Salads are one of the best pick-me-ups when you feel down, and especially as the year draws to a close, maybe you need some healthy, vitamin-rich meals. A beautiful salad can be one of the most fun culinary projects, and we hope that our best salads of 2024 inspire you to be your healthiest self as you go into 2025.
TABLE Magazine’s Best Salads of 2024
Red, White, and Blue Fruit Salad
This was our most-viewed salad of 2024, so maybe there was some nostalgic patriotism in the air. This is delicious, summery salad can be made year-round, and the presentation is just adorable. It’s sure to impress at a picnic or any gathering where the bright flavors of fruit will add their appeal to the table. The tajin on top of the watermelon is an especially nice touch.
Roasted Beet Salad with French Vinaigrette
Nothing beats a beet. Veda Sankaran used two red beets and one yellow beet for this recipe to bring together their different flavor profiles. She roasted them to perfection, then topped them with a homemade Vinaigrette that will dazzle your palate.
Dill Pickle and Crispy Smashed Potato Salad
Who doesn’t love pickles? (Some people, we suppose, but frankly, they’re kind of off base.) The addition of a bit of zest into a smashed potato salad elevates with crunch and tang what can sometimes be a somewhat bland dish.This comes to us from multiple-James-Beard-Award-winner Cheryl Alters Jamison. This one is a real crowd pleaser.
Blistered Shishito and Corn Salad
Shishito peppers are a spicy vegetable that add something to any salad they’re in. With avocados, corn, pepitas, and Cojita cheese, there’s something anyone can enjoy in this salad. But it does have cilantro, which, if you ‘re serving someone with the cilantro repulsion gene, you may want to avoid. In that case: parsley is your friend. And maybe a touch of fresh basil, too.
Wilted Lettuce Salad
Maybe you’re rolling your eyes at the idea of making a salad out of wilted-looking lettuce. But the Black-Seeded Simpson leaf lettuce actually has more of complex flavor than the Iceberg lettuce typical to most salads. If you’re a lettuce skeptic, try varying it. This comes to us from multiple-James-Beard-Award-winner Cheryl Alters Jamison.
Lemon Za’atar Salad
Za’atar is something of a salad hero. This Mediterranean spice can make even the blandest vegetables aromatic and flavorful. Chef Chris Bethoney uses marjoram, coriander seeds, dried spearmint, dried peppermint, and a variety of other spices on top of a Lebanese fattoush salad base.
The Best Potato Salad Ever
Well…we did say it was the best. Monifa Dayo’s recipe blends all of potato salad’s best compoments together: Yukon potatoes, creamy aioli, and a bit of tarragon and dill. The ensemble creates a satisfying flavor combination that will impress even the toughest customers at a family barbecue.
Easy Italian Rice Salad
This Arborio rice salad takes you to an indulgence of la dolce vita with a healthier option than your typical Italian pasta dish. It’s easy to make and to transport, too, if you’re planning an al fresco picnic once the summer months come around.
Green Goddess Egg Salad
This Green Goddess salad draws from the mayo-heavy egg salad sandwiches you might remember from your childhood, with the addition of parsley, dill, and chives to add further layers of flavor and delight.
Baby Kale Salad with Citrus-Marinated Artichoke Hearts
This is a perfect salad for December, January, and February when you might be lacking in vitamin D and energy. And humor. And, better yet, it uses baby Kale, an easy-to-find ingredient. The artichoke hearts add a satisfying depth to this vegan, gluten-free meal.
Story by Emma Riva
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