21 High-Protein Salad Recipes That Are Crisp and Refreshing (but Still Satisfying)

The secret to making lunch the highlight of your day is to serve yourself halloumi cheese.

The toppings are always the best part. (No offense, lettuce.)

This dressing is a choose-your-own-adventure situation: Use olive oil instead of yogurt to make it dairy-free, swap in basil for the cilantro or try a mix of herbs for a homemade version of green goddess.

The salmon offers richness, the couscous adds heft and chewiness, and the creamy yogurt dressing feels indulgent even though it’s not.

This hearty grain salad takes just 20 minutes to make and keeps for two days in the fridge—genius.

One of the perks of a Niçoise salad is that you can rely on canned tuna, so there’s no fussing or cooking the protein in advance.

Whoever decided salad needs to include lettuce had never tasted this bean-filled beauty.

The whole thing looks really impressive, but most of the effort goes into cooking the corn fritters. The rest is just assembly (and eating).

If you’ve sworn off Caesar dressing because of the—gasp—anchovies, this version is made with Worcestershire sauce and olives for that signature sweet-salty flavor.

Admittedly, salads can involve a fair amount of prep work, so when one comes along that’s make-ahead friendly, we’re all ears.

To shortcut the recipe, seek out precooked lentils and vacuum-packed cooked beets at the grocery store (we won’t tell).

You had us at burrata. And again at peaches, plums and cherries.

It might seem like a bowl of guac masquerading as a salad, but it’s also packed with black beans and quinoa, which are both protein all-stars.

Leftover steak has met its match.

The lemon-cashew dressing is so luscious and creamy, you won’t believe it’s plant-based.

The chickpeas are seasoned with cumin, curry powder and coconut, and if you’re not careful, you’ll eat them all before they make it to your bowl.

This gorgeous salad takes just 15 minutes to toss together—bonus points if you add edible flowers.

Ripe summer peaches need little adornment, and this sweet-and-savory number requires just eight ingredients.

Have you ever seen a prettier plate of greens?

The trouble with bowls is that all the toppings sink to the bottom. The solution? Spread your salad onto a platter and turn it into a work of art.

Olives, potatoes and green beans, oh my. We’ll see you later, lettuce.