31 Make-Ahead Salads You Can Prep Now and Eat Later
There is something truly magical about make-ahead salads. Hearty greens, beans, or grains marinated in a vinaigrette, holding up throughout the day or even an entire week. They fuel desk lunches, potlucks, and cookouts alike. While most delicate lettuce varieties (leafy romaine, wispy microgreens, tender butter lettuce) are ticking time bombs from the moment you assemble them, make-ahead salads—like those made of plump canned chickpeas, hearty kale, a leftover sweet potato, or homemade black beans—give you room to breathe, tasting bright long after you’ve dressed them. So find your biggest storage container and plan your week’s lineup. Here are some of our favorites.
Joseph De Leo1/31Lentil and Scallion Salad
We love make-ahead salads that lean on legumes. This Edna Lewis classic gets better in your fridge, as the lentils have a chance to soak up the mustardy vinaigrette.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton2/31Kale Salad With Butternut Squash, Pomegranate, and Pumpkin Seeds
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart3/31Potato Salad
Thanks to plenty of mayo and mustard, this timeless potato salad can be made 2 days ahead without any fear of it drying out. Feel free to customize the flavors by stirring in a tablespoon of celery seeds, diced red onion, finely chopped fresh dill, or swap in Dijon for the yellow mustard.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell5/31Chicken Salad With Apricots, Celery, and Blue Cheese
This no-cook salad is the perfect side for your next summer dinner party. To make for easy hosting, toss the chicken and celery with tangy buttermilk up to 2 days ahead. On the day of, add in the fresh apricots, blue cheese, mint, and celery leaves.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson6/31Simplest Kale Salad
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop styling by Tim Ferro, Food styling by Taneka Morris8/31Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich11/31Broccoli Caesar
While a classic Caesar salad with romaine might sog out if dressed in advance, this broccoli Caesar will remain tender and crunchy even after a day or two. To doctor it up, throw in some croutons just before serving and finish with black pepper.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich12/31Shaved Cauliflower Salad With Coconut-Turmeric Relish
This cauliflower gets sliced paper-thin on a mandoline, which helps each crunchy piece absorb the sweet and spicy Turmeric-Coconut Relish.
Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich13/31Antipasto Salad
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson14/31Beet Salad With Pickled Mushrooms and Caramelized Shallots
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert15/31Creamy Coleslaw
Here’s our take on a crunchy, cool, refreshing classic. If you love pickles, take a page from Dolly Parton’s book and add pickle juice. Refrigerate for up to a day, covered, for the best texture.
Photo by Marcus Nilsson16/31Green Papaya Salad
A great papaya salad, like this one from Night + Market’s Kris Yenbamroong, involves lightly bruising the papaya and green beans with a mortar and pestle, or crushing the veggies with your hands. This helps them absorb even more of the umami-rich salad dressing. While the peanuts will soften a bit, this dish will remain crunchy and flavorful for a couple of days in the fridge.
Photo by Alex Lau18/31The Crunchiest Vegetable Salad
Blanching vegetables is a way to achieve fresh flavor and textural crunch. A bowl of ice water stops the vegetables from cooking and ensures they stay tender-crisp. The beans and peas can be blanched 2 days ahead; just cover and chill.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by JoJo Li19/31Confetti Broccoli and Herb Slaw
Packaged broccoli slaw is the shortcut to making quick work of this light salad, a perfect counterpoint to any rich, bold dishes you might serve at a cookout. If you reserve the nuts and basil, the slaw can be tossed and refrigerated up to a day or two ahead of time. Add both and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Photo by Deb Perelman20/31Cucumber Salad With Garlicky Dill Yogurt
Spread garlicky yogurt sauce on the bottom of a serving platter, then scatter dressed cucumber over top so nothing gets weighed down.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce21/31Red Cabbage Slaw With Cilantro and Citrus
Flavored with citrus, maple syrup, and cilantro, this slaw makes an excellent topper for tacos. It can also serve as a refreshing side to burgers, grilled chicken, or seared steak.
Photo by Alex Lau22/31Celery, Green Bean, and Tofu Salad With Chile Crisp
If you have a jar of chili crisp at the ready, you can make this no-fuss pantry salad in just 5 minutes. Plus, it will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days—just wait to add the roasted peanuts until you’re ready to dig in.
Photo by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Christina Allen25/31Happy Fridge Salad
Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li26/31Lemony Pasta Salad With Crisped Capers
Photograph by Dylan + Jeni, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk27/31Cucumber, Tomato, and Green Bean Salad
If you love sour-salty-sweet Thai green papaya salad, you’ll love this peak-summer version made with tomatoes and cucumbers. It’s just as great the next day and keeps for up to a week.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman28/31Sesame Chicken and Cabbage Salad
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson30/31White Bean Salad With Lemon and Cumin
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog31/31Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
This texture-heavy make-ahead salad can be prepped up to 8 hours ahead. The kale and sprouts are essential, but otherwise, she’s versatile: Swap the almonds for pecans or walnuts and the Pecorino for Parmesan or aged cheddar. For an unexpected sweet bite, add in cranberries, golden raisins, or dried cherries.
