Salad Days of Summer
5 Summer salads I think you’re gonna love!
June has finally arrived!
More people are out, walking and riding their bikes through town, the river is filling up with paddleboards, and the neighborhood kids are busy covering the streets with chalk art. All signs that Summer is here (even if unofficially)!
During the school year when everyone’s schedules are jam packed and the cold weather keeps us all indoors a little more things can start to feel a bit drab. But for a few magical months in the Summer things feel pretty close to perfect.
The tomatoes and peaches haven’t yet peaked but the market is already full of tender salad greens, bright red strawberries and stalks of rhubarb, crisp radishes, and basil so fragrant that you can smell it well before you ever see it.
I’m looking forward to putting it all to good use. But I must admit I’m a bit of a lazy cook. Especially in the Summer.
Or maybe not so much a lazy cook, as a pragmatic one. Because knowing that these extra hours of daylight are fleeting, I try to spend as many of them outside as possible. I will forever defend my belief that everything just tastes better outside.
The longer days and warmer weather feel like nature’s way of shifting us into a more relaxed way of cooking. So simple salads, the kind that are easy to pull together and can be packed along for impromptu picnic dinners at the lake or shared at a last minute barbeque with friends, become my go-to.
Some days there is no plan, just a giant bowl filled with whatever’s in season, cobbled together with a bit of this and that, and somehow it always transforms into a simple but perfect meal. Other days a little more guidance is helpful . . .
So I’ve rounded up 5 Summer salads I think you’re gonna love!
This Spicy Corn and Shishito Salad from Lidey Heuk is a taste of Summer in salad form. I’m a total sucker for Shishito peppers, and plan on making this salad on repeat all Summer long.
This Crispy Halloumi Salad with Avocado and Shallot Vinaigrette is perfect for weeknight dinners and for sharing with friends. They had me at Halloumi.
If forced to choose a favorite salad, Fattoosh might be it. Fattoosh is a Lebanese salad that features tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, crisp lettuce and pieces of fried pita. I love serving it with a generous scoop of hummus or roasted chickpeas.
I haven't made this Snap Pea, Tofu, and Herb Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce Salad yet, but it’s definitely on my list!
Spring Green Pasta Salad. A good pasta salad is a Summer essential. This one is perfect on its own or paired with something from the grill.
Chopped Chickpea Salad. Even though gluten is public enemy number one these days, for those of us who do indulge, bread in salad is a thing and it’s really good thing. I almost always keep a loaf of this bread in the freezer to use as needed, because focaccia is still the perfect way to transform a simple dip or salad into a hearty meal.
See you outside!