35 Fresh Memorial Day Salad Recipes
These fresh Memorial Day salad recipes are perfect for serving during your Memorial Day cookout to help round out your menu of grilled meat main dishes. Add tons of flavor with tasty side dishes and summer vegetables.
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer.
Before you toss those hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, it is important to pause during the long weekend to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
Without those amazing and dedicated service men and women, we wouldn't have the opportunity to gather with loved ones to enjoy the holiday weekend and the amazing feast you've got planned for the party.
A perfect Memorial Day cookout is filled with fresh salad recipes that feature flavorful recipes with red, white, and blue elements balanced with seasonal flavors that pair perfectly with the main course.
I hope these delicious Memorial Day salad recipes along with my Memorial Day dessert recipes help you plan the perfect holiday meal.
Fruit Salad with Fruit Dip
Filling your buffet table doesn't need to be difficult. Rely on a few store bought short cuts to make it super easy!
Buy a large fruit salad platter from the grocery store and simply add a sweet fruit dip on the side.
I love my creamy piña colada fruit dip with fresh pineapple and strawberries but the strawberry cheesecake dip would look so pretty with a blueberry salad!
Veggie Tray with Dip
While you're at the grocery store picking up the fruit salad, grab a big raw veggie platter and plan to make one of these easy cold dips for adding to the side.
Watermelon Salad
Fresh watermelon is an essential Memorial Day ingredient. You could slice it up into big wedges and just put it on a platter as as an easy side dish for everyone to enjoy.
You could also easily turn it into a fresh watermelon salad with fresh basil leaves and a simple creamy dressing.
My easy buttermilk herb dressing or a tangy Greek yogurt blue cheese dressing on the side would be just perfect.
Southern Macaroni Salad
A party perfect side dish, this classic southern macaroni salad can be made ahead the day before and is the perfect side dish to bring to a potluck.
Strawberry Feta Salad
Fresh strawberries also bring that pretty pop of bright red to the table.
Make a big salad with fresh strawberries AND fresh blueberries on a bed of spinach and drizzle it with my homemade strawberry vinaigrette for the perfect red, white, and blue salad.
Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes
One of my all time favorite pasta salad recipes is this big batch of chicken pasta salad with grapes and crispy vegetables.
It tastes even better the next day so it is a perfect make ahead recipe for your party.
Fresh Tomato Pasta Salad
Looking for a savory way to add a bright red vegetable to the table? This delicious fresh tomato pasta could be served chilled as a pasta salad with fresh arugula leaves stirred in.
Warm Couscous Salad with Oranges
If you want a simple side dish that is loaded with fresh vegetables, don't miss this easy warm couscous salad that can actually be served at room temperature, too.
Fresh peppers, onions, cilantro, and juicy mandarin oranges make this a perfect pairing with grilled chicken or pork.
Asian Chicken Pasta Salad
Whether or not you want to add the broiled chicken to this pasta salad, the zippy Asian lime vinaigrette dressing makes this chilled pasta salad a mayo-free pasta salad you could serve in the heat.
My Asian pasta salad has fresh crunchy vegetables including carrots, bell peppers, and green onions for tons of flavor.
Lemon Orzo Salad with Tomatoes and Dill
Bright red cherry tomatoes, fresh garden dill, and tangy feta cheese are the highlight of this lemon orzo salad that can be served warm, room temperature, or chilled.
If you're looking for a Mediterranean recipe to pair with grilled chicken or fish, this is a healthy recipe for a lighter Memorial Day menu.
Marinated Tomatoes
Slice a mountain of grape tomatoes and toss them in an easy dressing to make this fresh marinated tomatoes side dish.
You could eat it on the side of your meats or spoon it right over grilled chicken, grilled steaks, or grilled fish.
French Potato Salad
Is it really a backyard party if there isn't a summertime French potato salad?? My recipe skips the mayo and uses a mustard vinaigrette with savory bacon, summery sweet corn, and fresh herbs.
You could add fresh crispy green beans to the mix if you prefer.
Dill Potato Salad
Creamy dill potato salad can be loaded up with chopped dill pickles for an even zestier side dish.
Ranch Potato Salad
If you prefer a classic creamy potato salad, you can't go wrong with my deliciously easy ranch potato salad made with fresh herbs.
Carrot Apple Salad
One part salad recipe, one part vinegar based slaw, this fresh carrot apple salad is the perfect pick if you're planning to make anything barbecue like ribs, pulled pork, or BBQ chicken.
It would also taste great piled up on a grilled turkey burger.
Mexican Slaw
If there will be anything spicy on the menu, this bright and fresh Mexican slaw for tacos tastes just as good with barbecue sauces and chicken.
Chow Chow Relish
If you're planning grilled pork tenderloin, pork chops, spicy chicken, hot dogs or brats/sausages, you truly need to give my homemade chow chow relish a try this summer.
Filled with fresh veggies and a tangy vinegar dressing, it is the perfect complement to the main course.
Green Bean Salad
Toss some crispy air fryer green beans with a simple olive oil dressing with fresh dill, salt, and pepper for the easiest green bean salad that will hold up to the warm weather.
Want a little crunch? Add some slivered almonds over the top!
Roasted Peppers and Pineapple Salad
With platters of savory meats on the dinner table, you need plenty of colorful veggies and fresh fruits to balance out the meal.
This easy roasted peppers and pineapple recipe can be made ahead and served chilled as a simple party salad.
Strawberry Basil Salad
Squeeze a little lemon juice over this fresh strawberry basil salad mixture to keep things fresh and then pile up crispy crostini toasts for your friends to scoop it up!
Caprese Salad
An even better way to serve fresh tomatoes for your party is to slice up an easy caprese salad platter with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.
You could add a sprinkle of fresh blueberries to the platter for a dash of red, white, and blue. The blueberries would still pair perfectly with that balsamic vinegar drizzle over the top.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Want to offer a healthy salad recipe that your friends could choose to make their main dish instead of a heavy grilled entree?
This chilled buffalo chicken salad is so perfectly spicy and has just the right balance with the creamy blue cheese dressing drizzled over the top.
Copycat Olive Garden Salad
The Italian dressing that is part of Olive Garden's signature house salad makes this side dish perfect for a cookout because there's nothing creamy to spoil in the heat. Pre my easy garden salad and grab a bottle of the Italian dressing at the grocery store.
Mexican Corn Salad with Feta
This 5-minute prep Mexican street corn salad with tangy feta and fresh green onions is actually a great way to serve sweet corn instead of the more traditional platters of cobbed corn.
Deviled Egg Salad
Hard boiled eggs and a dash of hot sauce with fresh chives makes this deviled egg salad better than all the rest!
You could plan to serve it for egg salad sandwiches or just serve the egg salad in a large bowl next to a platter of crispy lettuce and let your friends top their own.
Pineapple Marshmallow Salad
When you want a creamy salad that brings a bit of sweetness to the table, you can't go wrong with my pineapple marshmallow salad.
Filled with pineapple and mandarin oranges with a little coconut for texture, this sweet dish can be served as a side dish or a chilled dessert.
Pistachio Fluff
There are sweet chunks of pineapple hiding in this fluffy green pistachio fluff fruit salad. The toasted pecans add crunch and texture to the chewy marshmallows throughout the mix.
Creamy Grape Salad
The sour cream and cream cheese dressing for this creamy grape salad has brown sugar for sweetness and pecans for crunch.
This is one of my favorite side dishes for a party because it is the perfect excuse for adding a little something sweet to my plate!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Well alright, let's be honest. This is likely considered to be more of a dessert than a salad . . . unless you live in the Midwest.
But this creamy strawberry pretzel salad with Jello topping is so pretty, it just simply belongs at your Memorial Day party!
More Party Menu Ideas
Plan the ultimate backyard party this summer with these easy recipes:
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