kid-friendly cold salads

[Maleldil's daughter]

I know this won't seem seasonal to North Americans, but we are in the hottest part of our year. I want to make some salads for cool meals that don't heat up the kitchen.

We do all like chef salad. Taco salad is also ok, though ds won't eat the meat cooked with taco spices, but I just save him some unseasoned. But I really would like to make others like cold pasta salads, vegetable salads, and bean salads. Ds (3) usually doesn't like those because they're typically marinated in a vinaigrette all day and I guess the flavor is too strong for him. I know I can just save him some plain ingredients, but I'm also looking for some new ideas he might like. And just to change things up.

Ideas? What salads have your families enjoyed?

[charla]

I just pinned this recipe and can't wait to make it: Mexican Pasta Salad.

These are salads we really like:
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Bacon
Spinach and Arugula Salad - could also make with all arugula or all spinach. It would be really good as a side with a cold or toasted sandwich.
Blue Cheese, Beet and Butter Lettuce Salad
Orange Lettuce Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Greek Salad - I love Greek salad and you could make it more of a meal by adding chickpeas or a dollop of hummus on each serving or even some Greek seasoned chicken breast.
Wedge Salad - pretty fun and really filling for me.

[Quiteria]

Does he like creamy items? One that I like is some sweet bacon, small bits of broccoli florets, shredded cheddar cheese, mixed with ranch dressing. I think some people chop onions into it, but that's a sharp flavor I don't really care for in the same way that vinaigrette can get to be too much.

Deviled eggs?

Cottage cheese mixed with pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges. I think some people add a package of mini-marshmallows to this, but I think I used to make it without to keep it from being too dessert-like. I think I've seen it with shredded coconut, but I know I never added that myself.

Black beans and corn with a very mild salsa (or even just plain tomatoes) instead of a vinaigrette. Could add just about any other Mexican ingredients he'd tolerate...cilantro, avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese...but I'm thinking mostly those three main ingredients for a vegetable-based cold salad that isn't sour.

[Maleldil's daughter]

I'm sorry, I forgot to mention we're largely dairy-free.
I can just leave cheese out but creamy dressings are hard for me to adapt. A

Still some yummy-sounding ideas though! Dh will appreciate some variety too.

[RiverRock]

My oldest dd doesn't like vinaigrettes that taste like vinegar, but she absolutely loves a dressing that I buy from Trader Joes called Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette. The basic ingredients read: vinegar (red wine, cider and distilled), sugar, water, soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds, garlic, miso, salt, ginger. I think there is enough sweetness and addition of the soy sauce to temper the acidity of the vinegars.