20 Delicious Potluck Salad Recipes

It's not just a salad—it's a crunchy, juicy, sweet, salty, tart, buttery, nutty potluck dazzler.

This creamy, whole-grain salad earned raves in our test kitchen. It's hardy enough to be a meatless main, or enjoy it as a cold-weather potluck star.

Hearty and wholesome, this pasta salad is loaded with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, lentils, salty cheese and parsley, all cloaked in a light and bright red wine vinaigrette.

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This is a fab potluck salad. If you make it for dinner at home, try it topped with a salmon fillet or, for a vegetarian entree, served over spinach or other salad greens. (A word of warning: Don't substitute a different rice. Arborio, the type used in risotto, definitely works best.) The recipe comes from the blog A Couple Cooks.

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This is a perfect salad to take to a picnic or potluck since it is best at room temperature.

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You could make a meal of this dish: caramelized zucchini, crunchy almonds, salty cheese and hearty quinoa, all dressed in honey-basil vinaigrette. 

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This salad is all about balance—sweet vs. tart and crunchy vs. chewy. Take it to a potluck or picnic.

Fresh ginger and red pepper flakes add welcome zing, but the real surprise here is napa (aka Chinese) cabbage. Columbus, Ohio chef Cara Mangini likes it for slaws because it's more tender than ordinary cabbage but still holds up better than lettuce. 

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This lightly sweet potato salad is a great way to use up leftover ham.

Ham adds just enough smoky richness to chef Abra Berens' vibrant salad to elevate a simple slaw to a lunch-worthy meal or a potluck stunner. Find other great salads in her book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables.

Think of this as a welcome update on three-bean salad, with radishes and celery adding color and crunch to wholesome garbanzo beans. It travels beautifully and is great for potlucks and picnics.

Lemon-olive oil dressing balances fresh Mediterranean flavors in this potluck salad. Make it a main dish by adding one 7-ounce can tuna (drained).

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This healthy no-cook potluck dish is full of fruit and vegetable goodness. Feta adds a tang to the sweetness of honeydew melon. With only 20 minutes of prep time before an overnight chill, this recipe is great for parties.

Combine two potluck staples to create this yummy potluck salad. Expect classic deviled egg flavor with a little zing from the Dijon-style mustard and salty pickled onions.

Sweet, juicy grapes and crunchy broccoli balance savory, salty bacon. 

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Mix sweet dressing, fresh veggies and spicy jalapeños to create a fresh-tasting potluck salad that has only 77 calories per serving.

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Awaken your senses with a potluck salad full of hot poblano peppers, cool avocado, crispy chicken strips and cream cheese. 

Chili powder and cumin flavor this hearty, nutritious Tex-Mex dish from The Spice House in Milwaukee.

You can't go wrong bringing this classic to a potluck! The creamy salad is full of hard-cooked eggs, crisp celery and sweet pickles, and it can be made up to 24 hours ahead.

Nutrient-dense edamame is a savvy (and tasty) addition to the more typical three-bean salad. Bonus: The salad can be made up to 48 hours in advance. 

A Cleveland reader makes this salad a day ahead and refrigerates the dressing and vegetables separately. When it's time to serve it, she tosses everything together. Bacon, sunflower kernels and raisins make a crunchy and flavorful side dish.

Related: Our Best Potluck Recipes