Fresh, vibrant, colorful, and crunchy—these summer salads can (and should) be added into your weeknight dinner (or lunch!) rotation.
Summa-time! Miami is always hot and humid in the summer. However, these past two weeks let’s just say that it’s been a little bit more so than usual. So much so I thought my air conditioner was broken. Literally had the A/C guy come and check it just to make sure. The unit is big enough for my place, it’s a fairly new unit, and it is cooling. With this heat it’s just working hard for it’s money! That leads me to want to make all these summer salads aka food that doesn’t require an oven!
Salads are nice to not only highlight fresh produce that’s in season– from sweet tomatoes to succulent corn and juicy peaches. But they’re also perfect side dishes for cookouts and barbecues. While salads might not be your idea of a full meal, remember this dietitian is here to increase your fruit and vegetable consumption any way possible. Here are a few of my favorite summer salads for all your summer gatherings. Simple, yet delicious, leaving you extra time to have fun socializing and hopefully staying cool!
Iceberg Wedge Salad
Classic Iceberg Wedge Salad has ALL the components of hydration in every ingredient. Even if you’ve heard people say there’s no health benefit to Iceberg Lettuce, I’m here to tell you all food can be functional. Iceberg lettuce is full of water and perfect on a hot summer day!
Tomato, Corn, & Avocado Salad
This is another recipe that is really as simple as pairing a few in-season items with a simple vinaigrette. Served best fresh, although I’m here to tell you I’ve eaten this Tomato, Corn, and Avocado salad days later and it still tastes as good as it did day one.
Stone Fruit & Burrata Salad
Anything with burrata is delicious, but enter the sweet stone fruits with fresh herbs, to die for! Creamy burrata cheese, juicy stone fruits, herbs and a balsamic glaze, equals perfection! I dream of burrata it’s that delicious.
Fig, Arugula, & Burrata Salad
This fig, arugula, and burrata salad is really something special. Simple. Flavorful. And aiming to use what’s in season. Can’t wait for fig season. The season won’t last long, so definitely make sure to add this one to your ‘must make list!’
Heirloom Tomato Salad
It really is as simple as cutting the tomatoes, throwing on some cheese with a quick drizzle of dressing. Sometimes simple is the best. I’ve even turned this into a tomato sandwich with toasted bread and a smear of mayonnaise – that’s right, a smear of mayonnaise mixed in with that blue cheese, makes one delicious sandwich. Trust me!
Watermelon, Mint, & Feta Salad
Refreshing. Hydrating. The perfect go-to summer salad when watermelon is in season. And if you dare to add jalapeño for some more heat, have at it. We have enough sweat here in Miami thank you very much!
Zoodle Salad
This zoodle salad is light, refreshing, and one more easy way to add veggies to the table. Admitedly zucchini is not one of my favorite veggies. But this raw version is definitely one I like to use when zucchini is in season in the summer. What’s your favorite way to eat zucchini?
Salad in a Jar
Think of this salad in a jar as a formula for a perfectly balanced meal. With endless combinations, say goodbye to boring salads & hello to easy meal prep, in a jar!
Gazpacho
Admittedly not a salad, but still a must make this summer. Gazpacho is a Spanish chilled soup with ripe, fresh tomatoes and other seasonal vegetables. Make a refreshing batch to use your garden vegetables during the hottest days of the year.
Now’s the time to kick back and enjoy these refreshing salads. Stay cool and remember to hydrate! If you make any of these summer salad recipes, I’d love to hear which ones are your favorite in a comment below!
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