19 Easy Salads You'll Wish Restaurants Knew How to Make

Most restaurant salads feel like an afterthought, but these 19 easy recipes prove they don’t have to. Whether you’re after something crisp, bold, or just different from the usual menu fillers, these salads deliver where others fall flat. They’re packed with real flavor, smart textures, and enough variety to make any meal better. After these, you’ll start wondering why restaurants can’t get salads right.

A black plate with a halved avocado filled with a shrimp salad, garnished with lime. A fork rests beside it. A wooden board holds more avocado halves in the background. A wooden bowl with mixed salad ingredients is partially visible. — Easy Shrimp Salad Stuffed Avocados. Photo credit: My Mocktail Forest.

California Steak Salad

California Steak Salad pairs tender steak with crisp greens and bright vinaigrette that lifts every bite. It feels balanced and complete without needing extras on the side. This isn’t a salad built to be polite—it’s built to take center stage. You won’t find this kind of flavor sitting under a heat lamp.
Get the Recipe: California Steak Salad

Veggie Couscous Salad

Veggie Couscous Salad loads up on crunch and color with chopped vegetables folded into fluffy couscous. It’s quick to assemble and sturdy enough to serve for lunches all week. There’s no wilted lettuce here—just real texture and flavor. One bowl of this, and those chain-restaurant salads won’t cut it anymore.
Get the Recipe: Veggie Couscous Salad

Carolina BBQ Chicken Salad

An overhead shot of a wooden serving bowl filled with salad next to cornbread on a cutting board. — Carolina BBQ Chicken Salad. Photo credit: Renee Nicole’s Kitchen.

Carolina BBQ Chicken Salad puts tangy barbecue flavor front and center without losing the freshness of a proper salad. The balance of greens, chicken, and punchy dressing makes it taste like a full meal. It’s bold without being heavy and fast to pull together. This one turns heads before it hits the table.
Get the Recipe: Carolina BBQ Chicken Salad

Zucchini Noodle Salad

Zucchini Noodle Salad trades lettuce for spiralized squash, proving salad doesn’t need leaves to work. Avocado and seasonings bring richness without heaviness, and it’s ready in minutes. The texture keeps things light but interesting. Restaurants wish they thought of it first.
Get the Recipe: Zucchini Noodle Salad

Citrus Asparagus Couscous

Citrus Asparagus Couscous mixes asparagus and couscous with lemon for a salad that tastes clean but never boring. It comes together quickly, perfect for weeknights or make-ahead meals. Each bite delivers crunch and brightness without relying on cheese or cream. It’s what restaurant grain salads are trying to be.
Get the Recipe: Citrus Asparagus Couscous

Asian Cucumber Salad

A bowl featuring pickled cucumbers and chopsticks. — Asian Cucumber Salad. Photo credit: Food Plus Words.

Asian Cucumber Salad slices fresh cucumbers into thin ribbons that soak up sweet and tangy dressing fast. It’s crisp, cold, and ready to serve in just minutes. There’s no extra fluff—just big flavor and real crunch. The kind of salad that doesn’t wait for an entrée to matter.
Get the Recipe: Asian Cucumber Salad

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican Street Corn Salad takes everything good about elote and turns it into a fork-ready salad with cream, spice, and crunch. Fresh corn and herbs keep it bright while the cheese brings depth. It’s bold, messy, and worth every bite. This salad would put the side menu out of business.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Salad

Moroccan Pearl Couscous Salad

Moroccan Pearl Couscous Salad layers chewy couscous, herbs, and spice into a bowl that feels complete from the first bite. It’s more than a side—it stands tall on its own. The seasoning brings heat, but nothing gets lost. After this, restaurant salads feel like background noise.
Get the Recipe: Moroccan Pearl Couscous Salad

Baked Feta and Egg Salad

Two slices of bread topped with egg salad and garnished with fresh herbs are placed on a gray plate. A small dish with lemon slices is partially visible in the background on the left. The surface below is light-colored. — Baked Feta and Egg Salad. Photo credit: At The Immigrants Table.

Baked Feta and Egg Salad brings melted cheese and soft eggs into a salad that skips mayo but still hits all the right notes. It’s rich, filling, and works any time of day. You can make it in batches or eat it straight from the sheet pan. Most restaurants wouldn’t dare serve eggs like this—and that’s their loss.
Get the Recipe: Baked Feta and Egg Salad

Little Gem Salad with Herbs, Maple, Lime, and Sesame

A bowl of salad containing leafy greens, fresh herbs, sliced onions, and black sesame seeds on a light surface. Another dish with similar contents is partially visible to the side. There are scattered herbs around the bowl. — Little Gem Salad with Herbs, Maple, Lime, and Sesame. Photo credit: At The Immigrants Table.

Little Gem Salad with Herbs, Maple, Lime, and Sesame gives crisp lettuce just enough flavor to make you forget it’s lettuce. With every bite, the maple and lime hit first, followed by sesame and fresh herbs. It’s a salad that doesn’t hide behind dressing. This is how greens earn the spotlight.
Get the Recipe: Little Gem Salad with Herbs, Maple, Lime, and Sesame

Ukrainian Cucumber Salad

Overhead view of cucumber salad. — Ukrainian Cucumber Salad. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

Ukrainian Cucumber Salad keeps it clean with sliced cucumbers and herbs that shine through a light dressing. It’s cool, crisp, and fast to prepare, perfect for hot days or busy nights. The simplicity works because the flavors are balanced and bright. This salad doesn’t need a menu rewrite—it just needs a fork.
Get the Recipe: Ukrainian Cucumber Salad

Air Fryer Hash Browns

A plate with hash browns, eggs and avocado on a table. — Air Fryer Hash Browns. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Air Fryer Hash Browns may not be a salad, but they bring the crunch and golden bite that many salads are missing. They pair well with greens or sit next to them, adding contrast that gets attention. They cook fast and go with just about anything. Serve these, and no one misses the croutons.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Hash Browns

Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad

Slices of cucumber tossed in spicy Korean dressing. — Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad brings heat, acid, and crunch in every quick-to-make bite. The flavors linger without overpowering, and the cucumbers keep it light. It’s bold enough to wake up any plate. After this, bland salad bar options just won’t do.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad

Russian Potato Salad (Olivier Salad)

Overhead view of olivier salad with two egg halves. — Russian Potato Salad (Olivier Salad). Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

Russian Potato Salad (Olivier Salad) packs soft potatoes, pickles, and peas into a dish that’s creamy without being heavy. It’s cool and textured, made to sit alongside anything or stand on its own. While not your typical green salad, it brings everything you’d want from one. No surprise that diners rarely get it right.
Get the Recipe: Russian Potato Salad (Olivier Salad)

Quinoa Cucumber Salad

A white plate with a serving of quinoa salad mixed with diced cucumbers, chopped herbs, red onions, nuts, and feta cheese. A gold fork is resting on the plate. The background is a light, textured surface. — Quinoa Cucumber Salad. Photo credit: At The Immigrants Table.

Quinoa Cucumber Salad layers nutty quinoa with fresh cucumber in a dish that’s light but still sticks with you. It preps in minutes and holds up for days in the fridge. The flavors are clean and balanced, perfect for meal prep or quick lunches. One bowl in, and you’ll be skipping the deli counter.
Get the Recipe: Quinoa Cucumber Salad

Pizza Salad

Pizza Salad tosses everything you love about a slice—cheese, tomato, and seasoning—into a bowl of crisp greens. It’s all the flavor with none of the grease. This one eats like comfort without needing a plate and napkins. You won’t find this at the salad bar next to shredded carrots.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Salad

Shirazi Salad

Shirazi Salad combines tomato, cucumber, and herbs with just enough lemon to bring it to life. It’s light, fast, and so flavorful you won’t even notice it’s mostly vegetables. There’s no wilted lettuce or bottled dressing in sight. This is how you do fresh without overthinking it.
Get the Recipe: Shirazi Salad

Cucumber Crispy Rice Salad

A close-up of a dish featuring rice, sliced cucumbers, herbs, and pieces of a pink ingredient, possibly grapefruit. A spoon is lifting a portion from the plate. The background shows a small bowl with a yellow interior. — Cucumber Crispy Rice Salad. Photo credit: At The Immigrants Table.

Cucumber Crispy Rice Salad brings texture forward with crunchy rice and bright cucumbers dressed in something sharp and satisfying. The contrast keeps each bite interesting without feeling heavy. It works on its own or paired with anything on the table. Once this shows up, no one’s asking for iceberg.
Get the Recipe: Cucumber Crispy Rice Salad

Easy Shrimp Salad Stuffed Avocados

Easy Shrimp Salad Stuffed Avocados fill each avocado half with a creamy, citrus-forward shrimp mixture that feels complete on its own. It’s fast, fresh, and rich enough to count as dinner. The textures play well together without needing anything extra. One bite, and the standard house salad doesn’t stand a chance.
Get the Recipe: Easy Shrimp Salad Stuffed Avocados

19 Easy Salads You’ll Wish Restaurants Knew How to Make