pasta salad

30 Healthy Summer Potluck Salads to Make in June

From zippy potato salads, quinoa salads, coleslaws, and pasta salads that just seem to get better and better over time, we can’t get enough of this list of 30 healthier, light and refreshing summer potluck salads to make now.

With the official first day of summer lingering around the corner (can’t wait for you to get here June 21!), we can’t help but daydream of picnics, potlucks, and pool parties. That’s because we know these shindigs always have the best food.

Childhood memories of cookouts and summer get-togethers bring up all the happy memories of summer’s answer to comfort food: All the side dishes you can fill a plate with and for me that means all the salads.

We’re talking salads that’ll cool you down even on the hottest of days; dishes eaten pool-side, picnic-style, or enjoyed on those lazy summer eves with all the grilled foods and in the company of family and friends.

So whether you’re a caprese salad junkie, coleslaw queen, or broccoli salad aficionado (this one’s my fave!), the gang’s all here. You’ll recognize healthier riffs on your classic faves, plus some new inspiration. But whatever your craving, we’ve got you covered so you can bring your best potluck game all summer-long.continue to the recipe… about 30 Healthy Summer Potluck Salads to Make in June

Creamy Tuscan Pasta Salad

Whether it’s a holiday celebration or a simple family gathering, an easy to make pasta salad is always my favorite for feeding a crowd. This recipe combines the Tuscan flavors of three different salamis, provolone cheese and classic Italian white beans, with black olives, tomatoes, spinach, onion and egg noodles all tossed up with a creamy-style dressing.

This post is brought to you by Applegate

My mom and I have our favorite place to go for lunch. At this point, there really isn’t much point in even looking at the menu, because our orders are always the same: French onion soup and pasta salad of the day. It doesn’t matter what pasta salad they’re serving as the special that day, we know it’s always going to be good and that my mom is always going to ask for extra dressing. It’s just what she does.

So when I was thinking about creating a recipe using Applegate Naturals® Genoa Salami Trio, I didn’t have to go very far out of my mom’s and my favorite food comfort zone and fork-twirl my pasta noodle in a simple Italian-style Tuscan pasta salad with a creamy dressing. And a little extra for my mom, of course.

It also has the festive colors of the season sporting red, green and white. Well actually, of any season given it transitions smoothly no matter which month it makes an appearance in.

continue to the recipe… about Creamy Tuscan Pasta Salad

Classic Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe

A simple mayonnaise dressing lightly coats the classic ingredients of homemade macaroni salad, fancied up with bay shrimp for an easy side dish made perfect for every barbecue, picnic, or potluck.

Updated: This recipe one of my main go-tos for nearly every summer BBQ dinner I host or bring something to. So after re-visiting this recipe so many times this summer and looking at the old photos, I knew it needed a refresh. I hope you’ll enjoy the new look of one of my favorite salads, too.

Isn’t it funny how so many favorite recipes come from the kitchens of cooks who don’t consider themselves anything other than average? They aren’t culinary trained, they haven’t worked behind the line at fine restaurants and have never fathomed the thought of authoring a cookbook. Or even a food bloggity blog.

But those cooks, they all have at least one recipe they can rock in the kitchen.

That’s the secret to this Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe. Years of experience and good, old-fashioned, home cooking.

continue to the recipe… about Classic Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe

Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts

During the summer months, I make one variation or another of this Greek Pasta Salad at least twice a month, and because I have the basics down, it’s easy to pull together for get-togethers, potlucks and BBQs.

Just like a signature scent, song, and style, every home cook should have a defining mark that sets us apart from the pack. A signature dish. That one recipe to rely on, to go back to, time and time again. A recipe we know like the back of our hand, to pull out of our back pocket at a moment’s notice and feel 100% confident that THIS dish…this dish will deliver.

Friends, meet my signature pasta salad. My loaded Greek pasta salad.

It’s ultimately adaptable and flexible depending on the ingredients I have—or don’t have—in the pantry or refrigerator. continue to the recipe… about Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts

Easy Italian Spaghetti Pasta Salad

Classic Italian flavors make this super easy spaghetti pasta salad with pepperoni, veggies and dressing a potluck favorite everyone will love.

Picky eaters. Just like dust bunnies and crumbs dropped and forgotten (or ignored?) in the corners of the kitchen, there’s always a few in the room.

This salad is made for picky eaters. Minus the onions, maybe. Because who doesn’t love spaghetti? And pepperoni? And olives doused with a tangy Italian dressing?

I made this pasta salad along with this Broccoli Salad for a potluck dinner a few weeks ago. I knew there were picky eaters in the crowd, and I knew there was a very slim chance those eaters were going to be partaking of broccoli, especially in a salad.

This was my offering for them. A crowd pleaser was in the house.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Italian Spaghetti Pasta Salad

Peanut Noodles With Chicken

Loaded with fresh, crunchy veggies, this healthy Asian-flavored pasta salad is one of my most popular all-in-one meals, and it’s also a great side dish for potlucks and picnics.

One can’t have too many pasta salads in their arsenal of recipes. This year I’m partnering with DeLallo Foods to share recipes using their pastas, pestos and sauces and while I’m always a fan of classic pasta salads with an Italian bent, this beauty is heading to the Asian side of the globe.

Fresh and crunchy with loads of slivered fresh veggies, this pasta salad is perfect for serving as a main meal and that is exactly what I did.

Well, actually it’s what my mom served, that I cooked, for her turn in hosting her ladies who lunch book club. I don’t know if that’s what they really call themselves, but it seems an apt description when there’s elegant women, good conversation, chilled wine and tasty eats to share.

continue to the recipe… about Peanut Noodles With Chicken

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

This easy 5-ingredient pasta salad recipe has all of the traditional Caesar flavorings with the healthy additions of kale and sweet roasted cherry tomatoes for any potluck salad any time of year.

You’ve gotten the invite. Or maybe you’ve extended it yourself.

“Oh sure! We’d love to come over. What time? In an hour? Okay,” I say. And then add the what-was-I-thinking question, “What can I bring?”

Wait. What? Why did I offer adding more to the party than that bottle of wine that’s already chilled and just waiting to be sipped and shared? Why can’t I just let the hostess have her day and me show up empty handed? Why? Because my mama didn’t teach this girl to show up without a little somethin’-somethin’ to add to the party.

Most often you’ll hear me professing my love of homemade dressings. I make a lot of them. Why? Because they’re easy and healthy and I know exactly what’s in them. But sometimes, I need a recipe in a hurry, something I can throw together quick when I turn to my pantry and the impromptu creating begins. Since nobody-never-ever says no to a quick and simple pretty much healthy pasta salad, my potluck salad with store-bought dressing is my golden unicorn.

How to Make Caesar Pasta Salad

This pasta salad blends two of my go-to party menu contributions into one: Caesar salad with roasted tomatoes and a classic pasta salad. What makes this recipe even easier than either of those on their own is simple, quality ingredients I normally always have on hand.

I usually make my own dressings. I’m a bit of a master at simple herb infused vinaigrettes and make a mean blue cheese dressing. But when I’m in a time crunch, keeping a few bottles of dressing like Ken’s Steakhouse Dressings in my pantry makes life oh so much easier.

About the Recipe

As I mentioned before, Caesar salad is one of the recipes on my entertaining short list and because this recipe has just 5 ingredients, quality is key. Ken’s Dressings offers a Caesar salad dressing in a creamy and classic vinaigrette version and also in a lite version. For this Kale Caesar Salad I chose the creamy version to dress my favorite bowtie noodles and evaded the time-I-didn’t-have-task of coddling eggs and dealing with anchovies.

A quality Parmesan cheese is essential. Don’t wimp out and use the pre-shredded version. Flavor is what counts and a great Wisconsin parmesan adds just the right bit of nuttiness.

Kale is a stand-out addition to this pasta salad because it doesn’t limp out like other greens might. After adding Ken’s Caesar dressing to the mix, the pasta salad is popped into the refrigerator for the flavors to mix and mingle. The sturdier green keeps it crunch even after the passing of time.

A standard addition to my traditional Caesar—thanks to Ina Garten—is roasted tomatoes. What I love most about roasted tomatoes is how sweet the little orbs become after a stint in the oven. They truly pop with sweetness and are the #1 reason I’ll eat a tomato that isn’t yet in season.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.

4.07 from 15 votes

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

This 5-ingredient pasta salad recipe comes together in minutes and packs tons of flavor with all of the flavors of a traditional Caesar salad plus sweet roasted tomatoes.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound farfalle pasta
1 pint small tomatoes such as grape or cherry
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch kale stemmed and chopped
1 16 ounce bottle Ken's Creamy Caesar Steakhouse Dressing
4 ounces Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with kosher salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions or until al dente, drain and place in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, preheat an oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees. Place the tomatoes on a small baking tray, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss lightly. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast until the tomatoes have softened and started to burst, about 8-10 minutes.
Chop the kale into small pieces and add to the pasta with the cherry tomatoes. Pour about half of the bottle of Ken's Creamy Caesar Dressing onto the salad and gently toss, adding more dressing if desired. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and season with freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Simply make your own recipe and post it to Instagram, follow and mention @kensdressings, and use the hashtag As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.

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Whole Wheat Greek Pasta Salad

If you’re like me, you love the traditional flavors of Whole Wheat Greek Pasta Salad, but when you give it a try with whole wheat noodles, you’ve just upped your healthy foodie factor in a big way.

There I was, sitting in front of my computer staring at the deliciousness that resonated from the final edit on the summer issue of FoodieCrush magazine when the sudden craving for a salty burst of balsamic/basil/tomato flavors hit me smack in the flavor senses.

Before I get too far into the thick of the tomato, I must say a big thank you and send virtual fist pumps, high fives and air kisses to everyone who has checked out, commented, tweeted and Facebooked about the new issue and the bloggers, recipes and interviews that are featured in it’s flippable online pages.

If you haven’t taken a look yet, please do, and definitely click over to the linked food blogger’s sites to see more of their delicious tastes.

Now, back to our pasta at hand.

continue to the recipe… about Whole Wheat Greek Pasta Salad

Chicken Nicoise Pasta Salad

The New Years resolutions have rung themselves in. And some of them, for some of you, are already on their way out.

This year I’m not making New Years resolutions. Instead, I’m setting goals that aren’t beginning-of-the-year-dependent, the kind that once the shiny sparkle of the New Year has faded so with it go the good intentions of achieving those rock hard abs and closets that look like they were ripped from the Container Store catalog.

That’s just not where I am anymore, looking toward the unknown of what might or might not work, what might or might not make me happy. It’s not that I don’t want to be in good health or have a clean and organized home, its just that I know time is precious and flies by too quickly. Instead, I’m going to go retro this year. I’m going to remember the way I used to behave, the way I used to enjoy, because I know what I did then worked and made me happy. The essentials are there, and can easily be adapted to where I am now in my now, much happier life. So, here are my goals for this year.

continue to the recipe… about Chicken Nicoise Pasta Salad

Greek Lemon Pasta Salad Plus 5 Great Sides

Ah, Friday. Thank you for finally showing up on my doorstep.

It’s been a week of surprises and quick moves that have called for backbone, agility and patience. Some of the news has been trying for my family and some has given me drive and inspiration. For myself, things are a-changing and I’m totally ready for it. My dance card is filling up. But more on that soon enough.

Lately I’ve had a hankering for pasta. What’s my deal with carbo loading? I’ve been dreaming of salty plus crunchy the little pasta bowl in my head. Feta = salt. Kalamata olives = salt. I think I have it covered.continue to the recipe… about Greek Lemon Pasta Salad Plus 5 Great Sides

pasta salad

30 Healthy Summer Potluck Salads to Make in June

Creamy Tuscan Pasta Salad

Classic Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe

Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts

Easy Italian Spaghetti Pasta Salad

Peanut Noodles With Chicken

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

How to Make Caesar Pasta Salad

About the Recipe

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients

Instructions

Whole Wheat Greek Pasta Salad

Chicken Nicoise Pasta Salad

Greek Lemon Pasta Salad Plus 5 Great Sides

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