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Looking for fresh, satisfying vegan salad recipes? This collection of 31 vibrant vegan salads includes hearty grain bowls, pasta salads, lentil salad, protein-packed bean salads, crunchy veggie salads, and light, refreshing dishes perfect for lunch or dinner.
If you’re looking for more delicious vegan recipes, check out my roundup of Easy Vegan Recipes, Vegan Snack Recipes, and Vegan Soul Food Recipes.
Table of Contents
Why We’re Loving Vegan Salads Right Now 🌱
As the weather starts to warm up, my salad cravings grow. Fresh vegetables, hearty grains, plant-based protein, and bold homemade dressings make vegan salads far more satisfying than the typical bowl of lettuce. These recipes prove that salads can be vibrant, filling meals perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
Scroll down and you’ll see everything from traditional leafy baby kale and pasta salad to innovative, lettuce-free options like black bean salad or beet fennel salad. Whether you serve them for everyday meals, as side dishes, or to share at potlucks, holiday dinners, or cookouts, a few things are consistent with every recipe. They’re all delicious, budget-friendly, easy, and 100% plant-based!
How to Make Vegan Salads Filling
Make vegan salads extra filling and nutritious by adding ingredients like:
Veggies: Bulk up salads with raw, roasted, and air fryer vegetables. Not only will veggies make a salad heartier, but they add a nice chewy or crunchy texture and vibrant color. I love adding roasted sweet potatoes or air fryer sweet potato wedges, air fryer cauliflower, shredded carrots, ripe tomatoes, or steamed beets.
Nuts and seeds: Add crunch, flavor, and extra protein. I like topping salads with simple toasted nuts and seeds, or chopped tamari almonds and harissa almonds.
Chickpeas & other beans: Crispy chickpeas are always a good idea for adding flavor, crispy texture, and fiber to a salad. Actually, any type of cooked beans will work.
Lentils: Like beans, cooked lentils add protein and fiber to a salad. Lentils are so easy to make, and don’t require soaking. Make lentils in the Instant Pot, on the stove, or buy them in a can.
Tofu: Add crispy air fryer tofu, or marinated tofu to salad for a protein-rich boost.
Quinoa & other grains: I love making Instant Pot quinoa to add to salads throughout the week. Quinoa is high in protein, and so easy to make. Other grains like bulgur and farro work too.
Avocado: Avocado is rich in fiber and healthy fat that helps you feel full for longer. You can even make a creamy avocado dressing, or top salads with mango guacamole.
Fresh Green Vegan Salads
These green salads are perfect for plant-based lunches and dinners. You’ll notice they all have beans, making them hearty enough to enjoy as an entree. If you’d like a lighter side salad option, hold the beans on any of these recipes. These salads are great paired with a vegan soup like my Spiced Chickpea Soup, Instant Pot Black Bean Soup, or Creamy Sweet Potato Soup.
Vegan Caesar Salad
This Vegan Caesar Salad is another plant-based remake! Fresh and crunchy greens are tossed in a sunflower seed-based dressing and topped with crunchy roasted chickpeas for one of my personal favorite vegan summer salads.
Vegan Nicoise Salad
Do you think that only omnivores can eat Nicoise salad? Think again: this Vegan Nicoise Salad features all the flavors and textures you love (minus the animal ingredients), making a delicious, hearty, and savory vegan summer salad.
Mango Avocado Salad
Enjoy a summer salad, Taco Tuesday style, with this Mango Avocado Salad! Massaged kale is tossed with mango, shredded cabbage, and black beans, making a colorful and crave-worthy vegan and vegetarian summer salad.
Hearty Kale Salad
This super tasty salad can be enjoyed any time of year, though I especially love it in the cooler months. Massaged kale is tossed with crispy romaine, roasted sweet potatoes, tender beans, fermented veggies and a tangy pomegranate vinaigrette. If you want to start craving salads, start with this one!
Roasted Beet & Potato Salad
In this Roasted Beet & Potato Salad, tender root veggies are tossed with greens and a lemon vinaigrette, resulting in a dish that’s a surefire way to add flavor and nutrition to the long, warm summer days.
Baby Kale Salad
No list of summer salads for dinner is complete without a versatile option, like this Baby Kale Salad! Topped with your choice of fruit, veggies, beans, crunchy croutons, and a zesty maple mustard vinaigrette, it’s always a solid pick!
Kale Kimchi Salad
Have you ever put kimchi on a salad? It’s the best! Its tangy, spicy, and garlicky flavor adds layers of tasty flavor. Do like I do and pair it with massaged kale, sweet potatoes, beans, and pumpkin seeds — chef’s kiss!
Grain & Pasta Vegan Salads
Grain and pasta salads are great for vegan meal prep. As these salads marinate in the fridge they get tastier! Pair these grain salads with roasted vegetables, braised cabbage, or a cozy lentil soup.
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Don’t sleep on this Mediterranean Pasta Salad! Made with marinated tofu, roasted veggies, herbs, sundried tomatoes, and olives, it is as nourishing as it is tasty. Enjoy it al fresco with a glass of wine or your favorite mocktail!
Amazing Bulgur Salad with Roasted Grapes
This hearty Bulgur Salad is bursting with flavor and texture, making it my favorite way to enjoy this easy-to-cook-with grain. Roasted grapes add a touch of sweetness, and slivered almonds deliver a nutty crunch, both of which pair perfectly with the savory curry dressing. Serve it warm or cold for a light lunch or dinner side.
Maple Mustard Tempeh Bowl
With maple mustard marinated tempeh, beets, quinoa, and massaged kale this cozy grain bowl proves that vegan food can be filling and delicious. This recipe is perfect for meal prep, and checks all of the boxes for a well balanced meal.
Vegan Pasta Salad
It’s not summer without a pasta salad, and this vegan variation is my go-to! Tender pasta is tossed with a creamy avocado dressing and roasted vegetables to create a quick, easy, and versatile Vegan Pasta Salad, one of the best summer salads!
Quinoa Cauliflower Salad
If you like Indian samosas, you’ll love this Cauliflower Samosa Salad! Roasted chopped veggies are tossed with mint, cilantro, quinoa, and peas, featuring all your favorite flavors in salad form.
Cold Soba Noodle Salad
This Cold Soba Noodle Salad is so flavorful and satisfying, you’ll forget it’s plant-based! Tender and nutty soba noodles are tossed in a maple and soy dressing with vegan mushroom “scallops” and veggies, making a refreshing meal, perfect for outdoor meals.
Polish Summer Soba Salad
Treat your taste buds to an unexpected but totally delicious fusion recipe this summer. Polish Summer Soba Salad combines tender noodles, earthy beets, fresh dill, and white beans. A cooling and hearty side salad!
Roasted Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Salad
This Roasted Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Salad recipe is perfect all year round. Bring it to barbecues and potlucks or enjoy it for easy dinners and vegan meal prep. It’s fresh, hearty, healthy, and totally YUM!
Everyday Buddha Bowl
Introducing my go-to Buddha Bowl Recipe — so good I could eat it every day! Made with roasted sweet potatoes, rice or quinoa, lentils, and a miso tahini dressing I could eat by the spoonful, these colorful and nutritious bowls make for an easy and satisfying plant-based dinner.
Peach Panzanella
Panzanella, an Italian bread salad, makes a fantastic meal for warm weather because it’s filling, flavorful, yet fresh and light. In this Peach Panzanella recipe, classic tomatoes are joined with juicy peaches, adding a sweet, Southern-inspired twist.
Protein-Packed Bean Salads
These high protein vegan salads are great for meal prep! They stay fresh all week, and get tastier as the days go by 😋 And they’re easy to make! Pair with roasted cabbage, air fryer sweet potato fries, air fryer carrots, or a light collard miso soup.
Crunchy Sesame Tofu Salad
Crispy, hearty, and savory tofu tops a crunchy and sweet cabbage slaw, making this Crunch Sesame Tofu salad a vibrant main dish meal. Enjoy it by itself for a light dish or pair it with steamed rice for a more filling meal.
Chickpea Tuna Salad
This vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad recipe is loaded with zesty, creamy flavors and made entirely from plant-based ingredients. It is the perfect summertime dish as a sandwich, served with crackers, or added to salads and bowls!
Lentil Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
A lentil salad is a must-have for any healthy or vegan repertoire, and this Lovely Lentil Salad is my favorite way to enjoy it! With tender lentils, smoky roasted sweet potatoes, flavorful herbs, and a sweet and tangy pomegranate vinaigrette, you simply can’t go wrong.
Amazing Edamame Salad
Edamame Salad is flavorful, nutritious, and easy to make, featuring a bold, naturally sweet garlic-ginger almond dressing, shredded carrots, and crunchy cabbage. Enjoy large bowls as a satisfying and nutritious main dish, or serve it as a side salad with your favorite meals!
Marinated White Bean Salad
Giant corona beans are marinated to perfection in this fresh summer bean salad. This recipe was inspired by my the white bean salad at LA’s notorious Erewhon grocery store. It’s perfect for meal prep and summer picnics.
Summer Peach White Bean Salad
This is a bean salad for the ages. With its fresh and flavorful dressing, fragrant herbs, and brilliant texture, expect to add this to your summer rotation for years to come. Use in-season fresh peaches for the best flavor.
Zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad
This crunchy and fresh Black Bean and Corn Salad is tossed in a zesty and tangy lime vinaigrette for a side dish and burrito bowl topper you can't resist! Made with everyday ingredients in a few easy steps, this Mexican-inspired salad is plant-based perfection.
Black Eyed Pea Salad
Black eyed pea salad, aka Texas Caviar, is the perfect protein rich bean salad. It’s full of flavor and texture, nutritious, easy to make, and perfect for meal prep––it gets tastier day by day.
Fresh Side Salads
A fresh side salad is delicious paired with a Chickpea Tuna Melt, a vegan pasta salad, or a mushroom main like Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steaks or Pan-fried Oyster Mushrooms. Use the freshest ingredients for the best taste and texture.
Avocado Cucumber Salad
This Avocado Cucumber Salad features crunchy cucumbers, sweet peaches, and creamy avocado. It’s ready in just a few simple steps and can be enjoyed in various ways, from topping burgers and sandwiches to pairing with mains and more!
Herbes de Provence Salad
Create a simple side salad by tossing this French-inspired dressing with mixed greens, kale, or baby spinach for a refreshing and wholesome side dish.
Vegan Potato Salad
No list of easy summer salad recipes is complete without potato salad, and this Vegan Potato Salad has been near and dear to my heart for many years. It is creamy, tangy, and herby, and prepared in just a few simple steps — a must-make for your next outdoor gathering!
Southern Sweet Potato Salad
Simple and made with everyday ingredients, yet out-of-this-world flavorful, this Southern Sweet Potato Salad is sure to be a hit at every summer gathering.
Watermelon & Peach Salad
Sweet summer fruit pairs perfectly with tropical, fresh lime juice, making a heavenly match worthy of featuring in this Watermelon & Peach Salad. Fresh tomatoes, basil leaves, and extra virgin olive oil join the party, making for a summer side salad you can enjoy all season long.
Beet Fennel Salad
It’s always a great time for Beet Fennel Salad! It’s hearty, cooling, a treat for both the eyes and taste buds, and ready in a few simple steps.
Vegan Salad Dressings
No salad is complete without a delicious dressing. These vegan dressings add flavor, great texture, and nutrition to salads, grain bowls, and roasted veggies.
Creamy Miso Tahini Dressing
Add a burst of umami and creamy goodness to your meals with this easy Miso Tahini Dressing. This delicious dressing is a must-make kitchen staple, perfect for topping salads and grain bowls, spreading on sandwiches, or using as a dip!
Perfect Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Add tangy-sweet flavor to roasted vegetables and green salads with this Pomegranate Vinaigrette recipe! It's made with just a handful of ingredients in a few simple steps. Each batch makes four servings; just double or triple the recipe for a larger batch.
Vegan Caesar Dressing
Indulge in the creamy flavors and texture of this easy-prep Vegan Caesar dressing – perfect for salads, sandwiches, wraps, or as a dipping sauce! This versatile dressing is a great kitchen staple, made with wholesome, plant-based ingredients.
Avocado Dressing
This versatile creamy Avocado Dressing is made with simple wholesome ingredients, perfect for topping salads, grain bowls, sandwiches, wraps, or your favorite dishes! Everything blends easily in the food processor for a no-fuss anytime dressing.
Vegan Salads FAQs
Not all salads are vegan, but the ones in this roundup are. Salads that aren’t vegan may contain dressings made from dairy or with eggs and animal flesh like fish or chicken.
The best proteins to add to vegan salads are cooked lentils (18 grams/cup), beans (about 15 grams/cup), marinated tempeh (31 grams/cup), and tofu (20 grams/cup). Nuts and seeds are also great options, adding around 8 grams per quarter cup.
Vegetables also contain protein, for example raw kale has about 2 grams per cup.
Make vegan salads filling by adding beans, nuts and seeds, roasted vegetables, whole grains, and a dressing made with healthy fats.
Dress vegan salads with vinaigrette or creamy dressings made with tahini or avocado. For a simple dressing add a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
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Thanks, Jenné, These look wonderful!
Wonderful recipes. Thank you!
Excellent!! Will try it for sure.
Really love your recipes! Great work!
Thank you!!
Although my 2 yr old always goes for salad, my 4 yr old is inconsistent. I think your tips and tricks will help him learn to love salad the way he loves all of his other veggie heavy vegan dishes. I am going to work my way through these all summer!!! Thanks so much for sharing, Jenné! ❤️
Awesome! That’s great that he is already loving other veggies. I’m trying to keep my daughter on the salad train too. She loves it now!
Hi there. Love your recipes!! I love how healthy everything you make is and unbelievably delicious. The latest thing I’ve been making is your Beet Fennel Salad with the Lemon Vinegar Dressing. I’m hooked. Thank you for doing the Good Work.