Recipe Roundup

41 Main Course-Worthy Vegetarian Salads

Our favorite hearty meat-free salads, all more than worthy of main course status. 
Image may contain Plant Vegetable Kale Food Cabbage Produce Cutlery and Fork
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks

Sometimes you just need salad. A big one. A satisfying one. Ideally one you haven't made a thousand times before. Enter The Main Course Salad List: our favorite main-course salad recipes for vegetarians (and folks who just don't want to eat meat tonight.) Dig in!

Head this way for more of our best vegetarian recipes →

  • Kale and tomato salad with creamed mozzarella on a platter with a serving spoon.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    1/41

    Massaged Kale With Tomatoes, Creamed Mozzarella, and Wild Rice

    What's creamed mozzarella? It's basically a creamy homemade substitute for burrata, made by mixing fresh mozz with sour cream, lemon zest, and juice. And it's brilliant.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    2/41

    Squash and Radicchio Salad with Pecans

    This satisfying salad contrasts rich pecans and creamy squash with crisp, crunchy Asian pear and hardy radicchio. It's just the kind of main dish salad that easily satisfies.

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  • Photo by Laura Dart and A.J. Meeker
    3/41

    Bitter Greens Salad With Melted Cheese

    The secret to better salad? Bake it! A quick moment in the oven will wilt the greens only slightly and melt the cheese so that it cloaks the greens nicely.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    4/41

    Winter Salad Hummus Bowls

    Massage kale and brussels sprouts in a sweet, tangy dressing of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and honey, then serve it with creamy hummus and jammy eggs.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Aneta Florczyk, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    5/41

    New-and-Improved Greek Salad

    The method for marinating the feta in this salad is also a good trick for other fresh cheeses—try goat, mozzarella, or paneer.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman
    6/41

    Grilled Green Bean Salad With Thai Dressing

    Green beans and yellow wax beans form the bases of this refreshing, tangy, Thai-inspired salad. Grilled tofu and creamy avocado add filling protein and healthy fats, rounding out the meal.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    9/41

    Shaved Cauliflower Salad

    Thinly sliced raw cauliflower takes center stage in this salad, tossed in a bright, limey dressing and dusted with nutritional yeast. Top it with a couple of fried eggs for extra protein, if you like.

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  • Photo by Luisa Brimble
    10/41

    Deconstructed Falafel Salad

    Get all the flavors of falafel with crispy roasted chickpeas, crunchy crouton-like pita chips, crisp cucumber, and a lemon-tahini dressing.

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  • Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
    13/41

    Green Bean Niçoise Salad

    This vegetarian version of the classic French salad is brimming with bright spring vegetables, a lemony Dijon dressing, and tangy fried capers.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    14/41

    Raw Artichoke Salad with Celery and Parmesan

    Nervous about raw artichokes? In this recipe, they're tossed in delicate lemon dressing and salty parmesan that will convince even nonbelievers.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    15/41

    The World of Rice Salads

    This is one of the most versatile and filling grain salads you can make. You can add nori and sesame seeds, or cilantro and chiles, or maybe some mint and citrus.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    16/41

    Fennel-Celery Salad With Blue Cheese and Walnuts

    Fennel and celery share more than just the dubious honor of being incredibly underrated vegetables. Their snappy crunch is awesome raw, as proven by this densely textured salad recipe.

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  • Kana Okada
    37/41

    Summery Confetti Salad

    Make this colorful salad a day ahead of time, so that the vegetables have time to marinate in the honey-sweetened vinaigrette.

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  • Photo by Ed Anderson
    38/41

    Sam's Spring Fattoush Salad

    Part of what makes this salad so great is the dynamic textures; the cracker-like baked lavash croutons and the crunchy cucumbers and radishes contrast with the creamy feta and soft herbs.

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  • Photo by Lisa Fuhrman
    41/41

    Quick and Easy Bean Salad

    There's nothing simpler, heartier, or more satisfying than the iconic bean salad. Which is why we couldn't make a list of main-course salad recipes without it. 

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