My mom’s side of the family gets together every Fourth of July for a family reunion. Each year, we meet up at our cousins’ lake house for some totally classic Independence Day activities. The lake community holds an egg toss competition, turtle race and a talent show when the sun goes down, no less.
One of my favorite aspects of the day, other than hanging out with some of my favorite people, is the potluck spread inside the cabin. Everyone brings something to share. Potluck dishes cover the table and overflow onto the kitchen island. I fill my plate with homemade salads and find some room for potato chips—it’s the one day a year that I gorge myself on potato chips. America!
This year, my family is headed East to my cousin’s wedding in Florida, and I’m going South for my best friend’s wedding shower (I’m the maid of honor). I’m already feeling sentimental about the lake, so here are twenty fresh, healthy, potluck-appropriate recipes to bookmark for the summer.
1) Simple Seedy Slaw
Vegan and gluten free
“Made this for our super bowl party and it was a big hit, especially for my son who dislikes mayonnaise. I didn’t change a thing on the recipe and it was really good! Thank you!” – Leslie
2) Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Quinoa Salad
Vegan and gluten free
“Just made this for a family BBQ and it’s so tasty I might not share it. Thank you so much for creating this (and sharing it)!” – Rachel
3) Lemony Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Radish and Herbs
Vegan and gluten free
“Hi again! Thanks so much for this one! I made it for my husband and I and we loved it so much we made it for a recent housewarming and everyone went wild… Sent this one to a few guests who had requested a copy! Thanks!” — Krystal
4) Herbed Red Potato Salad (no mayo!)
Vegan and gluten free
“Great recipe! It appeared on the Huffington Post yesterday, so thought I’d give it a whirl today. My husband and I are impressed with the results! We are not mayo people and are happy to have this flavorful option. I think our dinner guests tonight will be quite happy, as well (if there is any left for them!). The bonus tip of cutting the potatoes up before boiling was a great tip with perfect results! Thank you so much.” – Elaine
5) Greek Broccoli Salad
Easily vegan and gluten free
“I love this salad! The first time I made it, I will say the strong lemon scent of the dressing made me nervous, but it is delicious! I’ve made it 3 or 4 times since. It’s great to make for company: it looks fancy, but is quick to make and put together ahead of time.” – Stacy
6) Soba Noodle & Raw Veggie Salad
Vegan
“This is one of my favorite dishes of all time, and is now a staple in our house since I found it about a year ago. Even my 10 year old likes it!! Just saw your brussel sprout & peanut soba noodle slaw recipes. Can’t wait to try them out!” — Kristen
7) Green Goddess Hummus
Vegan and gluten free
“My grocery store didn’t have tarragon so I used basil instead. Soooooo good! Thanks for the recipe.” – Nes
8) Greek Chickpea Salad
Vegan and gluten free
“I’ve just eaten the whole bowl of it.. Delicious!” — Karolina
9) Summertime Pasta Salad
Easily vegan and easily gluten free (see notes)
“I made this last night to pack for lunches this week. Easy ingredients, simple to pull together, incredibly delicious, and so beautiful! I’ll definitely be bringing this as a side to summer cookouts!” – Lauren
10) Fresh Mango Salsa
Vegan and gluten free
“I made this today for a Memorial Day picnic. Love the bright colors and the taste is delicious!” – Lori
11) Quinoa Tabouli
Vegan and gluten free
“Kate – I made this quinoa tabouli for a church pot luck in the SOUTH. Guess what? It was gone! I am sure that is not a surprise to you, but among the BBQ chicken, hot dogs, cheesy cheesy mac and cheese and taste-less salads (I am sure you can envision this…), this “red-seed-looking-things -and-vegetables” was a huge hit… — Callen
12) Cowboy Caviar
Vegan and gluten free
“I’ve made this twice in the past week! My husband loves it, I love it! I’m 8 months pregnant and am craving fresh, bright flavors so this is perfect. We’ve had it as a side salad, once with chips, once without. We also put it in quesadillas which was fantastic. Thanks for a great recipe!” – Ali
13) Arugula, Dried Cherry and Wild Rice Salad with a Zippy Lemon Dressing
Easily vegan and gluten free
“I was looking for a good salad for sack lunches. Stumbled across this one and the rest is history. I now call it the “crack salad” — I’m completely addicted! Not only does it hold up well in the fridge, it actually tastes better the next day. So awesome, Kate! Thanks for making salad my first choice. :)” – Richelle
14) Peanut-Sesame Slaw with Soba Noodles
Vegan (gluten free with substitutions)
“Made this to take to the office for lunch today and wow – new favorite right here! It also works if you prep the night before.” — Dini
15) Kale Guacamole
Vegan and gluten free
I need your feedback on this one! :)
16) Black Bean Salsa
Vegan and gluten free
“The last time I made [your black bean soup] I had enough leftovers for lunch the next day. I used it as the insides of a burrito with your best salsa ever [this salsa] and one of your avocado/jalepeño/cilantro sauces (I think the one from the sweet potato tacos). It was great!!! Thank you!” — Krystal (Again! Thanks, Krystal!)
17) Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Raw Squash and Feta
Vegetarian!
“I made this two nights ago. The verdict: absolutely delicious and so full of colour. It tasted even better on day 2. We’ll definitely be having this one again and again. Thank you!” — Simone
18) Simple Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Dipping Sauce
Gluten free
“I made these skewers last night for a dinner party and they were beautiful as well as tasty! They were a huge hit and I would definitely make them again!” – Jody
19) Lebanese Lemon-Parsley Bean Salad
Vegan and gluten free
“Thank you, thank you, thank you for this salad recipe! I am going to be living on this all summer long! It is exactly what I was looking for. Love your blog Kate!” — Karen
20) Peanut Dipping Sauce
Easily vegan and easily gluten free
“Already made this twice this week. It’s the best peanut sauce in existence!” – Emily
P.s. More recipe roundups: 24 meatless recipes that carnivores will love and 12 vegetarian pasta recipes. I’ve saved some of my favorite bloggers’ summer dishes on my summer Pinterest board, too!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Trisha
yum! Totally drooling over all these recipes! I almost can’t decide which one to make first! I think it might have to be the coconut quinoa with tropical pesto!
Beth @ Tasty Yummies
Your photos are just so beautiful, Kate!! I love this collection of recipes, totally sharing ;)
Barbara Davidge
What a terrific post! So many great salads I can’t decide what to make first. Well done and perfect timing.
Kate
I owe you a belated thank you, Barbara! Hope you love the salads.
Kate @Almond Butter Binge
I feel like that coconut quinoa and kale is about to become my new favorite salad! Thanks for sharing this round-up — so many potlucks this summer, and this will prove helpful. :)
Kari
Thanks for sharing-so many great ideas! Can’t wait to try out a few.
~Kari
www.cookingwithtoddlers.org
Haley @Cupcakes and Sunshine
That sprout slaw sounds absolutely fantastic!!!
Sergio
it´s amazing how many recipes I´ve found here. No doubts I´ll try more than one. Nice blog. Thx for sharing your time, love to cooking, happyness.
Meg
What a great list!
Leah Davis
I love all of these ideas – perfect for July 4th! They all look so healthy and delicious.
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life
It’s almost lunch time here and now I’m sad that I didn’t have time to make my lunch last night! Everything here looks delicious – I’m going to pick one out for next week’s lunches so I know what ingredients are going on my farmer’s market list for the weekend!
Thanks Kate :)
laurasmess
Gorgeous, gorgeous salad round up Kate! I wish it was summer over here too… at the moment I’ve been making as many warm and comforting dishes as possible! I’m bookmarking that Asian brussels sprouts slaw for this week though; I bought a massive pack of brussels sprouts at the market last week (cooked some last night with garlic and bacon, yum) and there are just enough left over for that slaw! Yum xx
Jen
Wow these look amazing! I’m especially intrigued by the Soba Noodle and the Coconut Quinoa… ;)
Cookin Canuck
It sounds as though your family celebrates the Fourth of July in a great way! It’s no wonder all of these recipes have received rave reviews…they look fantastic!
Kate
Thank you, Dara!
Sophie
This is such a wonderful and timely list, Kate! I guess last week I became a vegetarian? And already went meatlessly through one chicken-leg-centric cookout over the weekend. Another is coming up on the 4th and I just found out that my dear friend (and cookout hostess) is allergic to gluten and dairy! These dishes are really going to come in handy because she and I are going to eat like kings ANYWAY :) :) I love vegetable so much and you always treat them beautifully here!
Joanna
Love these recipes! Nothing better for lunch/dinner/tea during summer than a quick, healthy and easy salad! I’ve stopped baking, started my salad days with red lentil simplicity!
Gaby
These look fabulous…when’s the potluck to try all of them?!?!
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine
I’m pinning this post to come back to when I go back to work in the fall (teacher!). I love to make salads like these on Sundays in huge batches, then have them for lunches all week.
Kate
These salads are perfect for that! I suppose I could have titled this post, “Salads that pack well for lunch!”
bev @ bevcooks
Want. It. All. Basically.
Krystal
Oh hi again! LOVE this collection! Thanks for making my 4th of July planning so easy! I will be making Black Bean and Corn Salsa, Lemony Lentil and Chickpea Salad, Lemon Parsley Bean Salad, Coconut Quinoa and Kale w/Pesto, and Black Bean Soup. Wohoo! Thank you!!
Kate
Can I come to your party?!
Jordan @Gingerlockskitchen
These look great! Not only do these salads look beautiful, they seem to have tons of flavor. I like to bring something healthy to pot lucks and picnics so these will be perfect. Thanks for posting!
Kate
Good point, Jordan! Thank you for commenting!
Katie @ Cup of Tea Blog
Thank you so much for putting this collection together! I’m always stuck when it comes to summer salads for crowds. Loving all these options!
Kate
Glad you appreciate the roundup, Katie! Thank you for commenting!
Anne
The Asian Brussels sprout slaw deserves a rousing endorsement! Perfectly balanced flavors. So satisfying it’s been my “main dish” for two consecutive meals. Takes advantage of the Asian flavor profiles without being overly soy sauce-y.
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Anne! I was a little worried about that slaw since I wasn’t receiving comments from those who actually made it. So glad to hear that you love it! I thought it was pretty delicious, too. ;)
Joanne
I’m feeling like i should make one of these a week for the rest of the summer! My tastebuds and my bikini will be quite happy I do. :P
Annie@emptynestcountryliving.com
These all look so beautiful and delicious. Can’t wait to try some of these for my next work potluck.
Julia @ Sprinkles & Saturdays
Yum! These all look amazing. I am definitely bookmarking for 4th of July! Especially the soba and veggie salad.
Keshia
The no mayo pasta salad and kale guacamole sound delish! I would never even think to put kale in guacamole but it is definitely a great idea to sneak some additional nutrients in there. Thanks for sharing!
Pallavi
This should also say guilt free for all recipes besides vegan and gluten free. Thank you so much for sharing this post today. Gave me ideas for a vegan chicknick that I am going to on Sat. I also have some baby kale and grano padano in the fridge. Will mine your blog for kale salad recipe now.
Kate
Perfect! Enjoy your feast on Saturday. :)
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings
Oooh, I want to try the lentil and chickpea salad. A perfect accompaniment to grilled lemon chicken!
Olena@iFOODreal
Awesome roundup. Love the first photo. Pinning. Checked out your blog today because my neighbour mentioned she cooks from yours and mine yesterday.:)
Kate
That’s awesome! :)
Hong Minh
omg, those look amazing and mouthwatering! perfect list for summer meals! can’t resist making them!
Cassie
Potlucks are a great way to taste more homemade recipes and fresh dishes! I utterly love the peanut sauce and lentil salad so much! All of these recipes are perfect for a potluck!
Kate
Agreed! Thanks, Cassie!
Susan
love it thanks
Heather
I came to your blog to find a dish to take to a 4th of July potluck. You made it super easy for me! :) I’m going with the Quinoa Tabouli.
Malin Andersson
It´s amazing how many recipes I´ve found here. Thank for sharing this nice informative blog with us. Always love to cooking and happiness .Your photo are also so beautiful.
Cindy
Kate, I just nominated your blog to Savuer’s 8th Annual Best Blog Contest. Main reason is introducing me to delicious vegetarian dishes. I won’t give up meat entirely but will eat vegetarian at least twice a week. Thank you.
Kate
Thank you so much, Cindy, that is so kind of you!