10 Classic DIY Salad Creations

To honor National Salad Week (seriously… ) we’ve devised a list of our top 10 all-time favorite – and Mark’s Daily Apple-approved – salad recipes…

…and to think, you thought you’d never crave lettuce!

1. Cobb Salad

What’s not to love about this hearty (and protein packed) salad?

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
3 bacon slices, cooked
1 head romaine lettuce, leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken (leftovers work best!)
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup of blue cheese

Dressing: 
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Arrange lettuce in the bottom of a plate or shallow bowl. Feel free to get artsy arranging the rest of the ingredients (rows of vegetables are a popular method, but if you feel like just chucking it all in, go ahead!).

For the dressing, whisk together the wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Once combined, drizzle in the olive oil to form a thick dressing. Add to salad and serve immediately.

2. Chinese Chicken Salad

If you thought Chinese chicken salad was off limits because of the sugary dressing and oodles of noodles, you’ll love this quick and easy recipe!

1 large chicken breast, grilled or broiled
1 large bowl of lettuce
1 large tomato, sliced into wedges
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup snap peas
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup slivered almonds (with these, you’ll never miss the noodles!)
Hot peppers (optional)

Dressing:
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey (or 1 packet of Splenda or other sugar substitute of your choice)
1/4 tsp of ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil, stirring continuously with a whisk until well blended. Allow to cool and then pour over salad. Serve immediately.

3. Mark’s 2 Minute Salad (The Kitchen Sink)

We’ve covered this one before, and it was a hit. Here’s the video one more time!

4. Greek Salad

This one will having you wanting to yell oopa!

4-5 ripe tomatoes
1 small cucumber
1/2 can black olives
1/3 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Dressing: 
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Oregano (if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together all salad dressing ingredients. Pour over and serve.

5. Steak and Arugula Salad

Another opportunity to have steak for a meal? Sign us up!

1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large head Belgian endive, sliced crosswise
1/2 red onion, sliced into thin rings
3 cups fresh baby arugula
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces Gorgonzola, coarsely crumbled
1/2 cup walnuts
1 pound of steak (we recommend New York, rib-eye or filet mignon) panfried or grilled and then chilled

Dressing: 
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, endive, red onion, arugula and tomatoes, walnuts and half of the cheese. Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper and arrange on a platter. Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange on top of the salad, add remaining salad, drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.

6. Grilled Salmon Salad

This is one of our favorites. How can you go wrong with fresh vegetables and a fillet of grilled salmon?

2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
1 red onion, sliced thin
4 8oz salmon fillets
6 cups mixed salad greens
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp yellow mustard (Dijon works best!)
1 tbsp vinegar
1-2 tbsp honey (or 1-2 packets of preferred sugar substitute)
Paprika to taste

Toss bell peppers, squash, and 1 tbsp. of the dressing. Place on grill, cover, and grill until crisp-tender, about 2-4 minutes each side. Then brush salmon with 2 tbsp. of the dressing and place on grill. Cook for 5-7 minutes until salmon flakes easily when tested with fork. Arrange mixed salad greens on plate, top with vegetable mixture and place salad on top. Drizzle with remaining dressing. This one serves 4.

7. Nicoise Salad

Although traditionally served with potatoes, with a flavorful recipe like this, you’ll never realize they’re missing!

2 8oz tuna steaks, grilled (in a pinch, canned tuna can also work!)
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
2 medium heads Boston lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths
1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings
8 ounces green beans, timed and halved and boiled 3-5 minutes until crisp
1/4 cup niçoise olives
2 tbsp capers, rinsed or several anchovies (optional)

Dressing: 
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp minced fresh basil leaves
2 tsp minced fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl. Season as needed with salt and pepper and toss about ¼ of mixture with salad greens until coated. Arrange lettuce on serving platter. Cut tuna into ½ inch thick slices, coat with ¼ of vinaigrette and arrange atop lettuce. Toss tomatoes, red onion in ¼ of vinaigrette and add on top of the salad. Toss cooked beans with vinaigrette and add to platter. Finally, arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies in mounds on the lettuce bed. Drizzle with remaining dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if desired) and serve immediately.

8. Waldorf Salad

Yes, this one has a ton of fruit, but for a salad this good, even Grok would have made an exception!

1/2 cup chopped, lightly toasted walnuts
1/2 cup celery, finely sliced
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, sliced
1 medium apple, cored and chopped
3 tbsp mayonnaise (plain yogurt also makes a good substitute)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cups of lettuce

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise (or yogurt) and the lemon juice. Mix in the apple, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange salad on a platter or shallow bowl, spoon mixture over the top and serve.

9. Chop Salad

Similar to Mark’s 2 Minute Salad, this chopped salad can be adjusted at any point to include whatever’s in season (or stocked in your fridge!)

3 cups chopped romaine
1 English cucumber, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 strips crumbled bacon
1/2 cup brine-cured black olives, pitted and quartered

Dressing:
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Whisk together lemon juice, sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add oil in a stream, whisking until combined. Combine vegetables in a bowl, toss with dressing and serve immediately.

10. Insalata Caprese

A refreshing salad perfect for a lazy summer evening:

2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (about 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup fresh basil or arugula leaves, washed and patted dry

Dressing: 
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (only if using arugula)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Arrange tomatoes, basil and mozzarella on large platter overlapping each other. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and add salt, pepper and oregano (if necessary) to taste.