Summer salad recipes

[Dakota731]

it's too hot to cook in the northeast already and I'd like some yummy salad recipe ideas. My daughter is gluten free so no pasta salads please. I'll start with a yummy cheeseburger salad recipe we enjoy.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/cheeseburger-salad/

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I make a simple watermelon salad that is yummy. Spring Mix from the grocery store, add in cut up watermelon, and as much feta cheese crumbled as you want.
Give folks a choice of balsamic vinegar dressing or my favorite a champagne dressing that I get at Publix in the aisle with the salad mix.

My vegetarian daughter has the salad and usually eats 2 hard boiled eggs with it. She doesn't like to mix them in the salad - she likes just plain hard boiled eggs.

 

[belle7708]

This is one of my favorites!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/southwestern-black-bean-salad/

 

[TwoMisfits]

My 5 favorite summer salads...

1. Standard Caprese - Any type of tomato, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, salt/pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (if desired)
2. Potato Salad - 3-5lbs of red potatoes chopped and boiled to just soft and cooled, 3-4 stalks celery chopped, 1-2 onion chopped (sweated in bacon fat), 1-2 bell pepper chopped (sweated in bacon fat), 1 lb of bacon (chopped and cooked), salt/pepper, mayo
3. Chicken Salad - Chicken breast poached in broth with fresh rosemary cooled and then chopped, red grapes (sliced), celery (chopped), salt/pepper, mayo, walnuts (optional)
4. Classic Wedge - Iceberg wedge, diced tomato, blue cheese crumbles, either balsamic vinagrette or blue cheese dressing
5. Come y Bebe (Ecuadorian Fruit Salad) - 3-4 ½ cups of orange juice (fresh or bottled), 1 large papaya, peeled, seeded and diced, 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and diced, 6 bananas, peeled and diced, Sugar or honey to taste (put papaya and pineapple in orange juice with sweetner and refrigerate until really cold 30 min-1 hour - add bananas and serve)...you can freeze this into a popsicle, blend up the leftovers the next day into a great smoothie, or enjoy as is which is like a cross between a chunky soup and fruit salad (depending how much juice you use)...you can also add diced mangos to this for an even better salad...

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

I do a quinoa pesto salad(cold). Its basically cooked quinoa, jarred pesto sauce(or homemade), diced tomatoes, cucumbers, diced red onions,Thawed frozen peas, and topped with crumbled feta. It's very easy and filling. There are many recipes that you can google. (It's snowing where I am today, so I want some soup )

 

[grumpy28]

My favorite salad is Taco Salad. If you don't want to cook the ground beef, you could always use picked rottesserie chicken from the grocery store. Or do vegetarian with some pinto beans or black beans.

 

[BarbMike821]

Costco has this awesome sweet kale salad that you mix together from the bag. It's one of our favorites!

 

[Gracie09]

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/panzanella/
this

 

[TwoMisfits]

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/panzanella/
this

That's gonna have gluten - Op wanted gluten free (not sure any gluten free bread can really replace the bread texture you need for that salad to work well)...

 

[tasha99]

Costco has this awesome sweet kale salad that you mix together from the bag. It's one of our favorites!

We get that for emergencies almost every week. Kind of high in sugar, but the kale lasts a long time and when I'm too darn tired, I LOVE it.

We make Cobb and Nicoise salads several times a year. Also, any salad is improved with homemade dressing. I keep buttermilk, herbs, crumbled blue cheese, garlic and an oil assortment on stock so I can make a quick dressing out of fridge and pantry items at any time.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Zucchini noodles
Shelled edamame
Avocado
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Crumbled feta cheese

Just mix it all up together

 

[shoney]

Roast butternut squash
Toss with fresh spinach red onion and Gorgonzola
Add a splash of orange juice balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste

 

[Narnia_girl]

I tried this at a party just to be polite and loved it. I have taken it to several events, including one group who is gluten free, and everyone enjoyed it.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup quinoa cooked according to package directions (you can cook quinoa in either water or chicken stock to add a little more flavor)
• 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 14 ounce can corn, drained
• 1/2 of a large red bell pepper
• 4 green onions, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package directions. I like to cook my quinoa in either vegetable stock or chicken stock to add a little flavor. I also like to rinse it before I cook it. To do this, just place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under water for a few minutes.
2. When the quinoa is done cooking, fluff it with a fork, transfer it to a large bowl, and allow it to cool completely (about 15 minutes).
3. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, black pepper and salt.
4. When the quinoa has cooled, add in black beans, corn, red bell pepper, chopped green onions, and cilantro.
5. Stir in dressing and toss to coat.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Leftovers the next day are even better!

Serve with tortilla chips, or grilled chicken.

 

[CallieMar]

I love this salad as a side...so easy, tasty, and lasts well in the fridge if you have extra.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/06/mediterranean-pepper-salad/

 

[arminnie]

it's too hot to cook in the northeast

Slightly OT - but the "too hot to cook" comment always confuses me. I live in New Orleans where 95 degree heat with 95 % humidity is not uncommon. I am not affected by the heat as I have A/C. Do you not have A/C in the NE? I did not have A/C when I lived in CA - but I never found it too hot to cook.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Slightly OT - but the "too hot to cook" comment always confuses me. I live in New Orleans where 95 degree heat with 95 % humidity is not uncommon. I am not affected by the heat as I have A/C. Do you not have A/C in the NE? I did not have A/C when I lived in CA - but I never found it too hot to cook.

Even with A/C, turning on an oven will heat up a room (and when you have A/C, most folks keep the temp in their house hotter than they do in the winter, so you are adding more heat to a hotter starting temp - I keep my house 10 degrees different based on the seasons)...and since temperature sensors to kick on whole house AC aren't usually near the kitchen, it will probably take awhile for your AC to adapt to that...

Plus, a lot of folks are out swimming and doing outdoor stuff in summer and come in the house already hot and just want something cool and refreshing for dinner...pool afternoons are made for cold (and quick) food afterwards...

 

[mjkacmom]

Slightly OT - but the "too hot to cook" comment always confuses me. I live in New Orleans where 95 degree heat with 95 % humidity is not uncommon. I am not affected by the heat as I have A/C. Do you not have A/C in the NE? I did not have A/C when I lived in CA - but I never found it too hot to cook.

I live in a 100 year home without central a/c (one wall unit downstairs, window units upstairs). It was around 95 degrees Friday and Saturday with high humidity. I made tomato sauce with meatballs and sausage in the crockpot because it was too hot to cook (did put the meat under the broiler for a few minutes). Lots of homes here don't have central.

 

[Dakota731]

Made this one today and it was so good.
Spinach salad
1 tub of organic spinach
1/2 c each feta cheese, dried cranberries, and toasted almonds
1 sliced red onion
Top with raspberry vinegrette

 

[tzolkin]

Slightly OT - but the "too hot to cook" comment always confuses me. I live in New Orleans where 95 degree heat with 95 % humidity is not uncommon. I am not affected by the heat as I have A/C. Do you not have A/C in the NE? I did not have A/C when I lived in CA - but I never found it too hot to cook.

My family's personal preference is to eat differently during the summer. DH and I are simply not in the mood to eat heavy/hot meals most of the time. (This affects how we eat during vacation as well if we travel in the summer.)

My extended family is the opposite. They will cook chili/soup/etc when it's 90+ outside.

As far at the AC, when I lived in rural NY I did not know anyone who had AC. (A few had a window unit in their bedroom, but that was it.) The average summer high was in the 70s, so the few days/weeks that it got to be 90 it was really too hot to cook (especially for people who are not used to that kind of heat).

I grew up in FL and my family cooked every day. Like you, they were completely unfazed by the outside temperature.

I now live in NC (with AC) and while I can and often do cook when it's hot out, it seems like a waste of electricity when we would be happier grilling or eating salads/lighter meals.

 

[MEM]

Made this one today and it was so good.
Spinach salad
1 tub of organic spinach
1/2 c each feta cheese, dried cranberries, and toasted almonds
1 sliced red onion
Top with raspberry vinegrette

I make something similar we call "Trader Joe's Salad". Baby spinach, dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, glazed pecans and raspberry vinaigrette (roast chicken is optional). We tend to buy two rotisserie chickens at a time and pick one apart for salads.