This page brings together five salad recipes with different bases, from chicken and pasta to peas and spaghetti.
Each one uses a distinct mix of produce, dressing, and chill time to build its flavor and texture.
Find your recipe
Chicken Waldorf Salad
Chicken Waldorf Salad combines chopped cooked chicken with mayonnaise, apple, celery, walnuts or pecans, raisins if desired, pineapple tidbits, and halved red grapes. The mixture is stirred gently so everything is evenly coated, then covered and refrigerated for at least 1 hour so it is thoroughly chilled and the flavors blend.
To serve, each plate is lined with a large lettuce leaf and topped with the chilled chicken salad. French bread or a warmed baguette may be offered alongside, which matches the salad’s creamy fruit-and-nut profile without changing the main preparation.
Get the full Chicken Waldorf Salad recipe
Best Pasta Salad
Best Pasta Salad starts with rotini or another pasta cooked until al dente, then rinsed under cold water and tossed with olive oil to keep it from sticking. The salad is built with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, salami or summer sausage, olives, pepperoncini if using, red onion, and parsley, giving it a hearty mix of vegetables, cheese, and cured meat.
Its dressing is whisked separately with olive oil, vinegar, water, sea salt, garlic, sugar, oregano, basil, and black pepper, then three-fourths is tossed with the cooled pasta mixture. After at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, the salad is tossed again before serving, with more dressing added if needed.
Get the full Best Pasta Salad recipe
Classic Chicken Salad
Classic Chicken Salad is assembled by layering diced celery, red onion or scallions, optional grapes, lemon juice, chopped dill, shredded chicken, mayonnaise or a yogurt-mayo blend, Dijon mustard, and optional celery seeds in a bowl. The result is a straightforward chicken salad that balances creamy, bright, and savory elements.
Once everything is added, the mixture is stirred until evenly combined, then seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. The method keeps the texture simple and direct, with the lemon and dill folded in before the final seasoning step.
Get the full Classic Chicken Salad recipe
Classic Pea Salad
Classic Pea Salad pairs thawed peas with cooked crumbled bacon, diced red onion, and small cubes of cheddar cheese. Its dressing is a smooth blend of sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and salt, which gives the salad a creamy tang that clings well to the vegetables and cheese.
After the dressing is whisked until smooth, the peas, bacon, onion, and cheddar are gently stirred in so everything is coated. The salad is then covered and refrigerated for at least 1 hour before serving, with extra bacon available for garnish if desired.
Get the full Classic Pea Salad recipe
Confetti Salad
Confetti Salad uses broken spaghetti, red pepper, red onion, cucumber, celery, and well-drained whole-kernel corn for a colorful chilled pasta salad. The dressing combines mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan, white vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, and black pepper, creating a creamy base with a tangy finish.
The dressing is stirred until completely smooth before the pasta is cooked until al dente, drained, and cooled for 15 minutes. The vegetables and corn are tossed with the spaghetti, the dressing is added, and the bowl is chilled for 1 hour so the flavors mellow and the pasta takes on the dressing.
