Make ahead salads that keep

Summer entertaining for many is the highlight of the season. Friends and family, a bounty of food and drink and (with some planning) a stress-free host!

If you’re a host, or you’ve been asked to bring a salad to an event, these make ahead salads that keep can help you be prepared ahead of time so you can focus on the good stuff.

Salads that keep well

Salads made with mostly grains, legumes and hardier vegetables (such as potatoes, carrot, cabbage, broccoli and kale) are great for making ahead of time. These will keep much better than salads with soft leafy greens like lettuce and spinach, especially once dressed.

Potato and pasta salads keep well but tend to absorb the dressing overnight. This makes them extra flavourful, but can also make them a little dry. Reserve some dressing and refresh the salad if needed before serving.

Crunchy elements like croutons, toasted nuts and seeds, or delicate herbs for garnish should be kept separate and added at the last minute.

Here are lots of salad recipes that can be made the day before, with tips for the best results:

Honey Soy Veggies & Chicken Salad Bowl
Mediterranean Tuna and Risoni Salad
Carrot, Tomato and Chicken Quinoa Salad
Pickled Onion Potato Salad (refresh with extra dressing and garnish with red onions just before serving)
Gado Gado Salad (dress just before serving)
Creamy Ricotta Pasta Salad (add basil just before serving)
Best German Potato Salad (refresh with extra dressing and garnish with mint just before serving)
Chicken Pesto Panzanella Salad (add croutons and basil just before serving)
Wild Rice, Charred Broccolini and Egg Salad (slice avocado, eggs and add dressing just before serving)
Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad (prepare all ingredients, keep separate until serving)
Fennel, Apple and Cabbage Slaw with Green Mayonnaise (add dressing and herbs before serving)
Pasta Primavera (poach eggs just before serving)
Roast Beetroot, Grilled Chicken and Grain Salad (add herbs and dressing just before serving)
Mushrooms and Ancient Grain Salad (add coriander and pine nuts just before serving)
Avocado Lentilicious Salad (toss avocado in lemon juice to stop browning, add herbs just before serving)
Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork Belly Salad (crisp up pork and add sauce before serving)

How to keep a leafy salad fresh

Want to prepare a leafy salad ahead of time? The basics of keeping a leafy salad fresh include keeping the salad cool and dry as much as possible. Here are some tips for packing a leafy salad the night before to keep it fresh:

If the leaves are wet, dry in a salad spinner or gently dab with paper towels.
Keep it cool, pack with ice packs or in an esky.
Store dressing in a separate container and dress salad at the last minute.
Place wet or juicy ingredients such as tomato, fruits and soft cheese at the bottom of the container with leaves on top. This keeps the leaves dry and crisp.
Put crunchy ingredients like croutons, nuts and seeds in a separate container, or on top of the dry salad leaves.

More salad recipes

GET THE RECIPE: Mexican Pasta Salad by Australian Eggs

This salad is full of textures and colours. Make the salad and the dressing ahead, but slice the avocado, eggs and pour over the dressing just before serving.

GET THE RECIPE: Broccoli Pesto Pasta Salad by Perfect Italiano

This simple salad is so easy and it keeps well. It's more hearty than most and the broccoli pesto is incredibly versatile.

GET THE RECIPE: Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork Belly Salad by Passage to Asia

You can prepare all the components of this salad and cut up the pork the day before, then you only need 10 minutes to crisp the pork belly in a pan and add the sauce before serving. Easy!