For me summer is all about salads. They are healthy, quick to prepare and don’t require a hot oven on when it’s a stinking hot day like today! Exactly what you want on a hot summer day – something light and tasty that’s low in calories so you can look your best at the beach or by the pool.
Here are 7 simple must-try summer salads that I adore. My absolute favourite is number 7 which you have seen me post on my Facebook page because I make it all the time for lunch and dinner!
1. Beetroot Fetta Pine Nut Salad Creamy and Salty Fetta combines beautifully with sweet beetroot, fresh baby spinach and pine nuts
Ingredients
1 pack of vaccuum sealed baby beetroots sliced (as seen on my Facebook page)
1 bag of baby spinach
handful of toasted pine nuts or walnuts if you prefer
Crumbled fetta
handful of parsley finely chopped
Caramelised Balsamic and Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2. Caprese Salad What’s better than sliced fresh mozzarella, sweet vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh basil in the summer
Ingredients
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into slices
1 small tub buffalo mozzarella
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Balsamic glaze for drizzling
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
3. Berry Salad Nope berries are not just for breakfast or dessert. This berry salad is also great served alongside grilled chicken or fish for lunch or dinner
Ingredients
1 bag of baby spinach
1 tub of sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries (can use frozen)
1 small packet of goat cheese
Handful of walnuts or pecans toasted in panFor the Dressing
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
4. Cucumber Mint Salad Refreshing and light, this tangy and sweet cucumber salad is amazing on a hot day as a side to any protein
Ingredients
2 cucumbers deseeded
1/4 cup chopped spanish onion
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
5. Chickpea Salad Full of protein and very filling, it’s not just a side – it’s a meal! You can even add grilled chicken if you like
Ingredients
1 tin of washed chickpeas
1 avocado sliced
handful of coriander
1/4 cup chopped spanish onion
crumbled feta
splash of lime juice
drizzle olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
6. Citrus Fennel Salad Orange and fennel is a match made in summer heaven in this light and delicious salad that is great to take along to a BBQ
Ingredients
2 navel oranges
1 blood orange
1 pink grapefruit (optional)
½ fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
1 avocado sliced
½ shallot very thinly sliced
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup mint leaves
salt and pepper to taste
fennel fronds to garnish
7. Quinoa Sweet Potato Avocado Fetta Salad Hands down my favourite go to salad. It’s a superfood power salad full of great veggies and protein. This salad is nutritious, delicious and super satisfying as a meal, not a side. (Photo on my Facebook page)
Ingredients
1 avocado sliced
1 bag of mixed salad leaves or kale and baby spinach
Pre roasted sweet potato (I always have a batch of this in the fridge that can last 4 days)
crumbled fetta
1 pomegranate – seeds only
Tri clour quinoa (I always pre cook a batch of quinoa, brown rice or buckwheat for salads and keep in the fridge)
Drizzle with Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil
Hope you enjoy these delicious summer salads – let me know what you think!
Suzanne