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20 Summer Salads Packed with Anti-Inflammatory Ingredient

eatingwell.com 2 days ago
Green Goddess Salad in a serving bowl overhead.
Photo: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

These delicious salads are perfect if you’re looking for inspiration to use some fresh summer produce. Since they are made with anti-inflammatory ingredients like chickpeas, dark leafy greens and whole grains, these salads could help relieve uncomfortable symptoms of inflammation, like stiff joints, digestive issues and high blood pressure. Recipes like our Cucumber, Tomato & Arugula Salad with Hummus or Massaged Kale Salad with Grapes & Cheddar are packed with flavor to nourish your body and keep you satisfied.

Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta

Lemony Lentil Salad
Jason Donnelly

This satisfying l salad comes together in just 30 minutes and makes a wonderful hot-weather meal. 

Cucumber, Tomato & Arugula Salad with Hummus

Hummus & Greek Salad

Tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and feta top arugula in this quick Greek-inspired salad. Served with whole-wheat pita and prepared hummus, it makes a filling, yet healthy lunch.

Massaged Kale Salad with Grapes & Cheddar

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Massaging kale helps to make the leaves more tender and appealing. You probably won't find crumbled Cheddar at your market, but all you have to do is buy the cheese as a brick and then slice before breaking it into little chunks.

Tuna & Olive Spinach Salad

Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad

This tuna salad recipe gets a flavorful upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad.

Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing

Prep four days' worth of high-protein vegan lunches using just four easy ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. Because this salad mix is hearty, you can dress these bowls up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors to marry. 

Kale & Avocado Salad with Blueberries & Edamame

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Bursting with nutrient-rich produce, this California-inspired salad is a delicious and satisfying way to get your vitamins. 

Meal-Prep Turkey Cobb Salad

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Cubed deli turkey takes the place of chicken, while Cheddar replaces blue cheese in this easy Cobb-inspired salad. The protein-rich turkey and cheese, plus eggs and bacon, gives the salad staying power, so you won't get hungry an hour after you eat. 

Green Goddess Salad

This gorgeous salad combines fresh shrimp, cucumber, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes with homemade dressing.

Cantaloupe, Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad

Cantaloupe, Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad

Picking a ripe melon—one that feels heavy for its size and smells slightly sweet— ensures the right balance of flavors in this arugula salad.

Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers

Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers

This creamy yet light vegan salad is full of bright, herby goodness. On its own, it's great to serve alongside a sandwich or veggie burger in place of potato salad or coleslaw. You can also make it into a light lunch by adding a handful of arugula to enjoy it as a green salad. 

Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens

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Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty salad recipe.

Southwestern Salad with Black Beans

Southwestern Salad with Black Beans

Here we top salad greens with black beans, sweet corn and grape tomatoes and bring it all together with a tangy avocado-lime dressing. 

Chickpea Tuna Salad

Chickpea Tuna Salad
Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn

This chickpea tuna salad with capers, feta and cucumber makes for the perfect lunch to pack for work or school. You can prep the salad the night before (just be sure to keep the spinach separate and dress the salad right before serving).

Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Chicken & Fresh Berries

This colorful salad not only packs a variety of nutrients but 23 grams of protein, too, thanks to the combination of chicken and quinoa. 

Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

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Goddess dressing typically gets its umami-ness from anchovies, but here we use miso in this super green salad to keep it vegetarian. Add baked tofu, poached salmon or grilled chicken for a boost of protein.

Cucumber & Pomegranate Salad

Salad-e Khiar-o Anar (Cucumber & Pomegranate Salad)

A platter of herbs, scallions and feta is typically served alongside Persian meals in lieu of a Western-style green salad. They are meant to be folded into flatbread as an accompaniment to a meal (or sometimes as the meal itself). This salad is a riff on that, with pomegranate seeds and cucumbers mixed in. 

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas & Artichoke Hearts

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas & Artichoke Hearts
Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Kady Wohlfarth / Kay Clarke

This hearty orzo salad features feta, lemon and dill, three ingredients often found in Greek cuisine. 

Quinoa-Black Bean Salad

a recipe photo of the Quinoa-Black Bean Salad
Alison Miksch

Enjoy this quinoa and black bean salad as a delicious and quick vegetarian main dish or as a side for grilled chicken or steak. If you have any leftover, pack it for lunch the next day.

White Bean & Veggie Salad

white bean & veggie salad

This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.

Salad Primavera with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette

Salad Primavera with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette
Eva Kolenko

This is a salad where the vegetables really shine and the lettuce plays a supporting role. It requires a bit of work upfront to blanch all the veg, but the results are impressive.

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