Salads that actually fill you up — big bowls with grains, proteins, and bold dressings. These work as a main or a generous side and keep well for next-day lunches.
Crunchy corn salad is built on air-fryer roasted corn: foil-steamed cobs roll over a block of butter (the hot cob melts its own path), get dusted with garlic powder and Herbes de Provence, roast 10 more minutes bare, then the kernels are shaved into a bowl of cucumber, red onion, halved cherry tomatoes and feta with a tangy sour-cream-yogurt dressing. BBQ-ready in 40 minutes. Serves 4.
A chicken salad bowl built around oven-baked crispy rice: cooked rice is tossed in teriyaki, chili paste and sesame oil, then baked at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes so the grains dry out and turn deep gold. Start with cooled rice; drier grains crisp in the oven, while freshly cooked rice steams and clumps. While the tray bakes, blend peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger into a creamy dressing for the shredded chicken, red cabbage, cucumber, scallions and cilantro. Toss the hot rice in last, just before serving, so the crunch holds against the dressing. Rotisserie chicken or tofu swap in easily.
This warm potato salad swaps the usual boiled chunks for twice-roasted smashed baby potatoes, so every bite has crisp, craggy edges that stand up under a creamy dressing. Roasting the halves cut side down at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes softens them just enough to flatten with a masher; a second 20 minutes browns all the newly exposed surface. The dressing pairs mayonnaise and sour cream with Dijon, diced pickles, red onion, dill, parsley and lemon juice, with a tiny pinch of sugar to round out the sharpness. Fold the potatoes in while they are still hot so the dressing clings to every crevice.
This warm potato salad swaps the usual mayonnaise for a dressing of hard-boiled eggs blended with feta and mustard, so it clings to the potatoes like a deviled-egg filling. Small potatoes get a 15-minute head start at 180°C (350°F), then a gentle press to crack the skins before going back in the oven; those cracked edges are what turn golden and crisp. The dressing goes on while everything is still warm, with pickled red onions and scallions for sharpness. No special egg trick is required either: a plain stovetop boil works as well as the oven method. Wait until the potato edges are deep gold and crunchy before you toss.
A warm twist on classic Caprese, this salad pairs air-fried gnocchi with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls and basil, no boiling required. Season the gnocchi straight from the package with salt, paprika, Italian herbs and olive oil, then air-fry at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes. That thin coat of oil is what lets them crisp rather than dry out, and a single layer in the basket keeps them from steaming and fusing. They're ready when the outsides turn golden and the centers stay soft and pillowy. Toss everything together while the gnocchi are still hot, drizzle with olive oil, and serve warm. Diced mozzarella works if you can't find pearls.
Air-frying seasoned farfalle turns pasta salad into a genuinely crunchy barbecue side. The cooked noodles bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes until they crackle like chips, then land on cool cucumber, red onion and diced pickles with a garlicky yogurt-mayo dressing sharpened with lemon. Drying the drained pasta well matters: any clinging water steams the pieces instead of letting them brown. Shake the basket halfway through and pull the pasta when it looks deep golden and rattles dryly. Dress the salad at the table rather than ahead, because the pasta softens once coated.