44 vegetarian salad recipes

Next, check out more salad recipes, healthy no cook recipes try our healthy salad recipes. Or for low-cost vegetarian meals, check out our budget vegetarian recipes. Then discover our borlotti bean recipes and recipes with semolina.

Listen to the olive podcast where Janine Ratcliffe chats to author, cook and photographer Nik Sharma talks about making humble veg the star of the plate and how he uses a science-based approach to getting maximum flavour when cooking.

Easy vegetarian salad recipes

Halloumi and watermelon salad

Warm, salty halloumi goes brilliantly here with sweet watermelon and fresh mint – ideal for a BBQ side dish.

Courgette and chimichurri salad

Make the most of fresh green beans and courgettes while they're in season by tossing them in a zingy chimichurri dressing, then crumble over salty feta for a nourishing lunch. Discover more courgette recipes.

Roast radish and peanut salad

Try this vibrant combination of radish, cucumber and spring onion, dressed in a rich soy, peanut and honey glaze.

Lime, feta and coriander sweetcorn

This zesty and refreshing side uses tinned sweetcorn to keep things simple. Top with warming chilli flakes or a finely chopped fresh green chilli for more heat. Discover more easy sweetcorn recipes.

Beetroot, herb and nutty grain salad with feta dressing

Ready-cooked pouches of rice and grains make a great cheat’s base for salads – look for ones with a mixture of types for contrasting textures and flavours.

Za'atar cottage cheese salad

Herby za’atar adds excitement to everyday cottage cheese in this fresh salad that's perfect for a light lunch or on the side of your favourite grilled meats. Try more cottage cheese recipes.

Caprese salad

This caprese salad, with sweet tomatoes and creamy mozzarella, is full of fresh Mediterranean flavours and simple to whip up. Serve it with bread as a light, summery lunch, or as a side dish at dinner. Check out more classic Mediterranean recipes.

Roasted courgette, chickpea and lemon salad

Check out this quick and easy vegan salad recipe with roasted courgettes and crunchy chickpeas tossed in punchy harissa. It's ready in 20 minutes and low in calories too.

Tex Mex-style sweetcorn salad

Sweet, crunchy, creamy and zingy – this vibrant salad is an explosion of flavours and textures. It's great served as a BBQ side or on its own with warm pittas for scooping.

Healthy bean salad

Ready in just 20 minutes, this colourful salad is packed with green beans, kidney beans and cannellini beans, and comes finished with a green tahini dressing. Try more quick 20 minute meals.

Coronation chickpea and apple salad

Make this classic lunch favourite vegetarian by replacing the chicken with chickpeas. Refreshing, crunchy and filling, this easy salad is ready in just 20 minutes.

Farro, grilled peach and pecan salad

The grilled peaches in this recipe deliver a satisfying sweetness, balanced by the zing of lime-pickled shallots and the smoky nuttiness of toasted pecans. See more peach recipes.

Burrata and tomato salad

Everything is better with burrata, especially tomato salad. Serve this with toasted ciabatta, for scooping up every last bit of the juicy tomatoes and creamy cheese. Find more of our decadent burrata recipes.

Grilled halloumi salad

Try this halloumi salad as a side dish at your next barbecue, or serve it as a vegetarian main.

Grains, greens and beans salad with pesto dressing

On the table in 15 minutes, this nutritious salad is packed with greens and tossed in fresh pesto. Beans, nuts and broccoli add fibre, protein and good fats.

Greek salad

Master this classic and you'll never be stuck for a delicious lunch. The key to an authentic Greek flavour is plenty of oregano and red wine vinegar. Enjoy with toasted pittas.

Super storecupboard salad

This salad is perfect for a speedy supper as it uses ingredients you may already have in your kitchen. It's ready in just 15 minutes and under 300 calories. It serves 4, but you can always have leftovers for lunch.

Pasta salad with bocconcini, capers and tomatoes

Take your pasta salad to the next level by using bocconcini, a wonderfully frilly pasta shape, and adding sweet diced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese balls. Check out more of our pasta salad recipes.

Crunchy veg and smoked tofu salad with sesame dressing

Try our vibrant crunchy salad with crispy golden tofu and dressed, thinly sliced vegetables. This quick dish is perfect for warm summer nights. If you're really hungry, you could add some cooked and chilled rice noodles.

Broad bean, peach and fennel salad

For a summer side salad, try this medley of broad beans, thinly sliced peaches, fennel, fresh basil and courgette, dressed in a lemony red chilli dressing. It's light, low fat and tasty.

Warm lentil, avocado and feta salad

This simple salad recipe is packed with crunchy cucumber, crumbly feta and fresh basil. Avocado and warm lentils add plenty of protein, good fats and fibre.

Grilled melon caprese salad

This grilled melon caprese salad is a great starter for the summer months. This works well with watermelons, too, just swap the mozzarella for feta, and sprinkle with a few oregano leaves and rocket.

Chickpea, pepper and bulgar wheat salad

Everyone needs a failsafe chickpea salad in their repertoire. Make our colourful recipe for a nutritious lunch and pack up the leftovers for the next day.

Italian deli salad

This Italian deli-inspired salad is super-quick and really easy to make. Most of the ingredients will already be in your storecupboard, making a good summer lunch.

Ethiopian salata dakwa

This Ethiopian salad makes a great side to spicier dishes, thanks to the creamy peanut butter dressing. Add hard-boiled eggs to make it a more filling dish.

Thai-style peanut noodle salad with herbs and watermelon

Ready in 20 minutes, this vibrant vegan salad is packed with juicy watermelon and crunchy peanuts. The sweet-salty combo is delicious.

Fattoush with crisp spiced chickpeas

A vibrant, summery salad that combines chickpeas with herby pitta croutons, radishes, tomatoes, sumac and a pomegranate molasses dressing. A colourful veggie dish.

Green bean, tomato and artichoke salad

This delicious, healthy, salad is packed with flavour featuring artichoke hearts, olives and green beans. Serve drizzled with a dressing of Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar.

Roasted sweet potato and freekeh salad with harissa-yogurt dressing

Freekeh is a lovely, nutty grain and it's easy to prepare. Here, we've combined it with roasted sweet potato and a tangy-spicy dressing. Use up your bag of freekeh with our freekeh risotto recipe next.

Cauliflower couscous salad

Roasting cauliflower gives it a subtle sweetness that works with with crispy fried onions and a punchy zhoug dressing. Combine with giant couscous for a filling lunch or dinner.

Miso roasted cauliflower, avocado and lentil salad

Fibre-rich cauliflower is roasted in a miso dressing – also filled with probiotics – and turned into a rustic salad with pickled onions and lentils. It's delicious and great for your gut. Read our guide to how to improve your gut health for more gut-friendly ideas.

Turmeric roasted cauliflower salad

Our roasted cauliflower salad with turmeric is low in calories and packed with nutrients. Turmeric adds lovely colour and earthy spice to this filling dish. Don't let your jar of turmeric gather dust: try our turmeric-fried veggie rice recipe next.

Roast pumpkin salad

Roasting pumpkin, onion and chickpeas with spices gives them a fantastic depth of flavour. Add kale, feta and herby tahini dressing and you've got yourself a delicious dinner.

Roast vegetable salad with kale pesto

Combine roasted veg with mixed with grains and a nutty kale pesto to make this easy, impressive vegetarian salad. The leftovers pack up well for lunch the next day. You could also use kale pesto in this pistachio and kale pesto pasta recipe.

Vegetarian caesar salad

This crispy chickpea and kale caesar salad is a great healthy twist on a classic. You can also eat the crispy chickpeas as a snack.

Moroccan cauliflower salad

Make cauliflower shine by roasting florets with ras el hanout then toss with dried cranberries, dates, nuts and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with a tahini and mint dressing and you've got yourself a wholesome veggie dish.

Smoked aubergine, pepper and walnut salad with pomegranate

You may have seen this smoked aubergine dish in restaurants, try making it at home. Serve as a meze-style lunch with flatbreads for scooping. We've got plenty more aubergine recipes to try.

Cauliflower, walnut and apple salad

Thinly sliced cauliflower florets, cubed apples, raisins, toasted walnuts and a quick mustard dressing come together to make a crunchy, wholesome salad.

Feta, baby kale and beet fattoush

Our take on fattoush salad combines kale with salty feta and earthy beetroot for an easy dinner that's vegetarian and ready in under 30 minutes.

Healthy panzanella

Enjoy this hearty and healthy panzanella, featuring crispy bread, juicy veg and a piquant dressing – perfect for a wholesome autumnal dinner.

Gochujang roast sweet potato with mixed grain salad

Wedges of caramelised, roast sweet potato and mixed grains make this a filling salad. Slices of radish and cucumber keep it fresh, and a punchy Korean dressing brings it all together.

Middle Eastern roast carrot salad with herby carrot top yogurt

Make sure nothing goes to waste with this spiced roast carrot salad recipe with zesty yogurt. The carrot tops are blitzed with yogurt to make a tasty dressing.

Lacto-fermented carrots with grain salad

Make carrot season last even longer by fermenting with citrussy orange zest and fragrant herbs. Once pickled, this funky veg is fantastic paired with grains, orange slices and pistachios for a zingy vegan salad.

Walnuts, wild rice and winter green salad

Walnuts, wild rice and winter greens combine to make this colourful salad. It's great if you're feeling in need of a hit of nutrients.

Orange, pecan and cannellini salad with sautéed fennel and golden raisins

Persian chef Sabrina Ghayour knows how to throw a party. Pair this gluten-free, low-calorie, zingy salad with some of her other easy recipes (such as her lamb kofta puffs with tahini and tomato sauce or spiced cod fritters with harissa honey dip) to create an impressive sharing spread.