From the app that gave us the iconic Girl Dinner and reinvented the charcuterie board comes another mouthwatering sensation, the TikTok summer salads.
While the former involved assembling your favorite snacks, veggies, and carbs on a plate (which dietitians have raised concerns about btw,) these summer salads involve whipping up a bowl of extra-nutritious, flavor-packed, and healthy, body-loving meals.
If you haven’t hopped aboard the bandwagon yet, we’ve curated a list of five of our absolute favorite summer salad ideas below. From the viral Hot Girl Summer Salads to the refreshing watermelon and pesto pasta blends, these recipes are bound to cool you down and tantalize your taste buds.
And the best part?
They all come paired with the yummiest summer salad dressings, guaranteed to bring smiles to your family’s faces.
Contents
- 1 The Best TikTok Summer Salad Recipes Of 2024
- 2 How To Make Summer Salads More Fun?
The Best TikTok Summer Salad Recipes Of 2024
These viral recipes are not just salads—they’re summer magic in a bowl, perfect for those laid-back weeknight dinners or epic outdoor gatherings.
From tangy to refreshing, these five salads will elevate your taste buds and turn every meal into a fiesta under the sun:
Best Overall: Hot Girl Summer Salads
If there’s one summer salad that’s been living rent-free in our minds, it’s the viral Hot Girl Summer Salad.
Dreamt up by TikTok sensation @herdresscode, the Hot Girl Salad features a refreshing mix of fresh veggies/fruits – crisp cucumbers, zesty green bell peppers, and feisty red onion – and the surprise guests, hardboiled eggs, pepperoncini drained, and crunchy sunflower seeds skillfully tossed in a tangy vinaigrette.
The result? A salad sent from the heavens!
Now, we can’t comment on the weight loss capabilities of this TikTok summer salad. @herdresscode claimed it helped her lose 20 pounds, snatching her waist in the process, but all we can say is it’s nutritious, flavorful, and one of the easiest summer salads you can make for yourself in 2024.
Need a step-by-step tutorial on how to make it?
Here’s everything you need:
Hot Girl Summer Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
- One large cucumber
- One large green bell pepper
- One large red onion
- ¼ cup of pepperoncini peppers
- ¼ cup of sunflower seeds
- One egg boiled/any other protein of your choosing – shrimp, grilled chicken (get creative, sis)
For the dressing:
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Creole seasoning
- Three tablespoons of olive oil
- One tablespoon of vinegar
- Four tablespoons of Kroger’s Zesty Italian Dressing
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Dice up all your salad ingredients – cucumber, bell pepper, red onion.
- Add in the pepperoncini peppers and sunflower seeds
- Chop up the hardboiled egg
- Zhuzh it up with black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, creole seasoning, olive oil + vinegar, or the zesty Italian seasoning, mix them all up and voila! You have your Hot Girl Summer Salad.
If you need a visual tutorial, Jayria Nicole’s couldn’t put it any better:
Another version:
Easy Summer Salads: Pasta Summer Salads
This is one of the best pasta salads for the summer, according to us at least. Honestly, you need this in your life. It’s flexible AF and features only six ingredients. Six – and that’s it! Moreover, it’s flavorful, delectable, and oh-so-good for those summertime evenings.
To make it, here’s a complete ingredients list:
TikTok-Viral Summer Pasta Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3-5 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
- One box of colored rotini pasta (cooked and cooled)
- One cup of English cucumber (diced)
- One cup of cherry tomatoes (quartered)
- One full red onion (diced)
- 1/3 cup of kalamata olives (halved)
- 4 oz provolone cheese (cubed)
- 4.5 oz salami (chopped)
For the dressing:
- A shit ton of McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Salad Supreme Seasoning
- Full cup of Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Mix all your ingredients in a large bowl
- Toss, whip it up with a salad mixer, cover, and refrigerate overnight
- Serve and enjoy!
If you need further assistance, here’s a hearty and hilarious visual tutorial from the summer pasta salads queen @the funnymomma, aka Katryce.
Another Version:
and
Refreshing Summer Salads: Watermelon Summer Salad
Oh, hello there gawjhus. Depending on your energy levels, you can make this healthy summer salad with fruits as simple or as complicated as you’d like. There’s room for crispy shallots, feta cheese, and some healthy seeds; you know the whole lot. She’s just so Bridgerton ready!
Psst… all jokes aside, mint, cucumber/tomatoes, avocado (if you wish), and feta add a dash of nutrition and antioxidants to your watermelon base and are a surefire way to offer you a refreshing cool-down from the summer heat.
Ultimate Summer Watermelon Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
- Two large red onions (thinly sliced)
- One lemon (halved)
- One large watermelon (diced)
- One large tomato (diced)
- Feta cheese (cubed)
- Mint leaves (chopped)
- Basil (chopped)
For the dressing:
- Four tablespoons of olive oil
- ½ cup of red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup of lemon juice (drained from the halved lemon)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a pan, add your four tablespoons of olive oil
- Add in half of your thinly sliced onions
- Let them get all crispy and put them aside – ensure to drain the oil first
- Mix up your hot olive oil with the red vinegar and lemon juice to make a delicious dressing
- Toss the basil and mint into your dressing
- Combine all your salad ingredients, sans the crispy shallots, in a large mixing bowl
- Give them a good ‘ol toss and plate ’em up
- Top with the crispy shallots, sprinkle on some dressing, and enjoy!
If you need further assistance, here’s a very British but incredibly interesting tutorial from @mob
Another version:
Best Summer Cookout Salads: Hot Honey BBQ Chicken Salad
Just going to drop this fun summer salad here, just in case you haven’t already seen it making rounds on #BlackTikTok. Give it a try this weekend, and you’ll quickly realize why the girlies haven’t stopped talking about it. (Spoiler: Because it’s freakin’ delicious and filling!).
Oh, btw…we added hot bacon dressing to ours, and when we say we were tranced, best believe it! But so will some peppers and herbs because what’s a cookout without a whole lotta goodness happening in your mouth?
The Best Summer BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3-6 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
- 1lb chicken breast (diced)
- One cup of Romaine (chopped)
- One large tomato (chopped)
- One small avocado (cubed)
- ¼ cup of sweet peppers (chopped)
- ½ cup of sweet corn
- Lettuce (shredded)
For the dressing:
- Three tablespoons olive oil
- One tablespoon of onion powder
- One tablespoon of Chilli powder
- One tablespoon of Creole seasoning
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- ¼ cup sugar-free BBQ sauce
- Two tablespoons sriracha
- Two tablespoons of honey salad
- One tablespoon of cilantro salad dressing
- Two tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- One tablespoon of white vinegar
- One tablespoon of Dijon mustard
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Dice your chicken breast – cut into bite-size pieces
- Coat with your favorite spices – onion powder, creole seasoning, Chilli powder, black pepper, etc.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet and toss in your diced chicken
- When browned, add in your honey, sriracha, and sugar-free BBQ sauce
- Whip up a quick and delectable salad dressing consisting of Greek yogurt, white vinegar, Dijon mustard, cilantro salad dressing, etc.
- Add tomatoes, corn, avocado, and sweet peppers to your bed of lettuce.
- Top it all off with the hot honey barbeque chicken
- Drizzle your sweet, savory, and tangy dressing to give you a fun, healthy, and summer-approved salad that will have you coming back every time!
If you need a visual tutorial, here’s a TikTok video by @cmgetfit:
Another version:
and
Vegan Summer Salads: Green Goddess Salad
When @bakedbymellisa introduced this summer salad, we were skeptical (because not another all-green salad)! What are we? Rabbits?
But when the love handles and saggy skin started creeping in (yes, it’s the only time we turn vegan), we decided to try it, and boy, were we wrong! It’s soooo freakin’ good. And not only is it nutritious, but it also serves as the best guac alternative for your tortillas and kale salads (uuhhh…no!).
So, to make it, we’ll follow @ejovetta’s recipe for the culture!
Low-Carb Green Goddess Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
- One small head of green cabbage (chopped)
- Three baby cucumbers (diced)
- ¼ cup chives
- One bunch of green onions/scallions
- One green bell pepper
- Four hardboiled eggs
- Tortilla chips for serving
For the dressing:
- One cup of basil leaves
- One cup of fresh spinach
- Two garlic cloves
- Two small shallots
- ¼ cashew nuts
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup of rice vinegar
- ¼ cup of nutritional yeast
- ¼ tablespoon freshly ground pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Shred your small-head cabbage
- Dice the cucumber and chop the scallions
- In a food processor, combine your basil, spinach, shallots, cashew nuts, olive oil, and nutritional yeast
- Add in the lemon juice and rice vinegar and pulse 2-4 times based on how much texture you want
- Mix your salad offerings and then drizzle in your green goddess dressing
- Serve with tortillas, as your favorite summer side salad, or as the topping your favorite sandwich with it
Visual tutorial for the laughs and instructions:
Another version:
We Also Love:
This Cold, Saucy Summer Salad:
This @thatsaladlady style Juneteenth Collard Greens Summer Salad:
And This Mama Lulu-Approved Summer Mango Salad:
How To Make Summer Salads More Fun?
There is a boatload of ways to zhuzh up your summer salads and give them that extra health cred:
- Incorporate Fresh Herbs
Yup. If you want to add more flavor and aroma to your TikTok summer salads, this is a must.
And the best part?
You can toss the whole leaf, micro herb like a pro or finely slice your herbs, then stir with some dressing. Our favorite fresh herbs for salads include thyme, tarragon, rosemary, parsley, mint, lemon balm, dill, cilantro, and basil.
- Fruits Are The Real Deal
Sweet or tart fruit gives your healthy summer salad a burst of flavor, color, and everything nice. For spring, strawberries and grapefruit work perfectly.
For summer, grilled or fresh fruits are fantastic. We’re talking watermelon, tomatoes, mangoes, pomegranates, pineapples, cucumbers, apples, and dried fruits. They create this delicious contrast of sweet and savory, which is to die for!
- Nuts + Roasted Seeds = Texture
Looking for the perfect salad topper? Forget cheese and baked tortilla chips. Seeds and salty/candied nuts are where it’s at.
Our go-to choices include walnuts, tamari seeds, sunflower seeds, quinoa, pistachios, pine nuts, pepitas, peanuts, chia seeds, and almonds.
P.S. You can always mix your favorite nuts and seeds, put them in a jar, and then scoop out a spoonful whenever you make a summer salad. Or buy a nuts/seeds mix like the Nature’s Eats Nuts for Energy Mega Trail Mix ($7).
- Seasoning Y’all
To jazz up your summer salad and turn it from blah to ta-da, it’s all about the seasoning symphony! A dash of salt and pepper and a splash of soy sauce can transform your salad into a mouthwatering summer sensation.
But why stop there?
Get adventurous with paprika, sprinkle some parmesan pizzazz, add a kick with harissa or curry powder, or crank up the heat with chili flakes.
And if you’re craving a tangy twist, a splash of vinegar, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, or a squeeze of lemon juice can balance out those sweet summer flavors in a snap.
There’s no shortage of fresh, salad-ready snacks, veggies, and fruits for the extreme summer months. Can’t go a day without some greens? Go for the Green Goddess Salad.
Want to elevate your plain watermelon wedges? A refreshing and healthy summer watermelon salad for the win. Craving something sweet and savory? TikTok’s viral summer candy salad is just a click away. Whatever you decide, you’ll find that summer salads are always a welcome addition to your cookouts and summer dinner tables.
So, don’t just stick to one – try out a few and let us know your favorite in the comment section below.