Grant Butler | The Oregonian/OregonLive

By Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Are you having a July Fourth cookout? Once you’ve figured out what you’re putting on the grill, it’s time to focus on side dishes and salads. The secret to a great holiday blowout is having lots of variety. And since this is a celebration of America, you can work in all sorts of international flavors to celebrate the great melting pot.

Here are 15 of our favorite recipes for great side dishes and salads.

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Black Bean and Corn Salad

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Grant Butler | The Oregonian/OregonLive

This crowd-pleasing salad, which comes from chef Jennifer Segal, was a big hit with readers when we first shared it a few years ago. No wonder: It only takes 20 minutes to make (though it will need a few hours in the fridge for the flavors to properly meld.

Recipe: Black Bean and Sweet Corn Salad With Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette.

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Ramen Noodle Salad

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Grant Butler | The Oregonian/OregonLive

This is a potluck classic. You break up lightly toasted ramen noodles right before serving, giving this crowd-pleasing salad interesting textural contrasts.

Recipe: Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad.

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Grilled Artichokes with Miso Butter

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Charity Burggraaf, Sasquatch Books

Here’s a favorite new side for July Fourth from Seattle cookbook author Kim O’Donnel. The artichokes can be parboiled in advance; bring them to room temperature when ready to grill.

Recipe: Planked Artichokes With Lavender-Rosemary Crumbs and Miso Butter.

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A different type of slaw

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Oregonian/OregonLive file photo

You need a good slaw for July Fourth. But not everyone likes cabbage or mayonnaise-based recipes. This combination features crunchy fennel and apple, along with slightly bitter Belgian endive. It’s a delicious match for spicy grilled foods.

Recipe: Endive, Fennel and Apple Slaw.

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Fattoush

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Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This recipe comes from cookbook legend Mollie Katzen. Pita toasts are broken into pieces and tossed with cucumbers, bell pepper, herbs, greens, and tomatoes in this vegetable-centric version of the well-loved Middle Eastern bread salad.

Recipe: Fattoush.

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Grilled Shrimp and Corn Salad

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Mike Davis, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This dish comes from Ivy Manning. The salsa in this recipe is spicy; if you prefer a tamer salad, add the jalapeno to taste.

Recipe: Grilled Shrimp and Corn Salad With Jalapeno-Tomato Salsa.

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Corn and Quinoa Salad

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Photo courtesy of Fred Meyer

One of our favorite new salads is this creation by Fred Meyer's Leigh Ann Hieronymus. Quinoa gives the salad plenty of protein, but it's light and perfect with a wide variety of grilled fare.

Recipe: Lemony Corn and Quinoa Salad.

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Wheat Berry and Bean Salad

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Grant Butler | The Oregonian/OregonLive

This healthy salad makes a great holiday side dish, and goes well with grilled fare. You'll find wheat berries in the bulk food section of most grocery stores, but if you can't find them, you can substitute other whole grains, like faro, spelt or pearl barley.

Recipe: Mediterranean Wheat Berry and Bean Salad.

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Seven Layer Salad

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Ross William Hamilton, The Oregonian/OregonLive

A potluck classic. This recipe dates back more than 30 years, but the tradition of making layered salads goes back much further. The beauty of this recipe is that none of the amounts have to be exact.

Recipe: Seven Layer Salad.

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The essence of Northwest summers

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Ross William Hamilton, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Talk about refreshing! This salad takes two classic Northwest ingredients and pairs them for the perfect summertime salad. Orange marmalade accentuates the sweetness of Walla Walla onions, and Hermiston watermelon gives the salad lightness. Perfect for hot days.

Recipe: Walla Walla Sweet Onion and Watermelon Salad.

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Soba Noodle Salad

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Grant Butler | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Sara Bir shared this amazing salad with readers a few years back, and it's perfect with grilled Asian fare. The earthy buckwheat in the soba noodles is a perfect foil for the intensity of the dressing. To make it, you'll also need this sub-recipe for Bold and Spicy Miso Dressing, which is also a good dip for a cold vegetable tray.

Recipe: Soba Noodle and Kale Salad With Spicy Miso Dressing.

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Grilled Sweet Corn

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Oregonian file photo

This classic summer side dish has been a reader favorite since we first shared it in 2010. It comes from the Portland Thai restaurant Pok Pok. This makes enough Salty Coconut Cream for 12 ears of corn, but you don't have to grill that many ears at once since the prepared cream can be refrigerated for up to two weeks. The dish is swoon-worthy (and it happens to be vegan).

Recipe: Grilled Sweet Corn on the Cob With Salty Coconut Cream.

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Ranch Potato Salad

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Alicia Ross, Kitchen Scoop

This combo of red potatoes and green beans comes from Kitchen Scoop columnist Alicia Ross, and is a perfect addition to July Fourth. She makes it with a quick to assemble homemade ranch dressing, though you can use bottled dressing to make an easy dish even quicker to assemble.

Recipe: Ranch Potato and Green Salad.

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Quinoa and Broccoli Slaw

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Matthew Mead, The Associated Press

Here’s a protein-packed twist on July Fourth slaw from Melissa d’Arabian, featuring quinoa and turkey sausage, along with crunchy broccoli. It features a slightly sweet dressing, thanks to a touch of orange juice.

Recipe: Hearty Quinoa and Broccoli Slaw.

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Spicy Soba Noodles

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Grant Butler | The Oregonian/OregonLive

This soba noodle salad recipe, which originated from the long-gone Benji's Deli Express in downtown Portland, was a favorite of Oregonian readers back in the 1990s, and is worth rediscovering for its spicy dressing, which gets its heat from Sriracha, the Asian hot sauce that would have been an unusual ingredient at the time.

Recipe: Spicy Cold Soba Noodles.

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More July Fourth ideas

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Michael Lloyd, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Looking for more recipes July Fourth? Check out our collection of 18 burger recipes that are ideal for celebrating Independence Day.

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Oregonian/OregonLive file photo

And last month we shared a collection of 25 recipes for Father's Day cookouts, and they all are perfect for celebrating America's birthday, too.

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-- Grant Butler

gbutler@oregonian.com

503-221-8566; @grantbutler

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