Have a Salad

Pasta Salad With Salmon, Peas and Herbs by Ellie Krieger

Cold macaroni salad, often mixed with canned tuna and mayonnaise, is a throwback to Memorial Day picnics of yore. This decadent yet healthy main course uses red salmon and tangy Greek yogurt instead, while peas, scallions and dill provide some greenery.

Chicken and Vegetable Salad With Chinese Sesame Sauce by Andrew Chase

Chinese chicken salad, a dish with significant Western origins, has its roots in Pan-Asian American cuisine. It incorporates chicken, lettuce or cabbage, and Chinese-themed ingredients including ginger, sesame oil, peanuts, or Mandarin oranges. This updated recipe includes daikon, scallions, sesame oil and black-and-white sesame seeds.

Tender Greens With Pears, Apples, Grapes, Gorgonzola and Grilled Chicken by Lauren Groveman

First created in the 1890s at New York City's Waldorf Hotel, the widely known Waldorf salad is traditionally made from apples, celery and walnuts dressed in mayonnaise, served on a bed of lettuce. This version is beefed up with grilled chicken, marinated in a tangy dressing, as well as pears, grapes and Gorgonzola.

Sliced Grilled Skirt Steak on Greek Salad by Christopher Schlesinger and John Willoughby

Another familiar summer dish, an authentic Greek salad is made with chopped tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, feta and kalamata olives. The American take usually adds lettuce. This main course version serves grilled skirt steak atop a bed of romaine, cucumber, black olives, tomato and feta, making it a perfect dinner al fresco.

Potato Caesar Salad by Sarah Leah Chase

Combining two American classics — the potato salad and the Caesar — this comforting dish bathes warm small red potatoes in a classic anchovy-herb Caesar dressing, tweaked with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes and parsley.

Penne and Vegetable Salad by Victoria Blashford-Snell and Brigitte Hafner

It's not a picnic or a barbecue without the pasta salad, but the versions most of us grew up with were mayonnaise- or oil-laden side dishes. This variation on cold pasta primavera is full of steamed seasonal vegetables and dressed with a tangy Dijon and red wine vinaigrette.