This potato salad captures the spirit of summer, with its fresh basil, just-picked tomatoes and corn and freshly dug red potatoes.

Fresh broccoli florets are tossed in an onion-and-raisin-studded mayonnaise. Just before serving, crisp bacon bits and sunflower seeds are sprinkled on top.

For this lettuce salad, a beef dressing made from warm spices, oil, vinegar, and seared beef is pour over. The hot beef dressing wilts the lettuce leaves.

Pesto with green beans and potatoes is a classic dish. This recipe omits the pasta and substitutes almonds for pine nuts, making an incredible summer salad.

This salad mixes sweet tangerines, licorice-y fennel, peppery lettuce, almonds, green olives, and a salt cheese to make a great starter. A winning recipe.

White asparagus is served with a mix of chopped red, yellow, and green peppers, shallot, hard-boiled, egg, and capers. The salad makes for a fine lunch or side dish.

Caramelized roasted pears are served alongside an arugula salad tossed with a zesty vinaigrette made with pomegranate and chipotle pepper. Serve as lunch or a first course for dinner.

Peas, pea shoots, and pea sprouts intermingle with smoky bacon and sharp sheep’s cheese in this delightful salad. Have it as a starter or main course.

Roasted rabbit and shaved celery sit on a fried bread salad for a hearty, humble meal. The roasted rabbit salad can be served as an appetizer or entree.

The combination of apples, Parmesan, and walnuts makes for a light and delectable green salad. Splurge on the best Gala apples and Parmesan you can find.

This creamy salad can be made with any combination of seafood — lump crabmeat, octopus, shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels, conch are all appropriate.

Lentils, carrots, scallions, celery, and cucumber are tossed in a spiky vinaigrette dressing and served alongside goat cheese. A simple starter recipe.

Nicoise salad, or salade Nicoise in French, is a composed salad. Fresh tuna, potato salad, egg, green beans, tomatoes, and greens are arranged and served.

This cornbread salad makes a great side or even a delicious first course by adding chicken or steak. The recipe calls for store-bought cornbread. Easy.

Fennel shaved into thin slices lends a more delicate anise flavor to this easy to make salad. Add additional seasonal vegetables or treat as a garnish.

The warm lentil salad, filled with the earthy flavor of lentils, slab bacon, onions, and shallots, is tossed with a walnut oil dressing. A great side.

Chickpeas and nutty bulgar wheat give body to this lemon scented Middle Eastern Salad. Make ahead of time and refrigerate to let the flavors mix.

Tired of the same old potato salad? Liven it up with olives, corn, and cashews for a tart, sweet, and salty addition to this summer picnic classic.

This cornbread salad recipe is sweet with a kick of heat from chipotle chiles, honey, cucumber, red and green onions, red and yellow bell peppers, and tomatoes.

A riff on the classic Caesar Salad, this salad calls for spinach, radicchio, and bacon. Croutons seasoned with cheese and garlic add crunch and flavor.

Voluptuous Gorgonzola custards, called sformati, share a plate with thin slices of pears and watercress tossed in a vinaigrette. The custards can be baked ahead, so entertaining is easy.

Couscous cooks quickly and is easy to mix with a variety of flavors. Shrimp, oranges, tomatoes, raisins, and almonds make this a delicious picnic salad.

Warm lentils and rice get comfy with a tahini flavored Middle Eastern salad. Make it a second time with falafel in place of the tomatoes and onions.

French women don’t get fat eating this salad. Slices of duck breast are laid atop a mixed green salad with a tangy red-wine dressing. An elegant lunch.

Deeply smoked garlicky pork sausage and gruyere cheese are tossed in a mustard vinaigrette and served over field greens in this French country salad recipe.