Pizza and salad might sound like total opposites, one’s cheesy, gooey, and indulgent, while the other is light, crisp, and refreshing. But put them together? You’ve got the best of both worlds in one bowl.

My love for big green salads has no limits, and I’ve been known to transform all kinds of comfort food into my kind of salad. I’m laughably known for my Fritos-Every-Day-Diet, as corn chips are my salad topping of choice most days.

Street tacos meet the Big Green Salad in this Carnitas Salad Bowl that I can’t get enough of lately. Crunchy lettuce is layered with juicy carnitas, tomatoes, avocado, onions, corn, beans, and cheese, then topped with a squeeze of lime. While I’m a huge fan of homemade salad dressings, this salad is so flavorful I just squeeze a lime over the top and finish with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

This BLT Salad is fully loaded with crunchy romaine lettuce, sweet tomatoes and fresh corn, salty bacon, rich and creamy avocado slices, cubed cheddar cheese, crunchy croutons, and the perfect ranch dressing.

BBQ chicken salad with sweet potato fries has become one of my favorite lunches over the past couple of years. This is a cold garden salad tossed with warm and saucy barbecue chicken, then topped with crisp, hot sweet potato fries.

All the awesomeness of the popular grinder sandwich is tossed into this salad with crunchy greens, juicy tomatoes, and a medley of meats and cheeses. Then it’s drizzled with a delicious creamy dressing to make this Italian grinder salad.

Pizza Salad

Fresh garden salad is topped with warm and cheesy pizza “croutons” for a fun and totally satisfying twist on pizza night. It’s playful, delicious, and as much fun to eat as

Sweet peaches, tart and tangy blackberries, fresh mint, basil, and parsley are tossed together with a tangy-sweet vinaigrette over creamy burrata to create the summer salad that I can’t stop eating.

Peach Fruit Salad

This salad is beyond simple to make, yet it delivers amazing flavors. I started adding mint to my morning breakfast bowls a couple of months ago, and I’ve been obsessed with the combination ever since. And yes, I know, I haven’t shut up about it yet.

The fruit salad is pretty darn awesome on its own, tossed with plenty of fresh herbs and drizzled with the white balsamic vinaigrette that everyone loves so much. And while the burrata in this salad is technically optional, I found it to be the highlight for me.

Peach Burrata Salad

I typically buy the smaller 2-ounce balls of burrata and use one for each portion of this salad. If those can’t be found, a larger size burrata can be used and divided for multiple servings.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, place a portion of burrata on a plate and break it apart. Top generously with the peach blackberry salad and sprinkle with additional herbs, if desired.

I’m not even embarrassed to admit that I devoured a ridiculous portion of this salad the day I made it, and then proceeded to eat it again for the next two days. I didn’t even share it with my family the first time I made it.

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Tender, garlicky shrimp, creamy avocado, crisp vegetables, and a tangy-sweet dressing combine in this irresistible shrimp and avocado salad. Every bite makes me grin when I’m eating this salad.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

It takes just a few minutes to cook the shrimp, and the rest of the time required here is spent just prepping the vegetables. You can make this one ahead of time, too, if you want to make it even easier at dinner time. Just add the avocado and toss with the dressing right before serving.

The salad base is made with crunchy lettuce, spring mix, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and fresh parsley. If you haven’t yet tried a salad with an abundance of fresh parsley in it, you’re missing out.

Parsley brightens savory flavors similarly to the way lemon brightens the flavors in countless sweet and savory dishes. The vegetables in this salad are tossed in that honey dijon vinaigrette I shared earlier this week. It pulls all the flavors together perfectly.

Avocado Shrimp Salad

The shrimp are cooked in a bit of butter with garlic and then drizzled with a little lemon juice, leaving them super juicy and full of flavor. Pairing that shrimp with creamy avocado, crunchy crisp vegetables, and a simple vinaigrette adds up to a salad that’s anything but boring.

Whether you’re making this for yourself or serving it to friends, it’s a salad that looks great and tastes even better. It’s one of those meals that leaves you feeling satisfied and full without being too heavy.

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Tender pasta and the “holy trinity” of bell peppers, celery, and onion, along with a creamy Cajun dressing, make this Cajun Pasta Salad irresistible. Pair this flavorful pasta salad with just about any meat off the grill for a memorable summer meal.

Cajun Pasta Salad

While this salad pairs nicely with ​grilled chicken​, ​burgers​, or ​hot dogs​ for summer barbecues, it’s also great with ​chicken​, ​shrimp​, ​steak​, or ​salmon​ cooked in the air fryer for casual weeknight meals.

Last time I made this, my boys positively devoured it. The recipe is a fun twist on classic pasta salads. With an abundance of spicy flavors, nobody can accuse this pasta salad of being boring!

Cajun Flavor

Cajun flavors are characterized by a spicy, earthy seasoning blend that packs a little punch courtesy of ingredients like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and a variety of herbs like thyme, marjoram, and oregano. The other mainstay in Cajun cuisine is the aforementioned “holy trinity”; celery, onions, and bell peppers.

You can certainly buy good Cajun seasoning at most grocery stores in North America. However, I’m a sucker for a good homemade seasoning blend, and this Homemade Cajun Seasoning recipe is my favorite.

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It isn’t often that a salad manages to qualify as a full meal for my crew, but this Italian chopped salad checks all the boxes for us, with plenty of meat and cheese, crunchy fresh vegetables, tangy olives and pepperoncini, tossed in a zesty Italian dressing.

Italian Chopped Salad

This is a terrific make-ahead meal option for summer days and nights. Divide the prepped salad into separate containers or zip-close bags. Lay a paper towel in the containers or bags to help absorb any moisture that collects, and the salad will stay fresh longer.

When you’re ready to enjoy some salad, drizzle a portion of salad with the zesty Italian dressing and toss right before serving or eating. You can add croutons, chips, or even toast some garlic herb bread to enjoy along with the salad, if you’re like me and enjoy a bit of carb-y awesome crunch with your salads.

Chopped Italian Salad

The key to a great chopped salad is to make every bite the same size. My family goes a bit crazy over chopped salads, and they often comment how great it is to have a bit of each flavor in every bite. One of my boys even insists on reveling in his salad by eating it with a spoon. And the spoon never fails to make me laugh.

I’m willing to bet that after your first bite, you’ll agree that it is well worth the few minutes of extra effort to chop things small. To make a chopped salad, simply cut all the ingredients very small and as close to the same size as possible.

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