The start of Summer means sunny days, long nights, and great Summer food. No meal would be complete without the best salad recipe to bring everything together. If you’re looking for a summer salad recipe that is packed with vitamins and nutrients or a salad recipe that has the sweetness of fruits and nuts, then you’ve come to the right place. Because here are five of the best salad recipes that pack a lot of punch in one bowl.
Spinach Berry Summer Salad
This next Summer salad recipe is one of the best salad recipes to get iron in your diet. For the base of this Summer salad, you will need to start with baby spinach greens. Once you have your base, wash and dry a half cup of fresh raspberries and add them to the bowl. On a cutting board, dice up mango into half-inch squares and add them in as well. For an added boost of fiber and protein in this Summer salad, consider adding in a half cup of quinoa to your salad recipe.
Once you have the base ingredients together in a bowl, give them a toss so that they are well mixed. Now, push the Summer salad aside because it’s time to put the dressing together. In a small bowl, mix some apple cider, extra virgin olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, and salt. Once you have given it a good stir, throw in some poppy seeds for a nice finish. The great thing about this homemade dressing is that it’s a salad recipe that isn’t just limited to Summer salads. Incorporate this dressing in any salad, and you’ll have the best salad recipe in town.
Salad Recipe
- 2 cups of baby spinach
- 3/4 cup of raspberries
- 1/2 cup of mangoes
- 1/2 cup of blueberries
- ½ cup of quinoa
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tablespoon of poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of honey
Peach Caprese Summer Salad
Nothing says it’s a southern Summer quite like peaches! This Summer, entertain your guests by serving up this refreshing Summer salad. This is another one of the best salad recipes because it’s a twist on the tradition Caprese salad that usually incorporates mozzarella, basil, and tomato. With a peach Caprese salad, you are still working with the staple base, but in this Summer salad, you’re going to throw in some peaches for an added bit of sweetness.
To pull this Summer salad together, you are going to need to toss some basil into a bowl then add some thinly sliced tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes work the best for this type of salad, but Roma tomatoes can work just as well. When it comes to the cheese, make sure to use sliced log mozzarella cheese as opposed to the shredded kind. Finally, slice or dice up pieces of peach and toss it into your bowl. If you are feeling creative, you can arrange the basil, tomato, and cheese into creative patterns before you serve. Finally, top off your salad with some balsamic glaze, and your Summer salad is ready to go!
Salad Recipe
- 2 cups of fresh basil
- 1 peach
- 1 heirloom tomato
- Balsamic glaze
- 1 log of mozzarella cheese
Tahini Kale And Chickpea Summer Salad
This next Summer salad is one of the best salad recipes I have ever tasted. What makes this salad one of the best salad recipes is that the base of this Summer salad will be kale. Because kale is a pretty tough plant and can make for a tough type of salad, we’re going to need to soften it up. In order to do this, take a bowl and in it mix your kale with some tahini. You want to make sure that this type of salad is mixed very well, so don’t be afraid to get in with your hands and get everything mixed in. You will want to set aside your kale mixture for a while so that the tahini can help soften up the kale. Now usually, with most types of salad, you don’t want your salad greens to get soggy with dressing, but in this case, no one wants tough salad greens, so let the kale soften away.
Once your tahini mixture has been marinating for about an hour or so in the fridge, you can now your put your Summer salad together. In a serving bowl, arrange your marinated kale, and top on some crispy chickpeas. Sprinkle in some pine nuts and a generous helping of pomegranate kernels. Finally, your Summer salad base is ready to be topped off with some homemade salad dressing. In a small mixing bowl, mix lemon juice, some maple syrup, and some extra virgin olive oil. Season your mixture with some lemon zest and garlic. Add some salt and pepper to taste, and your Summer salad is ready to be topped off. Enjoy!
Salad Recipe
- 2 cups of kale
- 2 tablespoons of tahini
- 1 cup of crispy chickpeas
- 1 cup of pomegranate kernels
- 1/2 cup of roasted pine nuts
- 1 lemon’s juice
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
- Minced garlic to taste
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Watermelon Arugula Summer Salad
This next Summer salad packs a fresh burst of summer in every bite and is easily another one of the best salad recipes around. In a bowl, mix together two and a half cups of washed arugula and sprinkle some coarsely chopped mint or basil leaves on top. On a chopping block, thinly slice a fourth of red onion. Toss the red onion in your salad bowl and mix the arugula, onion, and mint or basil together. When the base of your salad is set, chop some watermelon into one inch by one-inch squares and set it to the side for now. Don’t forget to top your salad creation off with some feta cheese!
For the dressing, get ready to start mixing, because this homemade dressing will be the ribbon that ties the salad together. Even better, this dressing can be used on many types of salad. In a separate bowl mix together two tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of dijon mustard, and one lemon’s juice. Finally, throw in some kosher salt and a generous dollop of honey and mix it all up. This sweet yet tangy dressing will make your taste buds come alive when you sample them with the arugula and mint.
When you have your base ready and your dressing ready, it’s time to start putting the Summer salad together. On pretty plates, you want to set your arugula, onion, and mint or basil mix down as the “bedding” take a generous amount of your diced watermelon and sprinkle it on top of your arugula mix. Finally, drizzle your homemade dressing on top and watch as your guest’s taste buds come alive when they take the first bite. The sweetness of the honey and watermelon make this one of the best salad recipes to try this Summer.
Salad Recipe
- 1/4 of a small watermelon
- 1/4 of a red onion
- Fresh mint or basil
- 2-3 cups of arugula
- 1/2 cup of feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 lemon’s juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Summer Fiesta Summer Salad
This last Summer salad is another one of the best salad recipes this Summer because of its versatility. In a bowl, mix a half a cup of coarsely chopped basil. If you want a refreshing kick, you can also throw in some coarsely chopped mint. Next, add some black beans that are thoroughly rinsed as well as some sweet yellow corn kernels. You can use the corn that comes in a can, or you can grill some corn on the cob and cut the kernels right off the source. Once you have your black beans and corn mixed in, it’s time to add the avocados. To do this, use a cutting board and thinly dice your avocado so that the pieces are about the same as your corn kernels. One avocado usually does the trick, but if you love avocados as I do, then two can get the job done just as well. Finally, you will need four Roma tomatoes that are nicely diced and a half of a red onion that is nicely diced as well.
When you have all the ingredients mixed in a bowl, then it’s time to garnish it. Season your salad with the juice of one lemon. (Make sure not to drop any seeds into your salad!) Throw in a dash of paprika, a hint of balsamic vinegar, and a generous amount of salt and your Summer salad is ready to be served!
Salad recipe
- 1/2 cup of basil
- 1/2 cup of mint (optional)
- I cup of black beans
- 1 cup of yellow corn kernels
- Four Roma tomatoes (diced)
- 1/2 red onion (thinly sliced and diced)
- 1 avocado
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt to taste
I hope that these salad recipes can improve your Summer lunches! Which of the recipes we shared today is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
