15 Garbage Salad Recipes for Those Nights When You Just Can’t Even
You’ve tried dump dinners. And dump cakes. And while the name is, um, less than appealing, there’s something glorious about throwing a bunch of ingredients together and calling it a day. The next low-maintenance meal you should be making for easy lunches and dinners? Garbage salads. We can 100 percent get behind transforming leftovers, pantry ingredients and random produce into a light and healthy meal. Here, 15 garbage salads for some upcoming dinner inspo.
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Cobb Salad
The Cobb is the O.G. of garbage salads—it was created by tossing together random ingredients from a restaurant kitchen for a late-night snack. Feel free to throw in whatever other ingredients you have on hand, like nuts, dried cranberries and leftover herbs. (Thanks, Coterie member Maria Lichty.)
Quick Guacamole Quinoa Salad
Take leftover quinoa, the rest of the pint of cherry tomatoes, and the hot sauce from the fridge door to make this quick guacamole salad.
Everything Spring Garden Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Everything is right. This salad can be edited to include any and all ingredients you’re craving. Monique Volz’s lemon basil vinaigrette works with all sorts of veggies.
Mediterranean Tuna Salad with No Mayo
Elevate a basic can of tuna—combine it with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients like peppers, chickpeas and feta cheese for a mayo-less tuna salad.
Asian Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
You know those packs of ramen noodles hiding in the back of the pantry? Yep, those. Give them a new life in this simple salad from Coterie member Heidi Larsen.
BLT Pasta Salad
Use your leftover bacon from breakfast, almost-too-ripe tomatoes and any pasta you have on hand to create this satisfying lunch. A pantry salad at its finest.
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Cucumber Salad
There’s no need to turn extra cucumbers into pickles. Instead, use them as the base for tonight’s dinner salad with a Greek yogurt-based dressing.
Breakfast Salad
Toss your favorite breakfast ingredients with Bibb lettuce and balsamic vinaigrette for a new take on the first meal of the day. (Thanks for this inspo, Coterie member Carlene Thomas.)
Antipasto Pasta Salad with Herby Parmesan Vinaigrette
In need of a quick pasta salad for tonight’s potluck? Raid your cabinets to pull together this quick and easy antipasto.
Spring Panzanella Salad
Mix day-old bread and seasonal produce and voilà, you’ll have this Panzanella salad. (You really can’t go wrong with any sort of veggie.)
End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing
There’s no right or wrong here. Coterie member Phoebe Lapine’s Cobb salad works with any leftover vegetables you have on hand.
Crunchy Cauliflower Salad
That head of cauliflower has been sitting in your fridge all week, waiting to be eaten. Make short work of it with this quick, fuss-free dinner.
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Strawberry, Apple and Quinoa Salad
You were running late and skipped breakfast a few times this week, and now you have a ton of fruit piling up in the fridge. Good thing it easily translates to a hearty salad with a simple balsamic dressing.
Salami, Artichoke and Ricotta Pasta Salad
Not sure what to do with that stick of salami in the fridge? Chop it up for this simple pasta salad with creamy chunks of ricotta and canned artichokes.
Tender Butter Lettuce Salad with Strawberries, Rhubarb, Mango, Cucumbers and Rosé Vinaigrette
Fruit salad meets leafy greens in this light, lunch-ready salad from Coterie member Liz Harris. (Feel free to drink the leftover rosé while you’re cooking.)
