There’s nothing better than a light, refreshing salad during the hot summer months. And in Arizona our hot months are HOT and LONG! So our summer salad vs. winter soup ideas need to be up to the challenge. Here are our family’s favorite summer salad recipes, and they are always crowd pleasers whenever they are shared with friends. As I stated in my One Dish Stove-Top Recipes post, I’m including the original post along with changes I have made for either taste, health, or dietary reasons. Enjoy!
Cold or Side Salads ~ some may be great for side dishes and others will make a meal of their own.
Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
Original Recipe: https://www.shelikesfood.com/crunchy-broccoli-salad/?fbclid=IwAR0UUh-Ap4Lt4S6fA9DN8G57SZlk5ZQLaW2prfSgn-l3GUsZThNgFOB6a7A
Hands down, this is not only a family favorite but any time I share it with friends, everyone wants the recipe. It is perfect as is, but I do make a few “taste” adaptations. Since family is not a fan of raw garbanzo beans, we leave those out. I prefer yellow mustard over Dijon. And the author recommends increasing the dressing if you desire, but I actually cut it back a little. Be sure to double or triple this recipe unless you are eating it by yourself as you will find yourself going back for a just a little more and grabbing a small bowl in the middle of the afternoon. Such a great way to get more raw cruciferous veggies into our body!
Summer Quinoa Salad
Original Recipe: https://realhealthyrecipes.com/recipes/summer_quinoa_salad
This is another great light summer salad that pulls a punch with a variety of flavors, and it’s so pretty and colorful to look at too. The only thing I leave out is the jicama—simply because I’m too lazy to cut it! Haha! But if you have more patience than I do, I encourage you to leave it in for the extra crunch. I’ve found serving it over the greens is optional … a great way to add more greens to your diet but tastes just as good without. Mmmm … I’m getting hungry!
Strawberry Kale Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing
Original Recipe: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/strawberry-kale-salad/
This light salad is full of fruit and crunchy sweet pepitas. Even if you’re not a fan of kale, give this one a try and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. You could make this a meal by adding some cut up grilled chicken to it!
Warm Main Dish Salads
Chicken Bacon Avocado Salad with Roasted Asparagus
Original Recipe: https://pinchofyum.com/chicken-bacon-avocado-salad-with-roasted-asparagus
Two summers ago my middle son was living in Boise and I would go visit him for weeks at a time (any excuse to escape the Arizona desert in summertime!) I discovered this recipe while I was there and it became a staple for us as it needed so few ingredients (let’s just say his kitchen lacked some basics) and he was following a keto plan at that time so it worked well for both of us. Since then, if asparagus is on sale, we are having this salad as a meal.
Only adaptations I have made is cooking the asparagus in a little avocado oil instead of butter due to my dairy sensitivities. And I almost always have cooked, shredded chicken breast on hand that I’ve made ahead of time in the crock pot, so will use that instead of the deli chicken as stated. I am sure this will quickly become a favorite of yours as well.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Original Recipe: https://www.justataste.com/chicken-caesar-pasta-salad-recipe/
My sister turned me on to this recipe and it has quickly become a staple during the summer months. If you like Caesar salad, you will love this. Now I did make a few adaptations for this recipe but not too many. She has the anchovy paste and croutons listed as optional … so I left those out. Main thing I changed is the mayonnaise in the dressing for coconut cream from a can of coconut milk. It feels so much healthier, less calories, and you can’t even taste the swap! Oh, and back to me being a yellow vs. Dijon mustard person – I always choose the yellow. Last thing is I used gluten-free pasta. One caveat with using the GF is if there happens to be leftovers, which is rare, the pasta doesn’t keep the texture nearly as well as regular pasta. These things are all personal taste choices but I’m sure you would enjoy as prepared.
Sizzling Cilantro Lime Fajita Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Original Recipe: https://www.mynaturalfamily.com/paleo-fajita-salad-recipe/
Okay taste buds are really starting to drip looking at all these yummy recipes, and my hungry tummy is rumbling. Looking for a way to have that “fajita” taste at home? Look no further and so easy to make! Perfect as is without any changes. Plus anything with cilantro makes me happy—especially now that I can get it fresh in my Tower Garden!
Would love to hear which of these you try and what you’ve enjoyed or any personal adaptations you make. Enjoy!!
