Article Updated March 10, 2026
Swimsuit season will be here before we know it. While every body (no matter its size or shape) is a swimsuit body, we completely understand wanting to feel your best by adding nutrient-dense salads to your diet. Stuffed with fresh citrus, vegetables, and drizzled in delicious dressings, these salad recipes are great to keep in your back-pocket for lunches, on-the-go dinners, picnics, and much more. Plus, each will give you a little snake-peak of the summer flavors we all cannot wait to indulge in. While you’re here, mix up a low calorie cocktail recipe that makes relaxing easy and healthier too.
Swimsuit Salad Recipes for the Incoming Summer
Fennel Orange Salad
The perfect salad delivers a strong combination of textures and flavors. In the case of our Fennel Orange Salad, we use creamy whipped ricotta cheese, olive croutons, and citrus. It’s a great balance to the fennel base with lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper, and parsley as the dressing.
Apple and Rutabaga Salad with Date Vinaigrette
It’s time to start bringing fresh flavors from the farmers market into your meals. Start simple with Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples in our Apple and Rutabaga Salad. Feel free to add in a protein such as chicken breast or serve as listed with a homemade Date Vinaigrette.
Citrus and Kale Salad With Fig and Honey Vinaigrette
If you’re looking for a nutrient-dense salad that leaves you feeling energized and confident, this Citrus and Kale Salad is the one for you. Bright orange and grapefruit citrus pack a punch of flavor within the bed of kale. Plus, start feeling the flavors of summer with the Honey Vinaigrette that’s useful for other dishes and salads as well.
Biscuit and Peach Panzanella Salad
Peaches easily remind us of summer thanks to their sweet taste and even sweeter blend of orange tones. This zesty Biscuit and Peach Panzanella Salad uses biscuits as a crouton replacement. It’s also paired with a simple red wine vinaigrette to not overwhelm the juicy fruit.
Wilted Lettuce Salad
Salads don’t have to be filled with toppings in order for them to be delicious. In fact, the greens in this Wilted Lettuce Salad make the dish. It’s also recommended to serve hot or at room temperature so while it may not be best for a super hot day, the addition of bacon fat makes it addicting.
Strawberry Kale Salad
You can’t go wrong with strawberries in a salad. Our Strawberry Kale Salad uses kale, green onions, strawberries, avocado, roasted almonds, BBQ chickpeas, and a homemade dressing. It’ll bring your favorite elements of summer into your kitchen a little early and get your body prepared for swimsuit season at the same time.
Summer Salad
You’ll want to stock up on farmers market fresh zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes for our Summer Salad. It’s a natural, healthy meal featuring olives as one of the key components. Mix it all up with an olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard dressing and you have your lunch for the next day ready to go.
Nana’s Cucumber Salad
Salad made with a cucumber base is crunchy, juicy, and refreshing in ways a lettuce based salad cannot be. Just cucumbers and radishes make up the bulk of Nana’s Cucumber Salad but here, simple is better. One bite with an apple cider vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil dressing is all it takes to hook you.
Pea Salad with Greens, Strawberries, and Mint Vinaigrette
As the seasons head into spring and you start preparing for that swimsuit body, peas are one ingredient that’s abundant. This Pea Salad layers pickled sugar snap peas, cucumbers, and sweet onion along with butter lettuce, fresh strawberries, and a Dijon vinaigrette.
Panzanella Mango Salad
Panzanella is the alternative to croutons that makes use of stale bread without the whole loaf going to waste. These small chunks of charred bread meet a hearty mix of cherry tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and mango. Then, finish it all with a chili pepper balsamic dressing.
Story by Kylie Thomas
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.
