15 Summery Salads for a BBQ

This classic coleslaw dressed with mayo and sour cream is excellent on its own or piled onto pulled pork, brisket or smoked-meat sandwiches.

This next-level summer salad turns heads with its punchy charred jalapeño–and-herb-spiked dressing and a palate-perking topping of toasted crunchy coriander and cumin seeds.

Anna Zepaltas grew up preparing tamales in her mother's Southern California kitchen, but she also loves Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. Cumin, coriander and cardamom punch up this salad, inspired by a favorite dish at Chloe's French Cafe in Santa Rosa, California.

This quick-prep, creamy, Asian-inspired pasta salad is a meal in itself or a great BBQ or picnic side dish.

Use fingerling, Yellow Finn or Yukon Gold potatoes in this salad and toss them gently with the vinaigrette so they keep their shape.

"When I was a kid, my mom would marinate cucumbers, red onions and canned potatoes in jarred creamy Italian dressing," says Jamie Bissonnette. "I'm not saying she was a great cook, but creamy Italian dressing is still my favorite. I make a version of it for this salad."

In this salad, tender haricots verts get tossed with crunchy strips of carrot, red pepper and parsnip. When TV personality Rachael Ray (who is originally from upstate New York) visited the Beekman farm, Lee Woolver made a version of this salad with bacon, but it's just as delicious without.

This macaroni salad can be served hot or cold, either way it is delicious.

This dairy-free and vegetarian salad serves as the perfect side or lunch.

Pickled onions and cucumber relish add a tangy kick to Emilee Gettle's blue-and-gold potato salad. Because she and Jere Gettle don't eat eggs, they opt for vegan mayonnaise.

The creamy sunflower seed dressing for this hearty summer salad is flavored with za'atar, the classic Middle Eastern spice mix that often includes thyme, oregano or marjoram, sesame seeds, tangy sumac and often salt.

Baby potatoes have a naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture that's delicious in this classic potato salad recipe. Make it as a simple side for your next backyard bbq or summer picnic.

Justin Chapple set out to improve pasta salad, which is often bland, thick and laden with mayonnaise. Here, he dresses pasta with a tangy and creamy mix of buttermilk, vinegar and mayo, then mixes in plenty of greens to add a fresh, bright flavor. It’s the best pasta salad ever.

When Suvir Saran’s mother tried this spicy, crunchy cabbage slaw at his restaurant Tapestry in New York City, she said, “Baba, this is the best chaat I’ve ever eaten!” While Saran didn’t intend to make over the traditional Indian snack, a dish with chickpeas, potatoes, yogurt and chutney, the crunch, spice and tang immediately elicit an iconic chaat. “There is nothing Indian about it, and yet, it’s entirely Indian,” says Saran.

Kale isn't the only green that's delicious raw: The thinly sliced collard greens in this salad are a delicious vehicle for all the goodies tossed with them, including roasted blue potatoes, bacon, crumbled Stilton cheese, toasted walnuts and hard-boiled quail eggs. Hard-boiled chicken eggs that are cut into smaller pieces would be a fine substitute.