Summer Salad Recipes

A summer salad can be the perfect accompaniment to a meal or can be the meal itself. One approach to making a salad is to include fruits and vegetables that are in season. If you want a salad to be the main course, include chicken, fish, shrimp or even lobster meat. If you are using it as a side dish, it could be a crunchy vegetable salad, a fruit salad, or a mixture of both. A good dressing can add that extra 'wow' element to your salad. It could be sweet, sour or creamy.

Exotic Summer Salad

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3 tomatoes)
• 1 cup pitted green and black olives, halved
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
• 8 fresh basil leaves, shredded
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained

Directions

The balsamic vinegar needs to be thickened. To do this, pour 1 cup of it into a pan, and cook it over low heat. It will slowly start getting thicker and take on a syrupy consistency. Stop once you have about ¼ of the original amount. This process should take about 20 minutes. Allow it to cool.

In a small mixing bowl, add the olives, parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with olive oil and toss. Slice the tomatoes into ¼ '' thick rounds. For great presentation, arrange the slices of tomatoes in a single layer, forming the base of the salad. Cover them with the olive and parsley mixture. Generously coat the salad with the saucy balsamic and serve.

Pasta Salmon Summer Salad

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 10 ounces penne pasta
• ¼ cup light mayonnaise
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 can (14 ¾ ounces) salmon, drained
• ¼ cup snipped fresh dill
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions, and drain and cool. Mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, dill, lemon juice, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the salmon and peas. Lastly, add the salmon to the bowl and toss all the ingredients together. Serve this delicious healthy salad.

Tarragon Chicken Summer Salad

Ingredients

• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets (about 300 g/10 oz in total)
• ½ cup (45 g/2 oz) flaked almonds, toasted
• 350 ml (12 fl oz) salt reduced chicken or vegetable stock (broth)
• 2 large oranges, peeled and segmented
• 2 long sprigs tarragon
• 150 g (5 oz) baby spinach leaves
• 1 small lemon
• 1 medium head witlof (Belgian endive/chicory)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)

Directions

To cook the chicken, place the pieces in a shallow pan without allowing them to overlap. Pour the stock into the pan, over the chicken. Break the leaves off the tarragon sprigs, rinse and set aside. Roll over the stalk with a rolling pin applying slight pressure. Add the lightly crushed stalk to the pan. Peel off a fairly wide strip of peel from the lemon and put it in the pan.

Cover the pan and begin to cook the chicken over moderate heat. Once the stock begins to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Check the chicken, for it should be completely cooked and tender. Remove chicken from the pan and allow it to cool. Once cool, slice it into wide strips. Save about 6 tablespoons of stock and throw away the rest, including the stalk and rind.

Whisk tahini into about 4 tablespoons of the saved stock. If the dressing begins to get thick, add a little more of the stock. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the dressing and stir. Finely chop the tarragon leaves that you kept aside earlier and add it to the dressing. Lastly, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the witlof diagonally into slim pieces. Arrange them on a large serving plate along with spinach leaves. Now add the orange pieces and toasted almonds. Finally add the chicken strips and coat the entire salad with the dressing and serve.

The best aspect of making salads is that they are easy to prepare, usually taking 20 minutes at the most. Presentation matters, and even with simple garnishes like sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced hard-boiled egg, or onion ring slices, you can have a great looking wholesome summer salad.