Easy Summer Salads5 (1)
Coming into the warmer months it’s time to pack away the crock pot and deep fryers and whip out that salad spinner! As the warmer months start to roll in, planning for tasty meals that aren’t too heavy or heat the kitchen to insanely hot temperatures can sometimes be a challenge. We’re here to help you out, with our top 7 Easy Summer Salads that are perfect meals for the warmer months ahead
The beauty about these Salads in addition to them being beautiful and tasty, is they require very little effort at all to make. Couple their simplicity with the fact you can whip them all up in under 30 minutes means you’re spending more time outside in the wonderful sunshine that cooped up in the kitchen
These meals are generous enough to feed the family as full dinners, yet still light and fresh enough that they are ideal for eating in the warmer months. So, lets jump into our top 7 Easy Summer Salads list!
1. Asian Cucumber Salad
A dish that is fast emerging as one of the more popular Salads this summer is the classic Cucumber Salad! Thinly sliced pieces of peeled Cucumber that have been left to swim in a delicious sweet and spicy marinade, topped with some crunchy Peanuts for a bit of texture. This is a fantastic Salad to enjoy in the warmer weather, and rightfully so. It is a dish that has come out of Southeast Asia where it is hot all-year round!
We love this Salad because of the intense flavors and aromatics packed into it. A sour, funky flavor is brought in from the Lime Juice and Fish Sauce which is balanced with a touch of sweetness from some Palm Sugar. The Sweet and Sour combination is married with a touch of heat from some freshly sliced Red Chilis (it’s a dish from Thailand after all, you need a bit of heat!)
We recommend this easy summer salad is enjoyed as a side to a wonderful protein. Why not try baking up a whole fish on the outdoor grill and serve this Salad on the side. It’s a perfect combination of flavors, and a great meal for Summer
2. Simple Brussel Sprout Salad
A fresh take on Brussel Sprouts is not to boil them or pan fry them. In fact, for this dish you don’t need to cook them at all! Simply slicing them up using a Mandoline or a box cutter / grater will transform these wonderful and nutritious vegetables into a flaky, crispy mound of deliciousness. The humble Brussel Sprout is at its best when served this way, and it doesn’t need a whole else done to it to make it shine
For our Brussel Sprout Salad recipe, we create a very simple dressing of Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Garlic, and Salt. Mix that all up in a bowl then add the freshly shaved Brussel Sprouts. The freshness of the Lemon Juice will make the Brussel Sprouts really come alive! Pair that with the finely chopped raw garlic and it’s even got a little bit of a kick!
If you’re feeling adventurous, this Salad goes great with some roasted Almonds. We’ve gone a little bit fancy in our recipe and roasted them in the pan with some Butter. The caramelized, buttery goodness of the Almonds adds a richness to the Salad that works exceptionally well. A must try for Summer!
3. Spicy Kale Chips
Kale is one of those ingredients that had it’s moment in the spotlight about 5 – 6 years ago. You couldn’t peruse a cookbook anywhere without there being multiple Kale recipes. Hailed as the next ‘super food’, this leafy vegetable has a wonderful texture and flavor when prepared well. While it’s moment in the spotlight may have passed, the humble Kale is still a wonderful and versatile vegetable. In our opinion, there’s no better way to enjoy them than these simple Kale Chips
It’s such an easy recipe too, fitting for our Easy Summer Salads list. Simply remove chunks of Kale from their stems and place them on a baking tray. Season with a little bit of Olive Oil, Salt, and (optional) Chili, then bake until crispy. The baking time doesn’t take long at all, so they’ll be ready in no time at all
An optional technique is to whip them up in the air fryer. This will still result in a crispy Kale Chip, and cuts back on the heat coming out of the kitchen, which is ideal for some summer cooking
These Chips are a great snack to enjoy and are a much healthier alternative to Doritos, and taste just as good in our opinion!
4. Tabbouleh Salad with Couscous
The freshness of a Tabbouleh Salad really can’t be beaten! Contrary to many other leafy salads, the primary ingredient of a Tabbouleh Salad isn’t anything in the lettuce variety, but instead a combination of fresh Parsley, Cilantro, and Mint. This combination of herbs gives the Salad a wonderful flavor and aroma, yet maintains a lightness to the dish
For some added body we add some Pearl Couscous to the dish. These balls of Couscous give a lovely texture to the Salad and taste great. You can enjoy this Tabbouleh Salad on its own or use it as a filling for some summertime wraps. We’re huge fans of enjoying Tabbouleh Salad with Lamb. It makes for an authentic Greek feast. Cook Lamb on the outdoor grill and it’ll make the perfect pairing for this Salad!
5. Greek Pasta Salad
While we’re hanging around the flavors of the Mediterranean, we felt it fitting to share this next Salad with you. Our vibrant and hearty Greek Pasta Salad! Fresh flavors of the Mediterranean are packed into this dish with Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Onion, Bell Peppers, and Mint. Of course, we top the whole Salad off with crumbly Feta Cheese for a tasty, zingy flavor
You can use whatever Pasta you like for this dish, however if you can we highly recommend giving Orecchiette a try. This oval shaped pasta works so well in this Salad as it’s size is roughly the same as a sliced-up Cherry Tomato. So, you’ll get equal parts of all ingredients when eating this dish
This dish makes for a great addition to our Easy Summer Salads list because of how hearty it is. It’s a great meal to feed the family on a hot summers night. It’s easy to make, packed full of Vegetables, and tastes great!
6. Spicy Thai Beef Salad
We can’t stay too far away from Thailand whenever we’re preparing our favorite food lists such as this one. The flavors of Thai cuisine are truly unique, and one of our favorite styles of cooking. One of the most famous dishes from Thailand is their classic Thai Beef Salad
For a great Thai Beef Salad, it’s all in the dressing. A rich combination of classic Thai flavors of Palm Sugar, Fish Sauce, and Lime Juice, bring an intense flavor to the dish that is still amazingly in perfect harmony. Scale up or down the spice levels with how much (or how little) Chili you add. You can completely remove the Chili if you’re making this dish for children, and it will still turn out great
For the steak, use a tender cut of meat and cook it rare. The dish is served cold so you can always prepare the Beef in advance. We recommend either Beef Tenderloin or Flat Iron steak for the best result
7. Duck and Nectarine Salad
The final dish in our 7 Easy Summer Salads list is this wonderful Duck and Nectarine Salad. The pairing of Duck and Fruit is widely popular, particularly in French Cooking, and with good reason: The sweetness of fruit cuts through the fattiness of the Duck and makes for a delightful bite of food
You can substitute the Nectarine for other sweet stone fruits if you like. Plums, Peaches, and Cherries will also work great in this dish – all are natural friends of Duck and pair exceptionally well
For the preparation of the Duck, we have a fool proof technique that guarantees the crispiest duck skin you’ll ever eat! It does require 2+ days of preparation, so plan ahead in your weekly meal plan to get the best out of this wonderful protein
That’s our 7 Easy Summer Salads we’d recommend you all give a try this summer! Hey, even if it’s not Summer where you are in the world we still recommend trying these recipes. There’s a little something for everyone in this list so regardless of your preferences, we hope you’ve found a Salad to cook up
For even more Salads, check out our dedicated page here for simple, nutritious, and tasty Salads you can make tonight!
Happy Cooking!
