15 Quick and Easy Salad Bar Ideas

Green eggs aren't just for children's books! This recipe adds ripe mashed avocado to classic egg salad in place of the usual mayonnaise to create a creamy texture with more nutrition and fewer calories. Parsley, chives, and lemon juice add fresh flavor and brightness to the mixture.

Those eating paleo will dig this colorful salad that's chock full of protein and nutrition from three types of beans, chopped bell pepper and red onions, all tossed in a zingy apple cider vinaigrette.

What would a salad bar or buffet be without traditional potato salad? Enjoy this one featuring classic ingredients such as chopped hard-boiled egg, onion, and celery in a lightly-seasoned mayonnaise dressing. Garnish with tomato slices and chopped scallions, if you like, for serving.

Pesto chicken pasta salad is a delicious addition to any buffet and so easy to make when you use pre-prepared sauce, packaged cubed cheese, and a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Simply boil up some penne pasta and frozen peas, chop up a bell pepper, and combine these with the chicken and cheese in the sauce. A little mayonnaise and yogurt adds extra creaminess.

Fresh spinach leaves, juicy seasonal strawberries, and crunchy toasted pecans are simply fabulous when combined. This quick and easy recipe dresses them in a lovely balsamic vinaigrette that is low in calories, but high in flavor. Go ahead and add some goat cheese or blue cheese crumbles on top if you like and multiply the recipe as needed to feed a crowd.

Macaroni salad is a crowd-pleasing classic that you can always count on. This recipe calls for chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced vegetables, and a well-seasoned mayonnaise and mustard dressing that is sure to be popular at buffets, picnics, potlucks, and cookouts. Make it ahead of time and store in the fridge so it's well-chilled when serving.

Serve up a salad that vegans at your gathering can cheer for with this protein-rich grain salad that's god great crunch and flavor. Nutty-tasting quinoa mingles with creamy black beans, sweet corn kernels, and herbaceous fresh cilantro in this Mexican-inspired salad that's seasoned with fresh lime juice and spiked with cayenne pepper.

Tuna salad is a popular addition to salad bar and buffet plates. This version includes egg-and-oil-based mayonnaise for creaminess, but omits the sour cream sometimes included in tuna salads, so it's suitable for those avoiding dairy. It gets a great sweet and sour flavor from both sweet pickle and dill pickle relishes, plus a little kick from optional garlic powder.

Vitamin-packed broccoli is the star of this crunchy salad that's sure to disappear quickly from potluck and buffet tables. Raisins, sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, red onion, and peas add fabulous flavor and crunch to fresh florets in this salad bar favorite that's finished with a tangy, creamy, and slightly sweet dressing.

Pasta, chicken, bell peppers, green peas, and diced Havarti cheese are tossed together in this delicious salad with an herbaceous green goddess dressing. You can buy prepared dressing or make your own from scratch using our recipe.

Basil leaves add fresh flavor to juicy chopped tomatoes, and crunchy sweet corn in this simple, tasty salad. It's so quick to prepare and tastes refreshing on hot summer days. You can make it up to two days in advance and store in the fridge, reserving the basil to add at the last minute before serving.

Chickpeas are rich in protein with a nutty flavor that makes them a popular salad ingredient. They are the featured players in this delicious Mediterranean salad that co-stars cherry tomatoes, red onion, fresh parsley, crumbly feta cheese, and a tasty olive oil dressing flavored with mustard, oregano, garlic, and lemon juice.

Roasting beets is super easy and produces tender, sweet chunks that are perfect for salads. This colorful salad includes red onion, tangy feta cheese, and your preferred salad greens, all tossed in a creamy sumac dressing.

Diced cooked chicken is dressed up to create this delightful curried chicken salad recipe. It's a great tweak on classic chicken salad with diced apple, chopped pecans or peanuts, crisp celery pieces, mayonnaise, curry powder, and a few other simple seasonings.

This vegan and vegetarian couscous salad is a calorie-conscious dish with great flavor. This recipe prepares the couscous in vegetable broth for added flavor and tosses in nutty-tasting chickpeas for extra protein, along with chopped cucumber, red bell pepper, and green onions, all tossed in a light lemon, olive oil, and Dijon mustard vinaigrette.