Food and Recipes Dish Salad 40 Vintage Salads You'll Find In Any Church Cookbook In the South, cold salads mean much more than just lettuce in a bowl. By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 6, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox A church cookbook combines two steadfast pillars of every Southern congregation: fellowship and food. When a group of church members puts together a collection of recipes, it's not about putting on a show. It's not about macarons, croissants, or coq au vin. It's about binding comfort and community into a spiral notebook of dependable, no-fuss recipes every Southerner should have at her disposal. Think classic dishes like hashbrown casserole, chicken bog, and tamale pie. In every church cookbook, you'll find more than a few cold salad recipes tucked into the pages, and the selection makes it instantly apparent that Southerners use the term "salad" quite fast and loose. Whether crisp or creamy, garden-fresh or gelatinous, Southern salads are as faithful as it gets. Many use pre-packaged ingredients, like Duke's mayo and Miracle Whip, with wild abandon; while some are more sweet than savory. One thing's for certain: Church salads are definitely worth praising. Check out these classic Southern salad recipes that deserve to be served forever. 01 of 40 Strawberry Pretzel Salad CAITLIN BENSEL; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX A salad? In a casserole dish? With strawberry gelatin? Yes, yes, and yes. Nostalgic churchgoers clean this dish easy. 02 of 40 Homemade Chicken Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Chicken salad, made the old-school way. This recipe harkens back to chicken salad of generations past, with chopped chicken, mayo, celery, and a splash of lemon juice. 03 of 40 Cranberry Fluff Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall This retro salad is easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and requires no cooking. 04 of 40 Cucumber Salad Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke From our Southern Living Party Cookbook that was originally published in 1972, this cucumber salad is a cool and refreshing addition to any summer party menu. 05 of 40 Watergate Salad Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle You may have a different name for this nostalgic salad that's made with pistachio instant pudding mix, which gives it the green color. No matter what you call it, this six-ingredient salad has been gracing church potlucks across the South since the 1970s. 06 of 40 Mama Mae's Ambrosia Salad Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood This simple ambrosia requires just three ingredients, four if you want to add chopped pecans. 07 of 40 Pear Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Though it feels so wrong, it somehow tastes so right. This retro salad deserves to be kept in the loop, if only for posterity's sake. It's made with lettuce, canned pears, mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, and maraschino cherries. 08 of 40 Summer Orzo Salad Photographer and Prop stylist: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Use this recipe as the base for your Orzo salad, and you can add additional veggies or even the meat of you preference to transform it into a heartier dish. 09 of 40 Marshmallow Fruit Salad Each bite of this sweet salad will deliver plenty of nostalgia. 10 of 40 Heirloom Tomato-Cracker Salad Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Keely In this recipe we bring together two Southern favorites, heirloom tomatoes and saltine crackers, to create a colorful salad that will wow any crowd. 11 of 40 Marinated Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad Hannah Zimmerman/Southern Living This recipe serves four to six as is, but can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a larger crowd. 12 of 40 Orange Sherbet Salad Jennifer Causey Appearing in the pages of Southern Living in 1966, this was the first congealed salad recipe to ever be featured in the magazine. 13 of 40 Three-Bean Pasta Salad Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan This recipe combines two classic dishes, pasta salad and three-bean salad, into one delicious dish. 14 of 40 Cajun-Style Potato Salad Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Creole mustard and Cajun seasoning make potato salad worthy of being served alongside classic Louisiana dishes like Gumbo. 15 of 40 Citrus-Avocado Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Our version of this recipe from 1928 is tossed in a light vinaigrette that's made with grapefruit juice and a hint of Dijon mustard. 16 of 40 Whipped-Cream Corn Salad Southern Living Dressed up and dreamy, this corn salad transforms fresh corn with a light and fluffy cloud of whipped cream. Another magic touch: It calls for only four ingredients. 17 of 40 Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Jen Causey With only two steps, this recipe couldn't be easier. Plus, you can easily double it if you'll be serving a larger crowd. 18 of 40 Picnic Egg Salad Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Egg salad is the most nostalgic of spreads. This 15-minute, 5-ingredient recipe is an easy go-to rendition. 19 of 40 Fresh Fruit Salad Jen Causey Elevate fresh fruit so it's potluck-worthy by soaking it in a marinade made with orange juice and honey, 20 of 40 Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad Hector Sanchez The whole congregation will be singing its praises if you show up with this classic potato salad. Like many favorite traditional recipes, it includes mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and hard-boiled eggs. 21 of 40 Creamy Grape Salad therecipecritic.com Deliciously creamy, slightly crunchy, and subtly sweet, this cold salad is a church cookbook staple. 22 of 40 Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad Jennifer Davick This salad is about the only way you're getting a Southerner to eat raw broccoli. Grapes add even more crunch and little sweetness to the cherished pasta salad. 23 of 40 Ham Salad Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox Nostalgic for many, ham salad is an old-school favorite. It has frequented many a Southern church hall, as well as their beloved cookbooks. 24 of 40 Creamy Overnight Fruit Salad Abigail Wilt We've all seen a crystal bowl full of creamy fruit salad. With a base of canned fruit for convenience and a creamy, whipped "dressing" reminiscent of the flavors of lemon curd, this recipe is a hidden weapon in any church hostess' arsenal. 25 of 40 Tomato Aspic Southern Living Polarizing? Yes. Vintage? Definitely. Tomato aspic hails from a time when savory-sweet gelatin salads were quite en vogue. 26 of 40 Tangy Tzatziki Pasta Salad Jennifer Davick This Greek-inspired take on old-school macaroni salad is church cookbook-approved. A fresh, tangy yogurt dressing gives it something special. 27 of 40 Hot Potato Salad Helen Norman Someone decided to combine creamy potato salad and cheesy potato gratin, and we're forever indebted. This 7-ingredient recipe is a no-brainer. 28 of 40 Classic Cranberry Salad Emily Laurae Church cookbooks don't forget the holidays. Think of all those Christmas potlucks. This festive salad is filled with pears, pineapple, celery, and pecans for a fresh, crunchy finish. 29 of 40 Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad Jennifer Davick Black-eyed peas are a Southern staple, and this lucky salad is sure to wow the crowd. Peppery watercress, fresh peaches, and cilantro give it major flavor. 30 of 40 Dianne's Southwestern Cornbread Salad Southern Living Bring layered salads back, we say! This recipe features delicious cornbread, convenient store-bought Parmesan-peppercorn dressing, and smoked turkey. 31 of 40 Tarragon Chicken Salad Jennifer Davick Give classic chicken salad a little makeover. Lemon and tarragon flavor the creamy mixture, while chopped pecans, Granny Smith apples, celery, and red onion give amazing crunch. 32 of 40 Permanent Slaw Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan Meet the tangy side every Southerner loves. Like a cross between vinegar-based coleslaw and chowchow, this slaw is dubbed "permanent" because it's designed to be made ahead and gets more flavorful the longer it sits. 33 of 40 Field Pea and Pasta Salad Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Julia Levy Pasta salad is incredibly versatile, easy to make, and universally crowd-pleasing. A Dijon-honey vinaigrette makes this 15-minute recipe cookbook-worthy. 34 of 40 Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans Greg DuPree When you need a fall-inspired slaw, this'll cover all the bases. Crunchy apples, chopped pecans, shaved Brussels sprouts, and nutty Parmesan cheese work in perfect harmony. 35 of 40 Citrus Salad with Spiced Honey Iain Bagwell Can't have a church cookbook without it: the citrus salad. Spiced honey is the secret in this elevated version. 36 of 40 Summer Hoppin' John Salad Iain Bagwell Church cookbooks find a way to serve Hoppin' John all year long. This summer salad variation perfect for a picnic. 37 of 40 Molded Cranberry Salad Hector M Sanchez Congealed salads were once quite the phenomenon, and we're happy to have rediscovered this jewel of a recipe. It's like finding a timeless dress at a vintage store. 38 of 40 Herbed Cucumber-and-Tomato Salad Greg DuPree Simple and easy, this familiar salad goes with just about anything. The vinegar-infused marinade gives a tangy touch. 39 of 40 Chubba Bubba's Broccoli Salad Southern Living You need just nine simple ingredients to pull this cold salad together. 40 of 40 Southern-Style Potato Salad Southern Living Church cookbooks know it would be a sin to exclude this classic. Packed with onions, celery, sour cream, and bacon, this recipe is an essential. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit