7 Sensational Salads Without Lettuce

No Lettuce Required

By
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
A freelance journalist and avid home cook, Cathy Jacobs has more than 10 years of food writing experience, with a focus on curating approachable menus and recipe collections.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/24/20
Hot Asparagus and Tomato Salad

Westend61 / Getty Images

Bored of your usual rotation of salad recipes? Step away from the lettuce with our collection of the best delicious, healthy, and craving-worthy salads without lettuce that will make you think about salad in a whole new way. Say goodbye to soggy lettuce leaves, and say hello to creative salad recipes that are perfect for enjoying for lunch, as side dishes at dinner, or bringing to potlucks, picnics, and barbecues. We're not telling you to give up lettuce completely—we're all about lettuce, too—but when you're craving something different and healthy, we've got you covered with this amazing compilation of delicious, nutritious salads, with not a lettuce leaf in sight.

  • 01 of 07

    Moroccan Beet Salad With Yogurt Dressing

    Moroccan Beet Salad With Yogurt Dressing

    The Spruce / Elaine Lemm 

    What could be easier or more delicious and nutritious than a salad with sweet and delectable beets drizzled with a homemade creamy yogurt dressing? Moroccan spices and fresh mint leaves add something special to this cooling beet salad that can be enjoyed at any time of year.

  • 02 of 07

    Warm Halloumi, Green Bean, and Potato Salad

    Warm Halloumi, Green Bean, and Potato Salad
    British Peas and Beans 

    Halloumi is a salty, semisoft, deeply savory Greek cheese that takes beautifully to grilling and frying. This quick and easy fried cheese salad recipe with plenty of crunchy, bright vegetables is one of our favorite salads without lettuce. Enjoy it as a satisfying vegetarian lunch anytime or as a hearty first course at dinner.

  • 03 of 07

    Cold Soba Noodle Salad

    Cold Soba Noodle Salad

    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph 

    Sometimes you want to switch gears from hot dishes, especially when the weather warms up. That's where cold salads come into play. This fantastic, cool and crunchy noodle salad is sure to become a go-to in your cooking repertoire. Perfect for packed lunches and picnics, with its bright and zesty-sweet lime, honey, and ginger dressing, the fresh and crunchy vegetables add brightness and texture to chewy buckwheat noodles.

  • 04 of 07

    Vegetarian Ceviche Salad

    Vegetarian Ceviche Salad

    The Spruce / Marian Blazes 

    The exciting flavors of a traditional ceviche marinade work just as well for vegetables as they do for seafood, as you'll experience when you toss together this super amazing and crunchy salad. Fresh mozzarella cheese replaces raw fish in this healthy and colorful salad, which includes marinated onions, hot chile peppers, corn, and heart-healthy avocado.

    Continue to 5 of 7 below
  • 05 of 07

    Asian Coleslaw With Rice Vinegar Dressing

    Asian Coleslaw With Rice Vinegar Dressing

    Alexandra Grablewski / Getty Images

    Liven up your usual coleslaw, with this Asian slaw recipe that adds shredded bok choy, bean sprouts, and tangy rice vinegar dressing to the usual coleslaw with cabbage. Try it once, and it's sure to become a family favorite for all your dinners and cookouts this year.

  • 06 of 07

    Thai Rice Noodle Salad

    Thai Rice Noodle Salad With Chili-Lime Vinaigrette

    The Spruce

     

    Thai food lovers will go crazy for this fresh, flavorful Thai rice noodle salad that's surprisingly quick and easy to make. Fresh summer vegetables, aromatic herbs, and crunchy peanuts are combined with vermicelli rice noodles in a delicious and simple chile-lime vinaigrette.

  • 07 of 07

    Vegan Papaya Salad

    Vegan Papaya Salad

    Rick Poon / Getty Images 

    This fun and spicy salad without lettuce put a tasty vegan spin on a traditional Thai salad recipe. It's packed with plenty of flavors, thanks to a garden's worth of freshly chopped vegetables, including firm green papaya slices, crunchy and salty roasted peanuts, and an awesome savory-sweet dressing.