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Here are all the best vegan salad recipes to power your day! These plant-based salads are healthy, colorful, and most importantly: delicious.
Looking for vegan salad recipes? As it turns out, not all salads are only filled with vegetables. It can be hard to find salad recipes without cheese crumbles or dairy in the dressing. But we’ve got your back: here’s a list of our very best vegan salad recipes! Full of nutrient-dense ingredients, these plant-based salads are colorful, healthy, and taste incredible!
This list contains vegan salad recipes that side dish recipes, main dish salads, and lunch salads. For some of the recipes, we’ve listed some easy ways to make them into a main dish. Or, make your own salad with these 15 Vegan Salad Dressings. Happy cooking!
And now…our top vegan salad recipes!
At the top of our list of vegan salad recipes: tossed salad! This tossed salad is all about contrasts in color, flavor, and texture. It features a mix of romaine lettuce and red baby butter lettuce, shredded carrots, red onion slivers, tangy pepperoncini, and cool cucumber. Top with crunchy Homemade Croutons and a vegan dressing, and you're in business.
Vegan salad dressings: Vegan Ranch Dressing, Creamy Avocado Dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Dijon Mustard Dressing, Citrus Salad Dressing, Italian Dressing, Greek Salad Dressing
Make it a main dish: Add chickpeas, white beans or black beans (drained, rinsed and salted), or raw falafel
There’s nothing quite like a great Caesar salad. So there’s no reason why there shouldn’t be an irresistibly tasty vegan version of it in your life. Meet: our perfect Vegan Caesar Salad! It’s got an irresistibly creamy, savory vegan Caesar dressing, crunchy croutons, and salty pops of flavor from the capers.
This spinach apple salad is one of our top vegan salad recipes because it's classic and simple! It pairs tangy apple and thin sliced pear with spinach and a zingy balsamic dressing. The best part? Top it with shiny glazed walnuts or glazed pecans, which add a signature crunch.
This kale quinoa salad is a hearty vegan salad recipe that's perfect for lunches or side dishes! It's easy to make and stays good in the refrigerator for days. It's full of nutrient-dense ingredients like Tuscan kale, chickpeas, bell peppers, carrots, and quinoa, and covered in a tangy dressing. Quinoa is full of plant-based protein, which gives this salad recipe staying power.
This favorite vegan chopped salad will amaze everyone around the table! It's got a classic Italian vibe, covered in our homemade Italian dressing, tangy, savory, herby and balanced. Add to that shallots, tomatoes, cucumber, and a zing from pepperoncini. Yes, this chopped salad wants to be part of your life! (Note: Omit the Parmesan for vegan.)
This vegan Mexican salad is full of delicious Latin-style flavors: colorful veggies, cilantro lime salad dressing, and crispy tortilla strips. It all combines into a super-flavorful dish that's absolutely perfect with tacos! Even better, it's quick and easy to make. This one is a big winner!
Make it a main dish: Add black beans (drained, rinsed, and salted)
Here's a vegan salad that will blow you away with its fresh, zingy flavor: this Simple Avocado Salad! Simple, high quality ingredients paired together make magic, and this one is all about those contrasts. Rich avocado pairs with bursts of sweet cherry tomatoes, savory onion, and a zesty citrus vinaigrette.
Also try: Easy Avocado Corn Salad
This fennel orange salad is one of our favorite vegan salad recipes because it's so bright and vibrant! Juicy oranges pair with sliced raw fennel, which adds a subtle licorice essence. Throw it over greens with pistachios and shallots, and top with a zingy homemade citrus vinaigrette. There’s so much going on flavor and texture-wise, it's a salad everyone will be talking about.
This vegan shaved Brussels sprout salad is a study in texture contrasts: the feathery shaved Brussels, the pop of the pomegranate seeds, and the bright crunch of the apple. It’s vibrant and colorful, covered in a lightly sweet vinaigrette.
This vegan arugula beet salad is sophisticated with minimal effort! It features jewel-toned roasted beets with baby arugula, all covered in a zingy citrus vinaigrette. Add thin-sliced shallots and toasted walnuts, and it tastes incredible.
Time saving tip: Using precooked beets you can find packaged at the store shortcuts the need to roast the beets.
Here's an easy, healthy salad you can make in 5 minutes! It's plant based and starts with a can of chickpeas. Throw these chickpeas together with cucumber and red pepper, stir with olive oil and red wine vinegar, and you've got an incredible Mediterranean-style salad that tastes like it took all day. This one works as a lunch: serve with pita triangles and fresh fruit.
Guess what? We’ve discovered a hack to make a kickin’ vegan black bean and corn salad…in just 5 minutes, no chopping required. Sure, it’s a bit of a shortcut. But if this shortcut gets you to eat more vegetables and plant-forward meals: how could it be bad? We’ll admit: we’re wary of recipes that claim to be the easiest, best thing you’ve ever tried. But this one…let’s just say we’ve been eating it on repeat ever since!
Here’s a refreshingly simple vegan salad recipe that’s just begging to jump on your table: citrus salad! It stars all the beautiful, vibrant citrus: tangy grapefruit, navel oranges, and sweet blood oranges. They’re drizzled with a zingy dressing, then topped crushed pistachios and fresh mint.
This vegan black bean salad is tangy and delicious, perfectly seasoned with cumin, garlic, and vinegar. Then it's mixed with colored bell peppers, green onions and rice! It’s kid friendly and a great healthy lunch idea or dinner time side. It stays in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavor improves over time.
This classic American style vegan potato salad is the result of years of research into what makes a perfect classic potato salad! You know, that potato salad your Grandma makes, or you get at the veggie deli counter? Except this one is made of plant based whole foods, and tastes even better than the mayo-laden glop that sometimes graces summer pitch-ins.
This vegan Thai salad is a fresh and delicious way to eat salad for dinner! This main dish salad features crunchy colorful vegetables and crisp-sauteed tofu, smothered in a creamy peanut sauce dressing. Then it's all topped with peanuts, cilantro, and lime. There’s a lot going on in this bowl!
This vegan cucumber tomato salad is all about fresh simplicity: ripe and juicy tomatoes, cool cucumbers, and creamy avocado. They’re mixed with lime juice and cilantro for a tangy pop that perfectly accentuates their flavors. This one is great as a side dish for tacos or any Mexican-style meal.
This vegan Italian pasta salad is full of zesty flavor, with no cheese at all! It’s like eating pasta and salad all at once. Not only is it delicious, but the romaine and veggies helps you feel satisfied eating less pasta overall. It's tangy and salty from Kalamata olives, capers, and a zest dressing.
15 Easy Vegan Salads
This vegan tossed salad recipe features colorful veggies, crunchy homemade croutons, and a variety of vegan salad dressing options!
Make it a main dish: Add chickpeas, white beans or black beans (drained, rinsed and salted), raw falafel, or other vegan protein.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Vegetables
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 recipe Homemade Croutons
- 1 romaine heart (3 cups chopped)
- 5 cups mixed greens
- 1/4 small red onion
- 1 to 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cucumber (1 cup peeled and chopped)
- 1 carrot (shredded)
- 4 radishes (thinly sliced and halved)
- ¼ cup pepperoncini
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- Sea salt, for garnish
- Pick one Vegan Salad Dressing: Creamy Avocado Dressing (shown here), Best Balsamic Vinaigrette, Vegan Ranch Dressing, Dijon Mustard Dressing, Italian Dressing, Greek Dressing, Citrus Salad Dressing or Lemon Vinaigrette
Instructions
- If using, make the Homemade Croutons.
- Wash and chop the romaine. If necessary, wash the mixed greens. (You can use any mix of greens here; measure about 2 cups of greens per serving.)
- Thinly slice the red onion. Thinly slice the green onion.
- Peel and chop the cucumber. Shred the carrot (we used this Handheld Julienne Shredder). Thinly slice and half the radishes.
- Choose and make the dressing (select from the dressing recipes above!).
- Toss together the greens, red onion, green onion, cucumber, carrot, radishes, and pepperoncini. Top with sunflower seeds and croutons, and drizzle with dressing.
More resources for vegan and plant based eating
If you’re interested in eating more plant-based meals, we’re here for you! We have lots of resources for incorporating more vegan recipes into your lifestyle:
- How to Go Vegan: Guide & Recipes An overview resource for making a lifestyle change…with lots of recipes!
- Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas The best ideas for a filling vegan lunch.
- Best Vegan Snacks A collection of healthy recipes to get you through the day!
- Vegan Breakfast Ideas Healthy ways to start the day…plant-based.
- Best Vegan Recipes All of the BEST of our vegan recipes.
- Top Vegan Recipes for Kids Recipes kids love, that happen to be plant based!
- Plant Based & Vegan Desserts For the sweet treats you need!
- 28 Day Plant Based Diet Meal Plan and 28 Day Vegan Meal Plan Meal plans for a full month of healthy eating!