36 Lettuce-Free Salads to Enjoy All Year

You don’t need lettuce to make a salad. At its core a salad is a combination of ingredients and a dressing. Salads can be served cold, at room temperature or warm. Expanding your idea of what a salad can be opens up options for serving them as sides, mains or make-ahead meals.

Summer is prime no-lettuce salad season, but I make these all year. What changes with the seasons is how much fresh produce I use versus pantry staples. Below is a curated list of favorite no-lettuce salads organized by type.

Without leafy greens you don’t get soggy salads, which makes these recipes excellent for meal prep, lunches, potlucks and entertaining.

Table of Contents

• Bean Salads
• Tomato Salads
• Cucumber Salads
• Pasta Salads
• Grain Salads
• Potato Salads
• Vegetable Salads
• Fruit Salads
• Lentil Salads

Bean Salads

Canned beans are a pantry staple for quick, satisfying salads. Black beans, cannellini, butter beans and chickpeas work especially well because they provide body and protein while pairing easily with fresh vegetables and bright dressings.

Mediterranean Bean Salad

A twist on a three-bean salad with cannellini beans, kidney beans and chickpeas plus red peppers, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and feta, dressed with a zesty vinaigrette.

Get Recipe

Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad

Black beans and grilled corn with avocado and cherry tomatoes, finished with a jalapeño–lime dressing for a mild spicy kick.

Get Recipe

White Bean Salad with Basil Lemon Vinaigrette

Two cans of white beans, chopped red onion and pecorino tossed in a bright basil lemon vinaigrette—simple and flavorful.

Get recipe

Butter Bean Salad

Creamy butter beans pair with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta, tossed in a red wine vinaigrette.

Get Recipe

Tomato Salads

When tomatoes are at their peak I make a tomato salad every day. Use halved cherry tomatoes or large heirlooms cut into wedges—either makes a bright, juicy salad.

Marinated Feta Tomato Salad

Cherry tomatoes with marinated feta—serve it over crusty bread to soak up the dressing and tomato juices.

Get Recipe

Cornbread Panzanella Salad

A panzanella made with cornbread croutons, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and basil for a Southern twist on a classic.

Get Recipe

Avocado Tomato Salad

Creamy avocado with cherry tomatoes, raw corn and cucumbers—simple, fresh and textural.

Get Recipe

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Pick the best heirlooms and combine with fresh mozzarella, toasted pine nuts, chilies, red onion, basil and parsley.

Get Recipe

Cucumber Salads

I prefer English or Persian cucumbers for salads—their skins are tender and they have fewer seeds, so the texture stays crisp.

Chickpea Cucumber Salad

Sliced cucumbers, chickpeas, red onion and feta tossed in a lemony dressing. Turn it into a pasta or grain salad for variety.

Get recipe

Cucumber Carrot Salad

Shredded carrots and cucumbers in a creamy peanut-ginger dressing with scallions, peanuts and cilantro—refreshing and bold.

Get recipe

Pineapple Cucumber Salad

Ripe pineapple, cool cucumbers and creamy avocado finished with crumbled tortilla chips—ideal for hot days.

Get recipe

Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad

A Greek-inspired mix of Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion and feta—simple and bright.

Get recipe

Pasta Salads

Pasta salads are classic no-lettuce options. Combine pasta with roasted, grilled or fresh vegetables and toss in a flavorful dressing for an easy make-ahead meal.

Bruschetta Pasta Salad

Heirloom tomatoes tossed with balsamic and basil then combined with pasta, fresh mozzarella and pine nuts—think bruschetta turned into a salad.

Get recipe

Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad

Grilled zucchini, squash, peppers and red onion tossed with orzo and a lemony dressing—vegan and smoky.

Get recipe

Roasted Vegetable Chickpea Pasta Salad

Roasted vegetables and crispy chickpeas join gluten-free chickpea pasta for a hearty, vegetable-forward dish.

Get recipe

Roasted Broccoli Pasta Salad

Quick-roasted broccoli with toasted almonds, scallions and parmesan in a lemon vinaigrette—multi-season and satisfying.

Get recipe

Grain Salads

Quinoa, barley and couscous add chew and staying power to salads. They’re easy to cook and turn a light salad into a filling main.

Greek Quinoa Salad

Quinoa and chickpeas tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onion and feta in a red wine vinaigrette for a hearty Mediterranean-style salad.

Get recipe

Tabbouleh Barley Salad

This tabbouleh leans into grain with pearl barley alongside parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers for a fresh, textured salad.

Get recipe

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Roasted tomatoes, chickpeas and quinoa combine with cucumbers, olives and feta in a bright dressing—great warm or chilled.

Get recipe

Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad

Roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower and carrots with couscous, parsley and a lemon vinaigrette—great for cooler seasons.

Get recipe

Potato Salads

These potato salads avoid traditional mayo-based recipes and instead use roasted potatoes and sharp vinaigrettes with complementary vegetables and herbs.

Roasted Green Bean Potato Salad

Roasted baby potatoes and green beans with kalamata olives, red onion, feta and parsley in a garlicky vinaigrette.

Get recipe

Roasted Tomato Pesto Potato Salad

Roasted fingerlings and cherry tomatoes dressed in a three-ingredient pesto vinaigrette—one of my mom’s favorites.

Get recipe

Roasted Red Potato Salad

Roasted red potatoes with roasted corn, tossed in a chive vinaigrette for extra crunch and flavor.

Get recipe

Roasted Asparagus Potato Salad

A spring-summer favorite dressed with lemon-mustard vinaigrette combining fingerling potatoes and crisp asparagus.

Get recipe

Vegetable Salads

These salads showcase raw, roasted and grilled vegetables rather than leafy greens. They often serve as both salad and side dish.

Three Pea Salad

Snap peas, snow peas and English peas tossed with feta, scallions, parsley, mint and toasted walnuts—bright and crunchy.

get recipe

Green Bean Salad

Blanched green beans with tomatoes, kalamata olives, parmesan and an Italian vinaigrette.

Get recipe

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Raw broccoli and cauliflower with sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, olives and a tahini vinaigrette for hearty crunch.

get recipe

Grilled Corn Broccoli Salad

Grilled corn and broccoli with fresh herbs, scallions and pecorino dressed in white balsamic vinaigrette.

Get recipe

Fruit Salads

These fruit-forward salads balance sweet, savory and tangy elements so fruit enhances a meal rather than serving as a plain side.

Mango Avocado Salad

Creamy avocado, mango and crisp bell pepper tossed in a honey-lime dressing for a tropical, savory-sweet salad.

Get recipe

Strawberry Feta Salad

Strawberries replace tomatoes in this summer salad with cucumbers, red onion and feta for a bright, slightly sweet result.

Get recipe

Watermelon Cucumber Corn Salad

Smoky grilled corn with watermelon and cucumber, finished with feta, cilantro and fresh lime—perfect for hot-weather meals.

Get recipe

Snap Pea Citrus Salad

Snap peas, mandarin oranges, shredded cabbage and peanuts tossed in a citrusy dressing—crunchy and refreshing.

get recipe

Lentil Salads

Lentils are a go-to base for filling lunch salads. Black lentils in particular stand up to roasted and grilled vegetables while adding protein and texture.

Roasted Zucchini Tomato Lentil Salad

Roasted zucchini and tomatoes combined with lentils, parsley and parmesan, tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette—hearty and flavorful.

Get recipe

Grilled Halloumi Lentil Salad

Grilled halloumi with lentils, cucumbers and tomatoes—an excellent combination of smoky, salty and fresh elements.

Get recipe

Snap Pea Lentil Salad

Raw snap peas with goat cheese, almonds and fresh herbs tossed with lentils for a crisp, spring-forward salad.

Get recipe

Roasted Cauliflower Lentil Salad

A heartier option with roasted cauliflower and red onion, olives, pistachios and parsley—great for fall and winter.

Get recipe