Food and Recipes Dish Salad 34 Vintage Southern Salads You'll Find in Any Church Cookbook 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.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector M Sanchez 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 34 Heirloom Tomato-Cracker Salad Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Heirloom Tomato-Cracker Salad In this recipe we bring together two Southern favorites, heirloom tomatoes and saltine crackers, to create a colorful salad that will wow any crowd. 02 of 34 Orange Sherbet Salad Jennifer Causey Recipe: Orange Sherbet Salad Appearing in the pages of Southern Living in 1966, this was the first congealed salad recipe to ever be featured in the magazine. 03 of 34 Cajun-Style Potato Salad Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Cajun-Style Potato Salad Creole mustard and Cajun seasoning make potato salad worthy of being served alongside classic Louisiana dishes like Gumbo. 04 of 34 Cranberry Fluff Salad Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Recipe: Cranberry Fluff Salad This retro salad is easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and requires no cooking. 05 of 34 Citrus-Avocado Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Citrus-Avocado Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette 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. 06 of 34 Whipped-Cream Corn Salad Southern Living Recipe: Whipped-Cream Corn Salad 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. 07 of 34 Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Jen Causey Recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham With only two steps, this recipe couldn't be easier. Plus, you can easily double it if you'll be serving a larger crowd. 08 of 34 Picnic Egg Salad Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Picnic Egg Salad Egg salad is the most nostalgic of spreads. This 15-minute, 5-ingredient recipe is an easy go-to rendition. 09 of 34 Fresh Fruit Salad Jen Causey Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad Elevate fresh fruit so it's potluck-worthy by soaking it in a marinade made with orange juice and honey, 10 of 34 Tarragon Chicken Salad Jennifer Davick Recipe: Tarragon Chicken Salad 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. 11 of 34 Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad Hector Sanchez Recipe: Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad 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. 12 of 34 Creamy Grape Salad therecipecritic.com Recipe: Creamy Grape Salad Deliciously creamy, slightly crunchy, and subtly sweet, this cold salad is a church cookbook staple. 13 of 34 Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad Jennifer Davick Recipe: Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad 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. 14 of 34 Ham Salad Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Ham Salad Nostalgic for many, ham salad is an old-school favorite. It has frequented many a Southern church hall, as well as their beloved cookbooks. 15 of 34 Thai Noodle Salad Jennifer Davick / Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine / Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Recipe: Thai Noodle Salad Whether it be this nutty noodle salad or a crunchy noodle slaw, every church cookbook holds a dish with some Asian flair. It covers every sweet, sour, salty and spicy note. 16 of 34 Creamy Overnight Fruit Salad Abigail Wilt Recipe: Creamy Overnight Fruit Salad 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. 17 of 34 Summer Hoppin' John Salad Iain Bagwell Recipe: Summer Hoppin' John Salad Church cookbooks find a way to serve Hoppin' John all year long. This summer salad variationis perfect for a picnic. 18 of 34 Tomato Aspic Southern Living Recipe: Tomato Aspic Polarizing? Yes. Vintage? Definitely. Tomato aspic hails from a time when savory-sweet gelatin salads were quite en vogue. 19 of 34 Tangy Tzatziki Pasta Salad Jennifer Davick Recipe: Tangy Tzatziki Pasta Salad This Greek-inspired take on old-school macaroni salad is church cookbook-approved. A fresh, tangy yogurt dressing gives it something special. 20 of 34 Pear Salad Southern Living Recipe: Pear Salad 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. 21 of 34 Hot Potato Salad Helen Norman Recipe: Hot Potato Salad Someone decided to combine creamy potato salad and cheesy potato gratin, and we're forever indebted. This 7-ingredient recipe is a no-brainer. 22 of 34 Classic Cranberry Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Cranberry Salad 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. 23 of 34 Herbed Cucumber-and-Tomato Salad Greg DuPree Recipe: Herbed Cucumber-and-Tomato Salad Simple and easy, this familiar salad goes with just about anything. The vinegar-infused marinade gives a tangy touch. 24 of 34 Strawberry Pretzel Salad Southern Living Recipe: Strawberry-Pretzel Salad A salad? In a casserole dish? With strawberry gelatin? Yes, yes, and yes. Nostalgic churchgoers clean this dish easy. 25 of 34 Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad 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. 26 of 34 Dianne's Southwestern Cornbread Salad Southern Living Recipe: Dianne's Southwestern Cornbread Salad Bring layered salads back, we say! This recipe features delicious cornbread, convenient store-bought Parmesan-peppercorn dressing, and smoked turkey. 27 of 34 Permanent Slaw Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan Recipe: Permanent Slaw 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. 28 of 34 Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad Southern Living Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad 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. 29 of 34 Chubba Bubba's Broccoli Salad Southern Living Recipe: Chubba Bubba's Broccoli Salad You need just nine simple ingredients to pull this cold salad together. 30 of 34 Field Pea and Pasta Salad Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Julia Levy Recipe: Field Pea and Pasta Salad Pasta salad is incredibly versatile, easy to make, and universally crowd-pleasing. A Dijon-honey vinaigrette makes this 15-minute recipe cookbook-worthy. 31 of 34 Southern-Style Potato Salad Southern Living Recipe: Southern-Style Potato Salad 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. 32 of 34 Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans Greg DuPree Recipe: Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans 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. 33 of 34 Citrus Salad with Spiced Honey Iain Bagwell Recipe: Citrus Salad with Spiced Honey Can't have a church cookbook without it: the citrus salad. Spiced honey is the secret in this elevated version. 34 of 34 Molded Cranberry Salad Hector M Sanchez Recipe: Molded Cranberry Salad 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. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit