Composed Salad Recipes
Intentional salads built component by component — free, no ads, no account required
50 composed salad recipes
Nordic Apple & Celery Root Winter Salad
Nordic Roasted Beet & Rye Berry Autumn Salad
Oceanian Beetroot, Feta & Walnut Winter Salad
Oceanian Grilled Prawn & Mango Autumn Salad
East Asian Smashed Cucumber Sesame Summer Salad
Korean Spring Radish and Sesame Salad
Middle Eastern Fattoush Summer Salad
South Asian Chana Chaat Summer Salad
South Asian Kachumber Summer Salad
South Asian Moong Sprout Spring Salad
South Asian Cucumber Raita Salad
Caribbean Mango Avocado Spring Salad
Southeast Asian Green Papaya Summer Salad
Mediterranean White Bean and Lemon Salad
Korean Gochujang Cucumber Summer Salad
Japanese Wakame and Sesame Salad
Middle Eastern Herb-Forward Spring Tabbouleh
East African Coconut and Bean Summer Salad
Indonesian Tempeh and Peanut Summer Salad
Latin American Black Bean and Mango Spring Salad
Middle Eastern Sumac Onion and Herb Summer Salad
Thai Green Mango and Cashew Summer Salad
British Pea and Mint Spring Salad
Italian Panzanella Summer Salad
Korean Autumn Pear and Persimmon Salad
Moroccan Chermoula-Roasted Carrot Salad
Nordic Roasted Beet, Dill, and Horseradish Salad
Argentine Quinoa and Chimichurri Spring Salad
Mexican Elote-Style Grilled Corn Summer Salad
Japanese Cold Soba Noodle Summer Salad
Japanese Miso-Edamame Spring Salad
Sichuan Smashed Cucumber and Chili Crisp Salad
East African Kachumbari Tomato and Onion Salad
Caribbean Mango and Black Bean Summer Salad
Vietnamese Green Mango and Herb Salad
Turkish Shepherd's Salad with Lemon-Sumac Dressing
South Indian Cucumber Kosambari Salad
Middle Eastern Grilled Eggplant and Tahini Salad
Middle Eastern Fattoush with Summer Herbs
Mediterranean White Bean and Grilled Zucchini Salad
Korean Spicy Tofu and Zucchini Salad
Korean Gochujang Watermelon Radish Salad
Indonesian Gado-Gado Spring Bowl
Chinese Smashed Cucumber Sesame Salad
Italian Radicchio and White Bean Winter Salad
Vietnamese Bún Bowl with Pickled Vegetables
Thai Green Papaya Salad with Peanuts
Indian Chaat Salad with Tamarind Drizzle
Mexican Elote Street Corn Salad
Mediterranean Grilled Halloumi and Stone Fruit Salad
Composed salads where each element is dressed and arranged separately — not tossed. Built so every bite has the ratio of grain, vegetable, protein, and dressing that was intended.
A composed salad is different from a tossed salad in its intention: each component is prepared separately, dressed individually if needed, and arranged rather than thrown together. A Niçoise is the classic example — green beans, potatoes, tuna, hard-boiled egg, and olives each treated differently, none overwhelmed by the others. Our collection spans Mediterranean composed plates, Japanese-style arranged salads with separate sauces, Korean-inspired arrangements with distinct flavors in each component, and North African composed vegetable and grain plates.
Every recipe includes full nutritional data — calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber. Composed salads built with legumes, grains, and vegetables can deliver a full meal's nutrition in one bowl. A Niçoise-style dish with tuna and eggs delivers 35–40 grams of protein per serving. A lentil and roasted vegetable composed plate typically runs 400–500 calories with 18–22 grams of protein. The nutrition panel shows the exact numbers for each recipe.
Composed salads work well for meal prep when components are prepared and stored separately. Keep protein, starchy components (potatoes, grains), and dressed greens apart until serving. Many composed salads improve when components are made ahead — the traditional Niçoise is served at room temperature, not cold from the refrigerator, and benefits from sitting for 20–30 minutes after assembly.
No ads between the headnote and the ingredient list. Free to browse all recipes. No account required to cook or save. The step-by-step cooking mode in Lsalad handles multi-component preparations — separate timers for each element can run simultaneously.
The practical advantage of the composed format is that it scales cleanly. For a dinner of four, each component — roasted potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, dressing — can be prepared and held separately, then plated to order at the table. This is why the Niçoise became a restaurant standard: the kitchen can hold all components at the right temperature and assemble in under two minutes. For home cooks, the same principle means you can finish cooking 30 minutes before dinner and assemble at the table rather than managing everything hot simultaneously. The components also store independently for multi-day use. Monday's extra roasted potatoes and green beans become Tuesday's lunch with different protein and dressing. The composed format is not just a presentation style — it's a way of cooking that produces less waste and more flexibility than tossed salad formats.
Key ingredients
- Tuna
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Green beans
- Potatoes
- Olives
- Lentils
- Roasted beets
- Capers
- Anchovies
- Feta
- Chickpeas
- Farro
Browse more collections
Composed Salad questions
What makes a salad a 'composed' salad?
A composed salad is arranged rather than tossed. Each element — protein, starch, vegetable, garnish — is prepared separately and placed on the plate or in the bowl with intention. The classic example is Niçoise: tuna, hard-boiled eggs, green beans, and potatoes are each cooked and often dressed separately, then arranged together. The opposite is a tossed salad where everything is mixed. Composed salads tend to hold better because the dressing doesn't saturate all components simultaneously.
How do you dress a composed salad?
Each component can be dressed separately before arranging, or the dressing can be drizzled over the entire plate at the end. Some components (green beans, potatoes) benefit from dressing while still warm so they absorb it. Others (delicate greens, fresh herbs) should be dressed just before serving to avoid wilting. For meal prep, dress components individually and store separately — assemble on the plate just before eating.
What's the best protein for a composed salad?
Canned or seared tuna, hard-boiled eggs, seared salmon, and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, white beans) are all traditional choices. Canned tuna is the most practical — it requires no cooking, holds well, and pairs with almost any composed salad dressing. Hard-boiled eggs hold 5 days refrigerated and work across cuisines. Legumes add both protein and fiber and are the best plant-based option.
How long do composed salads keep?
Stored in components, most elements keep 3–5 days. Delicate greens and fresh herbs: 1–2 days max, stored undressed. Roasted or cooked vegetables: 4–5 days. Legumes and grains: 4–5 days. Assembled composed salads with dressing: best eaten within a few hours. The key to meal prepping a composed salad is keeping components separate and assembling portions just before eating.
What cuisines have strong composed salad traditions?
French cuisine has the most well-known examples — Niçoise, salade Lyonnaise with lardons and a poached egg, endive and walnut. Japanese kaiseki includes carefully arranged vegetable plates with distinct sauces for each element. Korean banchan is a composed meal of individual prepared vegetables. North African and Middle Eastern cuisines produce excellent composed grain-and-vegetable plates with distinct sauces. The composed format appears wherever attention to individual ingredients and their treatment is valued.