Salad recipes for summer: Five viral varieties for every taste

The sun is shining, the grill is hot—and yet you're standing in the kitchen, perplexed. What side dish would you recommend? Definitely not pasta salad with mayo again. If you're looking for something fresh and new for your next summer evening, you'll find it where people usually dance or lip-sync—on TikTok. The social media platform is currently offering a ton of surprising salad ideas. And the best part: Many of the viral recipes are easy to recreate and bring variety to the table.

Why always just pasta salad for barbecues? Rice goes just as well with salads—and maybe even better. Especially when it's baked until crispy, like this one. The Crispy Rice Salad is not only eye-catching, but also super refreshing thanks to cucumber, fresh herbs, and an Asian-inspired dressing.

This is required:

• 400 grams of cooked, cooled white rice
• a heaped tablespoon of chili paste
• three tablespoons of oil
• four small cucumbers
• half a bunch of fresh mint
• half a bunch of fresh coriander
• five spring onions
• 130 grams of edamame
• an avocado
• 60 grams of chopped peanuts

For the dressing:

• 60 milliliters of soy sauce
• 60 milliliters of rice vinegar
• two tablespoons of oil
• a tablespoon of brown sugar
• Juice of half a lime
• a clove of garlic

Here's how:

1. To make the crispy rice, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat). Then, combine the cooked rice with the chili paste and oil and spread it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. The rice is done when it's golden brown and crispy. Let it cool.
2. Next, chop the cucumbers, herbs, and spring onions and place them in a large bowl. Add the edamame and diced avocado.
3. For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together well in a small bowl.
4. Then it's time to serve: Add the chopped peanuts and crispy rice to the vegetables, mix with the dressing and serve immediately.

Tip: If you don't want to serve the salad straight away, add the avocado, rice and peanuts just before serving – this will keep everything nice and crispy.

Who says potato salad always has to taste the same? This Crunchy Potato Salad brings variety to your plate – with oven-roasted and mashed potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and a fresh yogurt dressing. Perfect as a side dish or a real treat as a main course.

This is required:

• 600 gram treble hooks
• some olive oil
• Salt, pepper and paprika powder
• half a cucumber
• half a pepper
• a red onion
• some fresh dill or parsley

For the dressing:

• four to five tablespoons of Greek yogurt
• two tablespoons of mayonnaise
• two teaspoons of mustard
• Juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. First, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and place them on a baking sheet to cool. Then, lightly crush the potatoes with the bottom of a glass, drizzle with olive oil, season, and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat) for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables and mix the dressing. Mix the cucumber, bell pepper, and onion with the dressing.
3. Let the crispy potatoes cool slightly, then carefully fold them in and top with the fresh herbs.
4. Tip: If you don't feel like waiting for the mashed potatoes, you can also use curly fries from the air fryer for the salad. This version has also won over the TikTok community.

Crispy chickpeas meet caramelized halloumi with honey and chili. Sounds delicious, right? The TikTok community agrees. This salad is filling and always a hit.

Ingredients for the chickpeas:

• a can of chickpeas (about 400 grams)
• half a teaspoon of paprika powder
• half a teaspoon of garlic powder
• Salt

For the honey halloumi:

• a tablespoon of olive oil
• 250 grams of halloumi, diced
• a tablespoon of honey
• Chili flakes to taste

Other ingredients:

• four handfuls of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 250 grams of finely diced cucumber
• a roughly diced avocado
• a quarter of a red onion, finely diced
• 80 grams of pomegranate seeds
• a small bunch of mint and parsley, finely chopped

For the dressing:

• two tablespoons of olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• a teaspoon of tahini
• optionally some honey or other sweetener
• black pepper and salt to taste

And this is how it works:

1. First, drain the chickpeas, dry them thoroughly, and mix them with paprika, garlic powder, and salt. then roast in the oven or air fryer at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
2. Next, heat a nonstick pan and fry the halloumi cubes in a little oil. Then add the honey and chili flakes and continue frying briefly until the cheese caramelizes.
3. Now, combine the spinach, cucumber, avocado, onion, pomegranate seeds, and herbs in a large bowl. Let the chickpeas and halloumi cool slightly, then add them. Mix the dressing separately, pour it over the salad, and mix well.

Red cabbage? Many people only know it from Christmas cooking. In this fresh salad, this powerful red vegetable shows off its crunchy side. Combined with cucumber, pomegranate, and herbs, it creates a colorful salad full of flavor and vitamins. And: It tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients for the salad:

• 250 grams of red cabbage
• half a deseeded cucumber
• a large red pointed pepper
• two spring onions
• 50 grams of fresh coriander
• 200 grams of pomegranate seeds

For the dressing:

• three tablespoons of olive oil
• two tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice
• one tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• two teaspoons of dried mint
• a teaspoon of honey
• two tablespoons of pomegranate syrup
• half a teaspoon of sea salt flakes

And this is how it works:

1. First, chop all the vegetables and herbs as finely as possible—the finer the chop, the more harmonious the salad will be. Then mix everything together in a large bowl.
2. Now mix the dressing ingredients thoroughly and pour over the salad.
3. Finally, mix everything well and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Even if you don't want to hear it, for many people, pasta salad is simply a must-have for a barbecue. But it doesn't always have to be the classic mayo-flavored version. This crunchy ramen salad brings variety to the table.

Ingredients for the salad:

• two packets of instant ramen noodles (100 grams each)
• one tablespoon of sesame oil
• 500 grams of cooked chicken, shredded or diced
• half a head of red cabbage, finely shredded
• one cucumber, diced
• two carrots, diced
• one red chili, cut into fine rings
• four spring onions, cut into rings
• a handful of Thai basil, chopped
• a handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 40 grams of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• two tablespoons of sesame seeds

For the peanut dressing:

• 120 grams of peanut butter
• two tablespoons of soy sauce
• one tablespoon of sesame oil
• two teaspoons of fish sauce
• a tablespoon of sweet chili paste or honey
• about 120 milliliters of water (depending on the desired consistency)

And this is how it works:

1. First, roughly break up the ramen noodles, mix them with the sesame oil and bake them at 180 degrees top/bottom heat in a casserole dish or on a baking tray for about ten minutes until golden brown.
2. Then, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, and chili paste in a small bowl. Gradually add a little water until the dressing is creamy.
3. Now mix the vegetables, herbs, chicken, half of the peanuts and a tablespoon of sesame seeds in a large bowl.
4. Just before serving, stir in the crispy ramen and half of the dressing. Sprinkle with the remaining peanuts and sesame seeds. Serve the rest of the dressing separately.