Unlike winter salads that often include warm ingredients and root vegetables to make them more filling, Easter salads should be light and vibrant, using plenty of fresh veggies. Of course, pasta and potato salads are great options, too, and don’t forget to add something sweet to the table. If you haven’t tried any kind of sweet, fluffy marshmallow salad before, you’re in for a real treat!
20+ Colorful Easter Salads for Your Spring Table
1. Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Toasted Almonds & Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
This salad is full of amazing textures and contrasting flavors. To start with, you’ll use goat cheese, which is wonderfully creamy and nicely tangy. Then, juicy strawberries provide a terrific sweetness, while toasted almonds are the perfect way to add crunch. As for the dressing, all you need is to combine your favorite neutral-flavored oil with lemon juice, honey, sea salt, black pepper, and poppy seeds. Whisk until it comes together and pour it right over the bowl.
2. Spring Pasta Salad
How adorable does this pasta look? I’d never seen that shape before, so I promptly went to scour my local HomeGoods. You can usually find fun pasta in there. Alas, I couldn’t find this shape. But I did find this Donne Del Grano online, which looks like colorful bow ties. So I was just as happy! What’s great about this pasta salad (other than the cute pasta) is that it’s not super heavy. Rather than drowning it in mayo, you’ll make a simple dressing using white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard. Plus, there’s a bunch of fresh veggies in there, too.
3. Grilled Asparagus Salad with Lemon & Feta
Asparagus has a pretty strong flavor, and people have compared it to beans and even mushrooms in the past. One thing’s for sure, though; all it needs is a sprinkling of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice to make it really shine. In this case, you’ll also include feta for a lovely creaminess.
4. Spring Potato Salad
This recipe isn’t so much “potato salad” as it is “potato and salad.” There’s no thick and creamy coating here, but rather a slightly tangy mustard dressing, not too dissimilar to the pasta salad above. For added texture, I like to par-boil the potatoes and then leave them to steam after draining for a few minutes. Then, using the bottom of a glass, smash them on a baking tray and bake until they’re golden and crisp. You can even add parmesan if you want.
5. Lettuce Radish Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Crunchy, light, tangy, peppery, and super fast to make, this might just be the easiest salad recipe on the list. Use a mason jar for the dressing if you have one, and simply shake extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper until it emulsifies. If you have a mandolin, slice the radishes and cucumber nice and thin, and then finely chop the chives. This works great as a side salad or would be terrific with roasted chicken.
6. Apple, Pecan, and Blue Cheese Salad With Dried Cherries
Unlike goat cheese, which is creamy and tangy but relatively mild when mixed with a zesty vinaigrette and sweet strawberries, blue cheese is incredibly well-defined. You don’t need much, but you’ll know it’s there just from the smell. In truth, I find it overpowering sometimes, and it does sort of take over when you use it in a dish. But when you pair it with other flavors, like tart, crisp apples, chewy sour cherries, and buttery pecans, it mellows out enough that you can really enjoy it.
7. Spring Arugula Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
Arugula is a green leaf with a peppery taste, and some even say it’s bitter. I enjoy that taste, but you can include some other lettuce or spinach if you don’t want it quite as strong. That said, this salad also includes strawberries and a honey and lemon dressing, which is lovely and sweet, so it would balance out any bitterness. Pearl barley is a lovely, chewy addition to your salads that doesn’t add anything in terms of taste. But it’s loaded with fiber, so why not throw in a handful?
8. Creamy Broccoli Salad
Broccoli is a low-calorie, gluten-free, fiber-packed source of vitamins and minerals. Plus, it’s cheap, crunchy, and delicious. Like pasta or potato salad, this veggie salad is served cold with a light creamy dressing. But instead of a bowl of carbs, this has fewer than half the calories. To ensure this salad is as yummy as possible, you need to include cooked and crumbled bacon, plenty of chopped nuts, sweet chewy raisins, and crunchy red onions. Just as important is the sweet dressing. Whisk mayonnaise with white sugar, white wine, and white vinegar. Toss it until everything is coated.
9. Triple Berry Mixed Green Salad
At first glance, this stunning salad looks kind of like a smoothie bowl, don’t you think? Berries are such a fantastic fruit to choose for salads because they’re low in sugar, full of fiber, and loaded with antioxidants. Not to mention they’re vibrant and need nothing more than a rinse under some cold water to prep. Though the dressing here is tangy and contains many of the same ingredients as some of those above, this version is much creamier, including Greek yogurt for a more decadent finish.
10. Bacon and Brussels Sprout Salad
It might not sound remarkable, but one bite of this will leave you speechless. You’ll need shaved Brussels sprouts, which are super easy if you have a mandolin. Just remember to toss the stems! Bacon and sprouts are a match made in heaven, and that salty goodness compliments the veggies perfectly, but you can leave them out if you need this vegetarian. Finally, the citrus dressing of lemon and orange juice with oil and salt and pepper comes together lightning-fast and lightens this whole dish.
11. Waldorf Salad
As you might’ve guessed, this salad gets its name from the fact it was first created at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Though simple, it quickly became famous, and its held its crown as a favorite spring salad ever since. Initially, this salad only included apples, celery, and mayonnaise. But things have progressed from there, and this version is loaded with everything from pecans and walnuts to cranberries and pineapple.
12. Spring Pea Salad
If overly leafy salads aren’t your thing, I think you’ll really appreciate this spring pea salad. Along with cucumber and feta, it’s the kind of yummy avocado dish I look forward to all winter long. There is a lettuce base, but there’s so much on top, you’ll hardly notice! I like to use fresh spinach leaves for a deeper color and boost of antioxidants. Persian cucumbers are smaller and sweeter, and the skin isn’t as thick. They’re seedless and pretty crisp, but you can use regular cucumbers if that’s all you have.
13. Blueberry, Blue Cheese, and Glazed Walnut Salad
I have to admit that when I think of blueberries, I don’t usually picture them with blue cheese. Blueberries are sweet and slightly tart, where blue cheese is tangy and very pungent. But again, when you pair it with enough sweetness, it can be enjoyable. Of course, you can always leave the blue cheese out and/or use feta instead if you prefer. The walnuts are the star of this dish, in my opinion. Just toss them in a mixture of honey, cinnamon, and orange zest before toasting in the oven.
14. Spring Greens with Beets and Goat Cheese
Like blue cheese, beets are another ingredient that has people split. I know plenty of people that adore beets with their earthy taste. But I know just as many who avoid them like the plague! Since you’ll need canned beets for this, they’ll already be cooked, saving you time and cutting down on their crunch. For a more pronounced flavor, I suggest you peel and roast your beets. That way, they’ll be a touch sweeter. Plus, you can get beets in a variety of colors, which will make this even more vibrant.
15. Citrus Avocado Salad with Pistachios and Mint
I can’t get over how incredible this salad looks. It’s so colorful, and I can practically taste all those juices already. As you can see from the picture, this salad is a little different. There are no leafy greens in this dish, but there is still a tasty dressing. You’ll need blood oranges, cara cara oranges, tangelo, and grapefruit, to make that beautiful rainbow. Nestle your avocado in between the citrus and scatter over plenty of chopped nuts.
16. Five-Ingredient Simple Green Pasta Salad
If you’re looking for something fresh, filling and that can be eaten hot or cold, this is the Easter salad for you. The small tubular pasta looks so effective against the chopped green beans and having them the same size makes each bite totally balanced with flavors. Of course, you can use whatever pasta you have on hand. I actually had to go looking for these, but I’ll bet elbow macaroni would be just as cute.
17. Shaved Asparagus Salad
This is the kind of salad you’d see in a restaurant (or on a food blog), but I bet few people have tried it at home. First, asparagus can be expensive, so I get why people might shy away from it. Also, it’s easy to overcook and turn rubbery, which is a sad waste of money. But this recipe uses raw asparagus, so there’s no chance of overcooking it. Instead, use a vegetable peeler to shave thin strips off each stalk. Once it’s coated in that lemony dressing and plenty of Parmesan shavings, it’s worthy of an Instagram pic!
18. Spinach Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing
Many salads look pretty sad, and I think people only eat them because they think they should. But with this salad, you’ll have people fighting over seconds. If you’re a fan of the strawberry poppy seed salad at Panera, you’ll love this near-identical version. The balsamic dressing is particularly luscious, and I recommend making extra because you’ll want to pour it over everything.
19. Strawberry Shortcake Fluff Salad
I had to start out the sweet recipes with this incredible, pale pink stunner. If that color doesn’t scream Easter, I don’t know what does! This, and the other sweet dishes below, are using the term “salad” loosely. Needless to say, there are no mustard dressings or blue cheese from here on down. But I don’t think any holiday is complete without dessert, so let’s just agree to go along with it, ok? This spectacularly simple fluff salad needs just five ingredients, one of which is readymade angel food cake. All you need to do here is whip up some cream with condensed milk and then mix everything in a big bowl. How easy is that?
20. Cherry Pineapple Marshmallow Jell-O Salad
This recipe is super fun! It’s fruity, full of fluffy marshmallows, and better still, you can serve this as a slice. First, mix cherry pie filling with raspberry jello. That will be your slightly sweet, slightly sour jelly base. Next, you’ll blend cream cheese with mayonnaise, lemon jello, crushed pineapple (with juice), and Cool Whip and pour that over the set jelly base. Yes, that says mayo. I know it sounds bananas, but you have to trust the process. Finally, top it off with enough fruity mini marshmallows to cover the surface. After a few hours in the fridge, this dish is ready to go.
21. Orange Fluff Jell-O Salad Recipe
One bite of this, and you’ll be taken back to your childhood. Remember creamsicles? Well, this orange fluff tastes just like a big bowl of orange cream. You’ll achieve this by making orange jello and vanilla pudding in one pot. That blend will give you a wonderfully fluffy and scrumptious base. Then, just stir in Cool Whip, marshmallows, mandarin oranges, and sliced bananas.
22. Pina Colada Fluff Salad
Are you noticing a theme here? Most of these sweet Easter salads contain some kind of fruit and plenty of cream. Diet? What diet? I probably don’t need to say it, but this recipe is loaded with crushed pineapples and coconut cream pudding mix. For something more grown-up, try whisking some white rum into the cream cheese mixture.
23. Trisha Yearwood Creamy Grape Salad Recipe
Grapes are known to be nature’s candy, and kids love them just as much as adults. Still, coating them in sweet cream is a surefire way of guaranteeing your kids will clean their plates. That said, I’ve been known to hide the last of this, so I have enough for a second (and third) portion! Use a handheld mixer or the whisk on your stand mixer and blend cream cheese with sour cream, white sugar, and vanilla. You’ll know it’s ready when you rub a little between your fingers, and you don’t feel any grains.
24. Spring Jell-O Salad
This looks similar to the cherry pineapple recipe above, but the flavors are a bit different. Also, this is just two layers rather than three. So instead of a Jell-O layer topped with something creamy, you’ll mix the Jell-O with the creamy ingredients. That makes this kind of like a no-bake cheesecake. Once you’ve made the lemon and lime Jell-O, you’ll add cream cheese, coconut milk, mayonnaise, and drained pineapple. If you want this nut-free, try adding toasted coconut instead of walnuts.
25. Ambrosia Salad
I’m pretty sure ambrosia salad is where the “fluff salad” phenomenon began. I might be wrong, but I’ve been eating this specific recipe since I was a kid. Either way, it’s super tasty, and it’s full of fantastic texture to boot. Unlike the above recipes, this is a touch lighter. You’ll mix vanilla yogurt with Cool Whip for an airier finish. Into this, just stir sweetened coconut, mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, or crushed pineapple, maraschino cherries, chopped pecans, and mini-fruit-flavored marshmallows. Click on a star to rate it!
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