16 Side Salad Recipes to Complete Any Meal

Serving a salad next to a main—especially one that’s protein-rich—is a great way to balance a heavier meal with something that’s light and refreshing. But just because you’re serving a salad on the side doesn’t mean it needs to be bland and boring. Side salads can offer flavors and textures that complement a meal—and can sometimes even steal the show. From Korean cucumber banchan to a classic Caesar, and even some options with grains, these are our favorite side salad recipes to complete your meal.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

This recipe yields a crunchy, creamy, refreshing cucumber salad thanks to tahini, lemon, and fresh dill.

The Fully Loaded Iceberg Wedge Salad

This classic salad is a celebration of rich, cooling flavors and a diversity of textures.

Horiatiki (Greek Salad)

For the best Greek side salad, pit the olives, soak the onions in red wine vinegar, and top with slabs of feta.

Oi Muchim (Korean Marinated Cucumber Banchan)

These marinated Korean cucumbers are tart, spicy, and just a touch sweet. You may not want dill pickles again.

The Best Caesar Salad

This crowd-pleasing salad consists of crisp romaine leaves, crunchy croutons, and a little or a lot of anchovy, as you like.

Kale Caesar Salad

Marinating tough kale leaves in oil transforms them into tender salad greens in this riff on the classic Caesar.

Trevisano Radicchio Salad

This bright and citrusy salad balances bitter with sweet, while adding freshness, acid, a little heat, and some texture.

Tiger Salad (Lao Hu Cai), à la Xi’an Famous Foods

Savory, refreshing, and tart, this dish is inspired by the lao hu cai, or “tiger vegetable salad,” served at Xi’an Famous Foods.

Warm Kale and Caramelized Mushroom Salad

This salad features deeply golden brown sautéed mushrooms paired with hearty kale and a tangy sherry vinegar dressing.

Charred Brussels Sprouts and Leek Muchim With Coffee-Dijon Dressing

Marinated charred Brussels sprouts and raw leeks combine with a coffee-Dijon dressing for the ultimate Korean banchan-inspired salad.

Roman-Inspired Mixed-Green Salad (Misticanza alla Romana)

For a truly great mixed greens salad, make your own mix with the freshest stuff you can find: whole heads of lettuce, radicchio, herbs, dandelion greens, and more.

Snap Pea Salad With Mint and Tahini-Harissa Dressing

Sweet snap peas and mint is a classic combination that lends itself well to variation, like in this light, cooling, and slightly spicy salad.

Red Cabbage Salad With Roasted Cipollini Onions

This salad combines gorgeously sweet, meltingly tender roasted cipollini onions with red cabbage, bitter chicory, walnuts, and crumbled goat cheese.

Carrot Salad With Yogurt, Ghee, and Barberry Dressing

This simple salad dresses up shaved and pickled carrot with perky barberries and warm spiced ghee.

Radicchio, Endive, and Anchovy Salad

Bitter greens like radicchio, Belgian endive, and parsley take on a surprising sweetness when paired with fennel and celery dressed in an aggressively savory anchovy vinaigrette.

Wild Rice Salad With Mushrooms, Celery Root, and Pine Nuts

This easy wild rice salad (or dressing, or stuffing) is deeply savory and earthy, thanks to sautéed mushrooms, celery root, and toasted pine nuts.