11 Make-Ahead Sides for Your Next Outdoor Gathering By Lauren Wicks Lauren Wicks Lauren Wicks is a writer and editor with a passion for food, wine, design and travel. Lauren currently lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, Price, and spends her free time haunting her favorite natural wine shop, reading cookbooks like novels, exploring the best food and wine destinations in the country, and hosting dinner parties for friends and neighbors. If she's not pouring over a cookbook, she's likely working through a stack of historical fiction from the 19th and 20th centuries. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 4, 2021 Close Whether you're grilling burgers and hot dogs or serving up grilled chicken and kebabs, these cool salads and grillable sides are sure to impress your guests. From marinated slaws to flavorful pasta salads and cheesy grilled potatoes, these dishes have something to offer everyone at the table. Recipes like our Dill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing and Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta can be made the night before—or even days ahead—to make hosting the perfect gathering easier than ever. 01 of 11 Dill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing View Recipe Save If you're a fan of pickles, this easy pasta salad will easily become your go-to. If you want to give it some extra kick, an additional teaspoon or two of hot sauce will do the trick. Pair it with anything hot off the grill or pack it up for a picnic. It can also easily translate from a side dish to an entree by adding a can of flaked tuna or shredded chicken. 02 of 11 Cabbage Slaw View Recipe Save Although it's not a traditional topping for American tacos, cabbage slaw is an essential ingredient when making fish tacos. This colorful, vinegar-dressed coleslaw can be made in just a few minutes. Use preshredded cabbage to make it even quicker. 03 of 11 Cucumber Pasta Salad View Recipe Save This light and tangy cucumber pasta salad is fresh and bright. The orecchiette pasta holds the dressing for flavor in every bite, but you can use another small pasta shape if you like. This easy salad is perfect for a warm day or to serve as a lunch dish for company! For a fruitier flavor, try apple-cider vinegar in place of white distilled vinegar. 04 of 11 Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta View Recipe Save Jason Donnelly This delicious and healthy lentil salad comes together in just 30 minutes and makes a wonderful hot-weather meal. Serve with whole-wheat pitas, if desired. 05 of 11 Greek Potato Salad View Recipe Save In this healthy potato salad recipe, a white-wine vinaigrette dresses the potatoes, tomatoes, feta and olives. Waxy potatoes, such as red and yellow, make the best potato salad because they hold their shape when cooked. Keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium. 06 of 11 Pesto Pasta Salad View Recipe Save A creamy pesto sauce turns this simple pasta salad into a delightful dinner. Adding broccoli to the pasta cooking water just before the pasta is done is a convenient way to briefly cook it so that it turns a vivid shade of green and softens slightly. 07 of 11 Vinaigrette Coleslaw View Recipe Save If you prefer, make this salad with broccoli slaw mix instead of the coleslaw mix. 08 of 11 Curried Potato Salad View Recipe Save In this healthy and creamy potato salad recipe, yogurt replaces half of the mayo and we keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium. Red bell pepper and green peas add even more color to the yellow-tinted potato salad. 09 of 11 Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon & Cumin View Recipe Save Don't skip salting the cucumbers in this quick cucumber salad recipe--just 10 minutes pulls out some of their excess moisture, concentrating the flavor and keeping the salad from being watered down. Serve as a healthy side dish at a summer cookout alongside burgers and hot dogs. 10 of 11 Easy Tomato & Balsamic Pasta Salad View Recipe Save Andrea Mathis, M.A., R.D.N., L.D. This easy pasta salad is packed with fresh flavor from tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar. It takes just 10 minutes to make and while you could eat it right away, it tastes even better the longer it sits, so plan to leave at least an hour of marinating time before serving. Make a batch to have for lunch this week, serve it alongside a healthy protein source for dinner or bring it to your next potluck. 11 of 11 Broccoli & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad View Recipe Save We've loaded this healthy pasta salad with vegetables and flavors of the Mediterranean. Sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of lemon zest jazz up the dressing, while tender-crisp broccoli florets cook alongside the pasta, making assembly (and cleanup!) a breeze. Explore more: Healthy Recipes Salad Healthy, Make-Ahead Salad Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit