Most of these foolproof side dishes are ready in 15 minutes, and they are a snap to pack and share.
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Got a backyard barbecue on the calendar, or a last-minute potluck invite? Don’t have the time to make a big tray of macaroni and cheese? Don’t sweat it. Below are 21 travel-friendly side dishes that are big on flavor, sans fuss. Just quick, crowd-pleasing recipes that come together in under half an hour — perfect for when you want to impress your friends and family without working too hard.
Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
There are plenty of good, creamy dips out there. But this Iranian yogurt dip with celery, chopped hazelnuts and dried cranberries is truly something special. Naz Deravian’s recipe calls for dried mint and dried dill, which, she says, are not substitutes for fresh herbs but “stars in their own right.”
Recipe: Borani-yeh Karafs (Celery Yogurt Dip)
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“When I was a boy growing up in South Carolina, we had hamburgers with pimento cheese and chopped onions. It is out of this world,” wrote one reader. Now that’s an idea! This version of the Southern spread of Cheddar, roasted red pepper and mayonnaise came to The Times from the Charleston cookbook authors Matt Lee and Ted Lee.
Recipe: Pimento Cheese
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
This five-ingredient recipe, adapted by Krysten Chambrot, comes from Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook of the Philadelphia restaurant Zahav. This quick version, done in a fraction of the time of their famous hummus, calls for a whole 16-ounce jar of tahini. The end result is silky smooth, a perfect accompaniment to crudités, grilled or roasted vegetables or pita chips.
Recipe: 5-Minute Hummus
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist:Frances Boswell.
Kay Chun’s classic coleslaw proves simple is often best. Shredded cabbage and carrots are tossed in a creamy, tangy-sweet dressing of mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and celery seeds. Leftovers make a great topping for tacos and sandwiches.
Recipe: Coleslaw
Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Frances Boswell.
Cucumber salads are the ultimate cooling counterpart for hot food and hot weather. Ali Slagle takes that idea to new heights by swapping raw cucumbers for pickles. They’re still crunchy, but give the speedy salad an extra zing. She recommends using half-sour pickles.
Recipe: Smashed Pickle Salad
James Ransom for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
This salad from Jesse Szewczyk tastes like sour cream and onion chips — thanks to onion powder and, you guessed it, sour cream. Dress the lettuce when you get to the function. If you’re feeling fun and flirty, garnish the salad with crushed potato chips right before serving for an extra pop of texture and a nod to its inspiration.
Recipe: Green Salad With Sour Cream and Onion Dressing
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
This hearty salad comes together with almost zero work whatsoever. No knife required! Here’s what you need: store-bought roasted peppers, canned cannellini beans, hand-torn mozzarella, a single grated garlic clove, a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic and a handful of basil leaves. That’s it. And it’s divine.
Recipe: Roasted Pepper, White Bean and Mozzarella Salad
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Charcuterie boards are so last season. This breezy recipe from Melissa Clark takes the classic party appetizer and puts it on an edible base. Genius! You can use any kind of store-bought flatbread, but thick pieces of focaccia work particularly well, holding their own against the toppings.
Recipe: Loaded Focaccia
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
This no-cook salad from Yasmin Fahr costs less than a flight to Greece or Spain, but one bite and you’re basically there. It’s got fresh tomatoes, creamy feta, salty tinned fish and added brine from the olives. Use whichever tinned fish you prefer. (Our friends at Wirecutter have some favorites.)
Recipe: Tomato, Olive and Feta Salad with Tinned Fish
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Ali Slagle’s five-ingredient, crunchy and creamy salad is a surefire party favorite with more than 6,000 five-star ratings. Everything is stirred together vigorously — with lemon juice or vinegar to prevent browning — so that the avocado breaks down a bit and coats the cucumber.
Recipe: Cucumber-Avocado Salad
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
This sweet and spicy salad from Christian Reynoso is a love letter to summer fruit. Sweet stone fruit of any kind is cut small and tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes and basil in a chile crisp vinaigrette. (Pairs great with grilled meats.)
Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Summer Fruit Salad
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Hot take: This chickpea salad is better than potato salad. Lidey Heuck swaps potatoes for chickpeas and Greek yogurt for mayonnaise in this higher-protein but equally delicious riff on the classic side dish. “I’m not certain we’ll ever eat potato salad again!” one reader wrote.
Recipe: Chickpea Salad With Fresh Herbs and Scallions
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Greg Lofts.
Fun fact: The classic combination of cured meat and fruit dates back to ancient Rome. In Ali Slagle’s take on the iconic antipasto, prosciutto and melon are tossed with arugula and mozzarella to make it more of a salad. (Add the arugula right before serving to keep its bite.)
Recipe: Prosciutto and Melon Salad
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Readers really, really love this lemony quinoa salad from Ali Slagle, and it’s not hard to understand why: It’s bright, crunchy, protein-packed and super adaptable. It takes just minutes to prepare, but will keep for up to two days in the fridge, so it’s great to make ahead!
Recipe: Quinoa Salad
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
This pretty shaved zucchini salad from David Tanis screams summer. “I used my mini-mandolin to slice the zucchini and it was perfect. Don’t skip the sumac, it’s the icing on the cake IMO,” one reader wrote. Agreed.
Recipe: Zucchini Salad With Basil, Mint and Feta
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
In the spirit of salads like fattoush and panzanella, Hetty Lui McKinnon’s recipe throws in corn chips for a welcome crunch. A perfect make-ahead dish, the fresh corn and canned black beans can hang out in a cumin-lime vinaigrette for hours before serving. (Make sure to add the corn chips and avocado just before you’re ready to eat).
Recipe: Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salad With Corn Chips
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Yasmin Fahr seasons chickpeas with curry powder, vinegar, yogurt, olive oil and mustard in this super transportable, no-cook salad. She brightens it all up with fresh herbs, scallions and a splash of vinegar. Serve over a bed of spinach or your leaf of choice. You can throw this salad together before you run out the door, or even make it a day ahead, as it gets better with time.
Recipe: Curried Chickpea Salad With Spinach
Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Soba are ideal for salads because they taste particularly great when served cold. Hetty Lui McKinnon’s recipe is refreshing and flexible — use whatever vegetables you like or have on hand. Both the noodles and the peanut sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge overnight, but wait to combine everything until you’re ready to eat for the best texture.
Recipe: Cold Noodle Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
In this bright and herby salad from Noor Murad, there’s no need to cook the bulgur because it marinates and softens in the juices of the freshest tomatoes you can find, alongside mint, parsley and scallions. The 25-minute recipe calls for pomegranate molasses, which gives the dish a special sweet and tart flavor, but you can simply up the amount of vinegar and maple syrup if you can’t find any.
Recipe: Tomato and Bulgur Salad With Herbs
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
These cute little 25-minute cornbread muffins from the chef Alexander Smalls are transportable and shareable. He calls for finely ground cornmeal and two types of milk (whole and buttermilk) to create a deliciously savory batter.
Recipe: Cornbread Muffins
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Who said Caesar salad and potato salad had to be two separate entities? Not Lidey Heuck! The dressing, which is super bright thanks to plenty of mustard and lemon juice, comes together in the time it takes the water to boil. And while traditional Caesar dressing calls for an egg yolk, this 30-minute recipe uses mayonnaise instead.
Recipe: Quick Caesar Potato Salad
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