Food and Recipes Dish Salad 15 Of Grandma's Most Famous Summer Salads By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Senior Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 25, 2024 Close Photo: Jen Causey Grandma knows that just because something is called a salad doesn't necessarily mean it contains lettuce. In fact, some of these summer salads can even be considered a dessert. The most important qualities of summer salads is that they're refreshing, easy to pull together, and highlight the best produce the season has to offer. Here are Grandma's all-time favorites. 33 Easy Summer Salad Recipes For Hot Days 01 of 15 7-Layer Salad JEN CAUSEY; FOOD STYLIST: EMILY NABORS HALL; PROP STYLIST: CALEB CLARKE This common potluck salad looks impressive but is surprisingly simple to pull together. get the recipe 02 of 15 Marinated Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad HANNAH ZIMMERMAN/SOUTHERN LIVING For many Southerners, including Grandma, it's not summertime without a marinated salad. Especially when cucumbers and tomatoes are involved. get the recipe 03 of 15 Homemade Chicken Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Though Grandma probably doesn't need to consult a recipe when she whips up a classic batch of chicken salad, if you need some measurements you can use this one as a guide. get the recipe 04 of 15 Picnic Egg Salad Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Whether you serve it atop toasted baguette, between two slices of white sandwich bread, or with crackers for scooping, classic egg salad will never disappoint. get the recipe 05 of 15 Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Jen Causey When making this pasta salad, make sure to allow at least 2 hours for it to chill before serving. You can even take a cue from Grandma and make it a day in advance. get the recipe 06 of 15 Heirloom- Tomato Salad VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLIST: RUTH BLACKBURN; PROP STYLIST: CHRISTINE KEELY Grandma agrees that fresh summer tomatoes are delicious enough to stand on their own in this colorful salad. get the recipe 07 of 15 Cucumber- and- Vidalia Onion Salad Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Grandma knows that no-cook salad recipes can save the day during the sweltering hot days of summer, and this refreshing cucumber salad will do just that. get the recipe 08 of 15 Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Pasta salad is a summertime staple that's colorful, refreshing, and totally customizable. get the recipe 09 of 15 Whipped- Cream Corn Salad Southern Living Whether Grandma uses fresh corn she grew in her garden or picks some up at the grocery store, she knows adding a little heavy cream is the secret to creamy corn salad. get the recipe 10 of 15 Pear Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox This 5-ingredient salad has been loved and served by Southern grandmothers for decades. It can be an appetizer before the meal or a side to accompany the main dish. get the recipe 11 of 15 Classic Potato Salad Fred Hardy; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Grandma knows it's not a summertime cookout with at least one type of potato salad on the menu, and this no-fuss recipe probably resembles the one she has been making for years. get the recipe 12 of 15 Strawberry-Pretzel Jello Salad CAITLIN BENSEL; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX Whether Grandma considers it a side dish or a dessert, this Strawberry-Pretzel Jello Salad never disappoints. get the recipe 13 of 15 Shrimp Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox When shrimp is in season, a simple salad is one of the most refreshing ways to enjoy it. get the recipe 14 of 15 Watergate Salad Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Like many Southern recipes, this salad has many different names. Whether Grandma calls it Watergate Salad, Green Fluff, or another name of her choosing, it's always welcome at any potluck. get the recipe 15 of 15 Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad For the best results, our Test Kitchen recommends using Wright Brand bacon for this pasta salad recipe. When it comes to the noodles, you can use whatever shape you have on hand. get the recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit