Fresh and Light Summer Salads

I don’t know about you, but I often turn to lighter, simpler meals when the weather heats up. When the produce is inexpensive and at its peak flavor throughout the summer… you’ll likely find a fresh salad on our dinner table each evening.

We tend to want refreshing meals that can be pulled together in minutes so we can get back to enjoying life! If you’re the same, don’t worry; we have a TON of salads here at CFC.

Here are 25 light, refreshing salads for you to try this summer!

1. Fresh Cucumber Watermelon Summer Salad

Watermelon and cucumber are some of the most hydrating fruits, so this salad is fantastic for the summer when we need something refreshing. Plus, they contain vitamin C and other antioxidants and nutrients that can help protect our skin from sun damage.

2. Zesty Lemony Salmon Salad

This salad is simple and delicious. Also, wild-caught salmon is often considered a superfood with more vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory benefits.

3. Delightful Steak Cobb Salad

Each bite is a wonderful blend of flavors and textures, making the Steak Cobb Salad a satisfying meal. Combining protein, healthy fats, and fresh veggies will leave you feeling full and content!

4. Grilled Watermelon Blue Cheese Salad

Save the super fun recipe for your next outdoor BBQ! Lightly grilling fresh fruit caramelizes the natural sugars and brings out the sweet flavor of the fruit, so it tastes amazing. 

5. Veggie-Packed Chicken Salad in a Jar

These jar salads are creative and perfect for meal prepping! You can prepare them early, and they’ll remain fresh for 3-4 days, meaning you’ll have a quick lunch ready for your busier days.

6. Stone Fruit + Melon Summer Salad

There’s an abundance of fruit in the summer, and I love experimenting with different combinations to make salads like this one. Feel free to get creative and change the recipe however you’d like, and then serve it as a delicious snack, appetizer, dessert, or breakfast! 

7. Fresh Chopped Veggie + Bean Salad

If you’re looking for a simple dish to bring to that get-together or party that’ll delight the taste buds, this is great!

8. Lemon + Parmesan Marinated Summer Squash Salad

Our gardens and farmers’ markets are overflowing with fresh summer squash, so I decided to create a new tasty salad. It’s excellent as a side dish to share at your next party!

9. Healthy Creamy Potato Salad

Picnics, boating, beaching, BBQ, or a family reunion potluck just aren’t complete without a bowl of homemade potato salad, so here’s an updated version of the traditional recipe for you to try!

10. French Bistro Salad

I love how bright and colorful this salad is! It’s a fantastic side dish to serve alongside heartier foods to help balance your meal.

11. Salmon Chopped Salad

This Salmon Chopped Salad is bursting with flavorful and colorful veggies, then tossed in the most delightful, bright, lemony homemade dressing that compliments the salmon perfectly!

12. Chickpea Chopped Salad

As you can tell, I love chopped salads! They’re tasty and almost meditative to make. This one is also full of health benefits thanks to the chickpeas, which can help control blood sugar, manage weight, and support heart and gut health.

13. Pickle Lover’s Chicken Salad

Here’s a different salad for you! Wrapping the chicken salad with lettuce makes it almost like a crunchy and healthy burrito, which is great for a refreshing lunch.

14. Beetroot + Cucumber Herby Salad

In addition to tasting amazing and being easy to make, this salad has an impressive nutritional value! Beets are one of the most nutrition-packed vegetables in the world because they’re packed with fiber, folate (vitamin B9), potassium, iron, manganese, and vitamin C.

15. Fresh Corn and Zucchini Salad

If you’re a fresh corn and zucchini lover, you’re going to really enjoy this chopped salad! Garlicky, limey, and a little spicy, thanks to the jalapeños. It’s so good!

16. Watermelon + Cucumber + Feta Salad

The flavors here complement each other so well! The saltiness of the cheese balances out the sweetness of the watermelon, then brightens with the addition of fresh-picked herbs.

17. Chicken & Blueberry Salad

Nothing says summer like a fresh berry salad — add perfectly grilled chicken, and you’ve got a meal! Feel free to switch out the blueberries with raspberries, strawberries, or whatever your favorite berries are.

18. Asparagus Summer Salad

Green galore! We love the arugula, cucumber, avocado, and asparagus in this tasty salad. Asparagus is incredibly nutrient-dense with many vitamins A, C, and K, disease-fighting antioxidants, and fiber.

19. Greek Inspired Chicken Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette

It may seem like a regular salad, but this beauty is anything BUT regular! The marinated chicken is divine, and the homemade croutons add that essential crunch without the unhealthy, cheap, inflammatory oils in store-bought croutons.

20. Summer Squash Ribbon Salad

This summer squash + zucchini salad is fairly simple to prep, but the result is full of fresh flavors and impressive beautiful ribbons. It’s one of my favorite salads, and I’m sure you’ll know why as soon as you taste it!

21. Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Here’s a splendid dinner idea for the whole family, OR you can make a few servings this weekend, then tuck them away in your fridge for meal prep this week!

22. Marinated Garden Tomato + Crisp Cucumber Summer Salad

This is another refreshing and hydrating salad for you to enjoy when the temperatures spike. It’s also very easy on the wallet since the cucumbers and tomatoes are pretty inexpensive this time of year.

23. Lemony Chicken Schnitzels Salad

Ultra-crispy tender chicken morsels on top of a big pile of bright greens that are coated in the delicious lemon dressing! Absolute perfection, seriously!

24. Green Goddess Shrimp Salad

The effort put into making this salad is entirely worth it. And not only do anchovies add loads of flavor to this dressing, but they are also incredibly rich in healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, which are powerful at reducing inflammation.

25. Summer Steak Salad

I adore this combo SO much! We have crunchy cucumber, creamy avocado, and fresh sweet corn cut from the cob. Plus, the wonderfully cooked steak and the tangy dressing make this an ultra-satisfying summer meal. 

It was REALLY hard for me to pick only 25 salads, but these are some of my favorites, and I hope you find a new staple for your weekly menu!

Let me know your favorite light email to eat in the summer in the comments below. 

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