Seven super salad recipes for holiday BBQ and potluck

When I'm hosting a party, it's never a potluck. I guess this marks me as a control freak, but when I'm organizing a meal, I like to know what will be on the table. However, invite me to bring a dish to a barbecue or potluck, and I'll happily oblige. A few basic questions (main dish or side salad? food allergies or aversions?) help me select a recipe to make. This summer, if you invite me, you'll likely get one of these seven super salads (a few are sides, and a few are main dish salads) for your holiday meal.

Despite the fact that corn season in New England doesn't start until after July 4 and a lime shortage that's raised prices astronomically, I've been making corn and black bean salad with sweet lime dressing (top photo) since the the winter, to brighten up those dreary days. It just might be the perfect side dish for barbecue.

This quinoa rainbow salad with asparagus, feta, and orange-tarragon vinaigrette, a favorite recipe from my e-book Dress Up Your Salad, would be a great side salad or gluten-free main course. It just might win the "most beautiful potluck dish" award, too.

Traditional potato salad, full of mayonnaise, isn't ideal for a summer potluck, but this French potato salad, mayo-free, will please vegans and omnivores alike with its mustard dressing. And, it's guaranteed not to spoil in the heat.

Buying a bag of broccoli slaw from the market will save you oodles of time, and this broccoli slaw salad with dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and an easy yogurt dressing adds a festive touch to any holiday table.

One of my favorite main dish salads, this shrimp, couscous, feta and herb salad with a bright tomato vinaigrette has a little something for everyone, and it can be made a day ahead (which is a little gift for the cook!).

Every party needs a good chicken salad. You can use leftover cooked chicken, or a rotisserie chicken, to pull together this curried chicken salad with bell pepper, peanuts and raisins.

This Greek pasta salad with lots of veggies and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette has been pinned more than 56,000 times on Pinterest, so you know it's good!

For lots more salad ideas for the holiday weekend and all year round, check out my new e-book, Dress Up Your Salad.

Need some new ideas to turn your same-old salad into exciting salad? Download Dress Up Your Salad, my e-book packed with easy mix-and-match recipes, full-color photos and a few fun videos. Fantastic salad recipes can be just one click away, on any computer, tablet or smart phone, with the FREE Kindle Reading app. Click here to learn more.

Despite the fact that corn season in New England doesn't start until after July 4 and a lime shortage that's raised prices astronomically, I've been making corn and black bean salad with sweet lime dressing (top photo) since the the winter, to brighten up those dreary days. It just might be the perfect side dish for barbecue.

This quinoa rainbow salad with asparagus, feta, and orange-tarragon vinaigrette, a favorite recipe from my e-book Dress Up Your Salad, would be a great side salad or gluten-free main course. It just might win the "most beautiful potluck dish" award, too.

Traditional potato salad, full of mayonnaise, isn't ideal for a summer potluck, but this French potato salad, mayo-free, will please vegans and omnivores alike with its mustard dressing. And, it's guaranteed not to spoil in the heat.

Buying a bag of broccoli slaw from the market will save you oodles of time, and this broccoli slaw salad with dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and an easy yogurt dressing adds a festive touch to any holiday table.

One of my favorite main dish salads, this shrimp, couscous, feta and herb salad with a bright tomato vinaigrette has a little something for everyone, and it can be made a day ahead (which is a little gift for the cook!).

Every party needs a good chicken salad. You can use leftover cooked chicken, or a rotisserie chicken, to pull together this curried chicken salad with bell pepper, peanuts and raisins.

This Greek pasta salad with lots of veggies and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette has been pinned more than 56,000 times on Pinterest, so you know it's good!

For lots more salad ideas for the holiday weekend and all year round, check out my new e-book, Dress Up Your Salad.

Need some new ideas to turn your same-old salad into exciting salad? Download Dress Up Your Salad, my e-book packed with easy mix-and-match recipes, full-color photos and a few fun videos. Fantastic salad recipes can be just one click away, on any computer, tablet or smart phone, with the FREE Kindle Reading app. Click here to learn more.

Comments

Lydia,
Yum!
I'm pretty casual about entertaining--if someone wants to go to the trouble of bringing something I'm glad to put it on the table, though a bunch of flowers or a bottle of wine is also welcome ;)
I'm thinking I'll make a couple of salads to enjoy while I'm entertaining my mother in law (why yes, commenting is a terrific way to procrastinate when you have cleaning to attend to).
Thanks for the ideas!

Kirsten, you can never have too many salads, so procrastinate away!

I am with you - and not OCD at all - I would rather my guests bring whatever it is they like to drink and let me do the cooking!