Food

Main Course Salads

January 2, 2014

Sometimes a colorful, hearty salad is all you need for a stellar meal. Here are some of our favorite recipes for main course salads, from the artfully composed California Cobb to a simple lamb salad.

Grilled Vegetable and Barley Salad — Barley is typically eaten in a pudding for breakfast or dessert in Egypt, but in this recipe from cookbook author Suzanne Zeidy, it's turned into a hearty salad, seasoned with cumin and chiles, and tossed with grilled vegetables, feta, and pistachios. Get the recipe for Grilled Vegetable and Barley Salad »Helen Cathcart

Sausage and Arugula Pasta Salad — Pasta salads are essential summer food: they travel well; they're easy to adapt to whatever produce you have on-hand; and they're simple to make in large portions, making them perfect dishes to carry to parties, picnics, and barbecues. Get the recipe for Sausage and Arugula Pasta Salad »Farideh Sadeghin

Simple Weeknight Meal, Grilled Halloumi and Cherry Salad — The sweetness of cherries balances the saltiness of halloumi in this simple summer salad, perfect for a side or a main dish.Farideh Sadeghin

Honey-Grilled Chicken with Citrus Salad — This grilled chicken dish is the Holy Trinity of weeknight cooking: delicious, quick, and made from easy-to-find ingredients.Farideh Sadeghin

Eritrean Spicy Tomato Bread Salad with Yogurt (Fata) — In the Horn of Africa, they serve a version of panzanella tossed not with fresh tomatoes, but with a rich, spicy tomato stew. Crusty bread soaks up the juices and cooling yogurt provides contrast and sweet relief.Matt Taylor-Gross

Houston, Chris Shepherd, Grilling, Soba Salad — Instead of the cookout-classic pasta salad, serve this refreshing Asian noodle dish zipped up with crunchy vegetables.Drew Anthony Smith

Lentil Salad with Beets and Pomegranate — Packed full of glowing winter produce—sweet roasted beets, tart pomegranate seeds—this lentil salad makes a colorful addition to the winter table. Pair it with chicken, beef, lamb, or fish, or serve it as a vegetarian main; it's hearty enough to stand on its own.Farideh Sadeghin

Seaweed Salad with Orange and Macadamia Nuts — Chef Josita Hartanto of Berlin's Lucky Leek mixes three marinated seaweeds with sweet caramelized mushrooms, steamed vinegary rice, and crisp toasted nori in this vegan rice bowl. All of the seaweeds used here can be found online so search them out, as they each contribute a different texture and taste to this salad. Get the recipe for Seaweed Salad with Orange and Macadamia Nuts »Matt Taylor-Gross

Warm Wheat Berry Salad with Fava Beans and Trout Roe — This warm salad, from Elise Kornack of the Brooklyn restaurant Take Root, is a satisfying main course thanks to chewy, protein-packed wheat berries.Romulo Yanes

Grilled Octopus with Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Anchovy Vinaigrette — Tacolicious owner Sara Deseran first discovered this smoky salad, from Neil Fraser of LA's Redbird, while cooking at the annual Sabores San Miguel festival in Mexico. The trick to getting tender, flavorful octopus is boiling it first, then marinating and grilling it.Farideh Sadeghin

Charred Asparagus and Egg Salad — Super easy and fresh, this is a perfect dish for spring, but also translates well to outdoor cooking in the summer.Farideh Sadeghin

French Lentil Salad with Blue Cheese — A neutral base of lentil salad lets the pleasant sharpness of the Bleu d'Auvergne cheese, which is aged in sweet wine at La Fromagerie du Comtat, take center stage in this salad from Sue Conley and Peggy Smith of Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station, California. Any creamy cow's milk blue will work well in its place.Nicole Franzen

Soba Noodle Salad with Miso and Grilled Prawns — A miso marinade doubles as a dressing for a flavorful salad composed of watercress, scallions, and soba noodles. Get the recipe for Soba Noodle Salad with Miso and Grilled Prawns »Farideh Sadeghin

Quinoa Salad with Snap Peas, Scallions, and Mint — This light quinoa salad, filled with scallions, mint, snap peas, and crisp haricots verts tossed in a Dijon vinaigrette, makes a perfect summer side dish for picnics and barbecues.Matt Taylor-Gross

Salade Niçoise — A French bistro staple, this provençal salad combines tuna, olives, cucumber, green beans, anchovies, and other spring vegetables for a filling and protein-rich meal.Todd Coleman

Sautéed Crab with Avocado, Grapefruit and Herb Salad — Crabmeat is rubbed with a smoky chile paste, then sautéed and tossed in a refreshing salad of creamy avocado, tart grapefruit, and herbs.Penny De Los Santos

Guatemalan Composed Salad (Fiambre) — Fiambre, which means "served cold," is only eaten in Guatemala on All Saint's Day.Todd Coleman

Goose Confit and Fig Salad — For this luxurious salad, top spicy arugula with a rich confit of braised goose leg and fresh black mission figs.Todd Coleman

Chinese Chicken Salad — Variations on this salad have been served in Los Angeles everywhere from the Fox Studios Commissary to Wolfgang Puck's Chinois on Main.André Baranowski

Cobb Salad — Los Angeles's Brown Derby closed its doors long ago, but this classic salad, invented in 1937 by the restaurant's owner, Robert H. Cobb, lives on.André Baranowski

Salade Lyonnaise — Hailing from Lyon, this French bistro standard gathers a delectable trio of bitter frisée, runny poached egg, and crisp lardons.Andre Baranowski

Greek Pasta Salad — Tangy feta and crunchy veggies get extra body from rotini in this classic Greek-inspired pasta salad.Maxime Iattoni

watermelon radish salad, easy salads, summer salad recipe — At Los Angeles’ Lemonade restaurant, crunchy radishes, snap peas, and medium-rare seared tuna are tossed in a ginger-soy dressing for a crisp and colorful entrée salad.Ingalls Photography

Farmer's Salad with Beet Vinaigrette — This salad is topped with a bright thick sweet-tart pickled beet dressing.James Oseland

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