Main Course Salad Recipes to Fill You Up!

These main course salad recipes are hearty and substantial. If you want a salad for dinner that will fill you up and be healthy then this is the place to come!

If you read this blog regularly you'll know that I love salads but I love substantial salads. After all, if I eat a main meal salad I want it to fill me up. I want to feel as satisfied as if I'd eaten pizza or a bowl of pasta, just a little healthier!

And why shouldn't dinner salad recipes be filling?

Why not indeed! I'm going to share with you lots of my favourite recipes for healthy filling salads that will keep you going as well as make you really excited to start enjoying salad for dinner.

The great thing about eating salads for dinner? 

• It's easy to eat a lot of your 5-a-day if you have a salad. Ok, not all salads, but most of them!
• Lots of salads are great for preparing in advance. You can make a huge salad and it can last a few days meaning less time spent preparing food overall.
• They are usually quick to prepare and who doesn't love an easy midweek meal?

How to make a great main course salad 

For a great main meal salad I think you need at least 3 things:

1. Something to make it filling

This could be carbs, protein or both. Carbohydrates that are great in salads include pasta, rice, grains and bread. Protein options could be meat, cheese, fish, beans or nuts. I have to admit that I usually have both carbs and protein in my salad!

2. Vegetables (or fruit!)

The options are endless.

3. Something to make it taste great

In this category I'm thinking of dressings, herbs and spices. 

My favourite main course salad recipes

I have been sharing main salads for a long time. I have a huge selection of easy salad recipes that are perfect for lunches and dinners. There are chicken salads, fish salads, meat salads, vegetarian salads, vegan salads and a few salads that just need some bread on the side to become a perfect main meal!

Main Meal Chicken salads

I think some of my most popular recipes have to be these chicken salads.

Jerk Chicken Salad

This fruity jerk chicken salad is a brilliant summer salad recipe, perfect for eating with friends and family. The spiciness of the marinated jerk chicken is balanced perfectly by the sweet homemade mango vinaigrette.

Check out this recipe

Harissa Chicken Salad

This easy harissa chicken salad makes a healthy, tasty and simple midweek meal.  Harissa marinated chicken, bulgur wheat with fresh herbs and a light dressing, it's perfect for harissa lovers!

Check out this recipe

Vietnamese Rice and Chicken Salad

This tasty Vietnamese rice and chicken salad is full of punchy flavours.   It makes a tasty light meal and is perfect to pack in a lunchbox too!

Check out this recipe

Chicken and Pesto Quinoa Salad

This vibrant quinoa, pesto and chicken salad with green vegetables makes a tasty light meal. It's also a great way to use up leftover roast chicken as well as leftover pesto!

Check out this recipe

Doritos Salad Topping

You may not have thought of putting Doritos in a salad before but why not? Croutons are often used in salads so why not add some crunch with Doritos instead? This easy Mexican inspired salad is topped with crushed Doritos to give it loads of flavour and texture.

Check out this recipe

More Chicken Salad Recipes

I've also got a delicious peach and basil chicken salad, Jamie Oliver's chicken, broccoli and bulgur wheat salad as well as a chicken, green bean and hazelnut salad.

Main Course Salad Recipes with Fish

Fish is such a great salad ingredient. Why not  top a salad with freshly grilled fish, prawns or use tinned fish?

Couscous Sardine Salad

This tasty couscous sardine salad is both healthy and filling. It combines freshly grilled sardines,  grilled tomatoes, lightly pickled red onions and couscous along with some espelette pepper chutney to add just a little heat.

Check out this recipe

Tuna Cannellini Bean Salad

This tasty tuna cannellini  bean salad is a quick easy and filling meal. It's great for lunches and light dinners as well as packed lunches and picnics.

Check out this recipe

Tinned Mackerel Potato Salad

This easy main meal salad made with tinned mackerel is a really easy meal to put together. All you need to do is boil the potatoes and mix the dressing and then you've got a tasty light dinner or lunch.

Check out this recipe

Main Course Salad Recipes with Meat

I also love lamb, beef and pork in salads and they can still be super healthy.

BLT Salad

An easy tasty summer salad inspired by the flavours of a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Serve with crusty bread to make it a bit more substantial.

Check out this recipe

Harrissa Marinated Lamb Salad

This easy harissa lamb salad is a perfect weeknight meal.  Made with roasted vegetables, spicy couscous and tender harissa marinated lamb, it can be prepared fully or partly in advance and is equally tasty the next day.

Check out this recipe

If you're a bacon lover I've also got a delicious roasted butternut squash, cauliflower and bacon salad with caramelised pecans!

Vegetarian Main Course Salad Recipes

A lot of the salads we eat are vegetarian and here are just some of them!

Halloumi and Pomegranate Molasses Salad

This halloumi and pomegranate molasses salad is a perfectly balanced mixture of sweet, sour and slightly salty. It makes a delicious and healthy light meal and is a great way to get more of your 5 a day!

Check out this recipe

Halloumi Salad

Fresh, zesty and low on carbs, this tasty halloumi salad makes a brilliant light vegetarian meal.   It's quick to prepare too so perfect for busy lunches or a light dinner.

Check out this recipe

Couscous Beetroot and Feta Salad

This delicious couscous beetroot and feta salad is delicious as a main meal.   It's also perfect for picnics and packed lunches.

Check out this recipe

Spelt and Lentil Caprese Salad

This spelt and lentil caprese salad uses classic Italian flavours to make a delicious salad that is filling enough to be a main meal.   It's  also a great summer side dish that's perfect for picnics, buffets and barbecues.

Check out this recipe

Buckwheat Salad with Roasted Vegetables

An easy healthy vegetarian salad made witih buckwheat and roasted vegetables.

Check out this recipe

More Vegetarian Main Course salad Recipes you might like

Roasted butternut squash salad with feta

Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad

Marinated Paneer Salad

Vegan Main Course Salads

Lots of my salads are vegan and they're just as good for a hearty main meal as any other salad!

Roast Chickpea Salad

This roast chickpea salad is a deliciously spiced vegan recipe that's full of warming North African flavours. Delicious as a light lunch, packed meal or as part of a buffet spread.

Check out this recipe

Spanish Bean and Pepper Salad

This Spanish bean salad is a great tapas or buffet recipe. It’s delicious on its own as a main meal but also great as a side dish and so speedy to prepare too! It’s also vegan and gluten-free.

Check out this recipe

Curried Pearl Barley Salad

This tasty curried pearl barley salad is a delicious healthy vegan choice for a simple main meal.   It also makes a great packed lunch or side dish.

Check out this recipe

More Vegan salads

Quick Pasta Salad

Spiced Wild Rice and Pea Salad

Cucumber Noodle Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing

Pin these main course salad recipes for later!

Did you find a main meal salad you like?

I hope I've inspired you to eat more salads and that you've found a few recipes you'd love to try. These are just a few of my salad recipes there are even more if you look through the salads in my recipe index!

If you do make one of my recipes then please let me know. I love to get feedback from readers.

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More of my recipe round ups

If you liked these salad recipe then you might also like my homemade soups recipe collection.