Six Light & Effortless Salads for a Healthy Dinner! After a busy day, the last thing you want is a dinner that takes an hour to prepare — enter: these low-effort salads that shine. All of these main-dish salad recipes take just 20 minutes and two steps or less to make, all without sacrificing flavor. Whether you’re enjoying the bright flavors of our high-protein Caprese Chickpea Salad or the filling and filling Chicken and Spinach Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing, you’ll find a quick option here that tastes as good as it works.
Start your day right with 10 quick and easy breakfasts that support gut health. Featuring ingredients like oats, yogurt, bananas, berries, and chia seeds, these recipes are ready in 10 minutes or less.
Chicken & Spinach Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing
The creamy feta dressing steals the show in this protein-rich salad, which makes a perfect lunch or quick and easy dinner. While you can buy feta cheese already crumbled, we like crumbling our own fresh from the block for this salad. We prefer the slightly sharper flavor of sheep’s-milk feta, but cow’s-milk feta works just as well.
High-Protein Caprese Chickpea Salad
This caprese chickpea salad is a fresh, protein- and fiber-packed, plant-based twist on the classic Italian favorite. It combines creamy mozzarella pearls, juicy cherry tomatoes and fragrant fresh basil with hearty chickpeas for a satisfying dish. A simple balsamic vinaigrette ties everything together with a tangy-sweet finish. It’s quick to prepare, colorful and bursting with summery flavor.
No-Cook White Bean & Spinach Caprese Salad
This easy white bean and spinach caprese salad features the classic combination of juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil and tangy balsamic vinegar, but adds tender white beans and fresh baby spinach to the mix. If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, cut or tear a fresh ball of mozzarella into bite-size pieces instead. If you like your salad with a little kick, try swapping out the spinach for arugula.
5-Ingredient Avocado & Chickpea Salad
This avocado-and-chickpea salad is a fresh, flavorful dish that comes together in minutes. Made with just five ingredients, it’s as simple as it is satisfying. Creamy avocado pairs perfectly with hearty chickpeas for a filling, plant-based meal. With no cooking required and minimal prep, it’s a perfect quick lunch or dinner.
Chopped Power Salad with Chicken
Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor. This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.
Crunchy Chopped Salad
This chickpea-cabbage salad features carrots and cucumbers, giving it a quartet of ingredients that all begin with the letter “C”! This chopped salad is loaded with fiber and prebiotic chickpeas, promoting a healthy gut. Green cabbage keeps the color vibrant and fresh, though red cabbage works just as well.
