Greek Lemon Potato Salad ~ this bright lemony version will perk up your potluck table for sure.
Corn Salads
My favorite summer veg stars in these crowd pleasing potluck salads. Try using roasted corn for a next level flavor.
- Corn and Cucumber Salad ~ a simple old timey salad makes a nice change from coleslaw and potato salad.
- Sweet Corn and Watermelon Salad ~ this fun salad is the perfect way to beat the summer heat.
- Creamy Sweet Corn Salad ~ an easy summer side dish with lots of fresh basil and a yummy sour cream and buttermilk dressing.
Couscous Salads
Technically a pasta, couscous is in a class by itself. The tiny grains are super quick to prep, and they take on so many different flavor profiles. Made without mayo, these are the perfect potluck salads.
- Curried Couscous Salad ~ I guarantee this golden salad will light up any picnic or potluck table. It’s the summer side that goes with everything.
- Watermelon and Couscous Salad ~ this unique refreshing salad with mint and feta is a Middle Eastern classic!
- Lemon Couscous Salad ~ this light fluffy and lemony couscous salad is a family favorite.
Slaws
No collection of summer potluck salads can be complete without the slaws. Light, bright, and so delicious, I load them on anything and everything.
- Red Cabbage and Dill Slaw ~ slaw doesn’t get any prettier than this, so festoon all your summer meals.
- Green Goddess Coleslaw ~ the herbaceous flavors just pop!
- Caesar Kale Slaw ~ the love child of a healthy kale slaw and a decadent Caesar salad, this one is so good!
Internationally Inspired Salads
This might be my favorite potluck salads of all, they bring a global flair to the party.
- French Carrot Salad ~ the French have a way of making the simplest things seem super elegant!
- Thai Mango Salad ~ a vibrant recipe from a cuisine famous for its refreshing salads.
- Asian Slaw ~ an Asian fusion salad with everything I love, down to the peanut dressing.
Miscellaneous Salads
These are the delicious potluck salads that refuse to be boxed in
- Ramen Salad ~ a vintage potluck salad that deserves a comeback.
- Creamy Cucumber Salad ~ a simple refreshing salad with a creamy sour cream dressing.
- Snap Pea Salad ~ use a bag of already prepped snap peas to make this crunchy salad in minutes.
Hello! Great collection here! Curious what salad is featured in the cover/first photograph? It looks like shrimp with long ribbons of zucchini or cucumber? I would love to see if you have an entree salad collection with protein options.
That shot is of a potluck party, and that shrimp dish looks to be made with cucumber ribbons peeled with a “y” shaped peeler or a mandoline. I do have lots of main course salads with protein options, I’ve got a post all about them, here.
can’t wait to try some of these salads! but do you have a favourite pea salad or two?
My favorite pea salad is my snap pea salad, we make in weekly these days! (recipe here.) But if you mean a loose pea salad, no, I don’t. I’ll have to get to that this summer!
Sue, I am so glad I found you again. After quite a while of not seeing you, I stumbled on your site and jumped for joy. Have to say, I am especially glad you are posting all these salads. I adore your desserts, but I am on a health kick because all my docs are telling me to do something about my diabetes. And also, I was feeling awful. So I just printed up your salads and am going to have fun with them. I made your previously posted asparagus salad. It was beautiful and my husband wolfed it down. So thank you for all your (must be) hard work. I adore cheery and tasty food, and yours is that. I expect to regain my former health, at which time I will explore the ice creams. Optomistically printing them!
I’ve already made two of these salads and June isn’t over yet! The rainbow chard salad ended up being a hit! Thanks!
Thanks Maren! I always lust after the rainbow chard at the farmers market and I’m so glad I have a recipe for it 🙂
Now I’m currently craving all of these salads! How do I sign up for an invite to your next picnic?! 🙂
Thanks a bunch! Some great Summertime goodness here! Yum!
What an incredible roundup – this makes me want to have a summer party with bowls of these gorgeous salads. Pinned!
Thanks so much! Love the site!
You’re so welcome Doroth!
What a fantastic resource, just in time for summer entertaining. I’ve already gone to several of the recipes and pinned them, and I very much appreciated the many tips you include in your recipes (loved reading about how best to prepare gluten-free pasta, as I have several friends/relatives who require it, but I’ve never been a fan. Will have to try your tips to make it tastier!). Thanks so much – this will be my go-to list this summer for sure!
Thanks Jean, I have a passion for potlucks, and I can easily skip the grill and load up my plate with yummy salads. I’m glad this was useful for you ~ happy summer!
The salad on the lower right of the title graphic looks scrumptious surrounding the dressing. It looks like it may have shrimp in it as well. Which salad is it? Is the recipe in this collection?
That’s a shrimp pad Thai, Doroth, click here for the recipe.