There’s something about summer that puts me on to a fresh salad.
Salads don’t have to be boring and you can pile them high with tons of delicious fruits and vegetables of the season. It’s even more spectacular if you are growing a garden this summer and you can just walk outside and harvest your own produce from the garden that you planted earlier in the spring. It doesn’t get any fresher than that!
So when I am in the mood for a salad, these are my 3 go-to summer salads that I like to make at home.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
There are so many different variations of the classic “strawberry salad.” If you don’t have or like spinach, my other favorite greenery to use is mixed greens. Just top your greens with fresh-cut strawberries, walnuts (or pecans), and feta (or blue) cheese, and add some grilled chicken for some extra protein. Take it to the next level and add blueberries and/or red onions. No measurements for this one, just add as much as you like. That’s it! Drizzle with your favorite balsamic, poppyseed, or my favorite, raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
Grinder (Italian Sub) Salad
This salad tastes exactly like an Italian sub sandwich, just without the bread. For this one, I make a homemade dressing that is a must for this salad.
For the dressing:
- Mayonnaise: 2 tablespoons
- Red wine vinegar: 1 tablespoon
- Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
- Dried oregano: 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon (adjust to taste)
- Pepper: 1/4 teaspoon (adjust to taste)
- Fresh garlic: 1-2 cloves, minced
For the salad:
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Red onion, diced or thinly sliced
- Banana peppers, sliced
- Mozzarella cheese, cubed or shredded
- Deli meats (pepperoni, ham, turkey, salami), sliced or diced
- Iceberg lettuce, shredded
High Protein Salad
I could literally eat this salad every day. It’s so light and yummy. Sorry, no pictures for this one but trust me, it’s good.
For the dressing:
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
- White wine vinegar: 1 tablespoon
- 1/2 lemon (juice)
- Dried oregano: 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt
- Pepper
For the salad:
- High protein penne pasta (use barilla protein or chickpea pasta) 2-3 cups cooked
- Red onion: 1/4 diced
- Cherry tomatoes: 1/2 chopped
- Arugula or mixed greens
- Cucumber: 1/2 cup chopped
- Feta cheese: 1/4 cup
- Shredded chicken breast-1/2 cup
Boil the pasta until cooked. Chop up the veggies and shred the chicken (use rotisserie). Combine your dressing ingredients in a large bowl and add all chopped ingredients and pasta on top and mix!
I hope these salads make it to one of your meals this summer whether it’s a side dish or the main course. Nothing taste’s like summer more than a good salad!
Looking for other summer-inspired eats? Check out these recipes on Atlanta Mom.
What’s your favorite summer salad? Share below in the comments!
