Have you already picked out your favorite summer salads? In the hottest months of the year it is quite common to try to consume lighter and fresher foods. That’s why salads are such a hit this time of year. After all, they don’t require a lot of preparation time, are refreshing and don’t cause a heavy feeling in the stomach, which is aggravated by the heat of the season.
Besides, those who think that salads are “dull” are wrong. With the right ingredients, it is possible to create amazing and extremely tasty recipes that will delight even the most demanding palates.
With that in mind, Homemade Remedy has separated 6 amazing salad recipes for you to prepare in the summer. And there are also tips for sauces and ideal accompaniments. Check it out and try new flavors!
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6 summer salad recipes
You might even be the type to turn your face to salads. However, be aware that they are not always boring and tasteless. The recipes that you will see below, besides being incredibly tasty, are refreshing and nutritious.
A perfect match for summer! That’s because high temperatures call for fresh food and therefore rich in water. Check and spice up your meals with the following tips!
1. Fatouche
Also called fatuche or fattoush, this is a famous Arabic salad that goes perfectly with the summer. The recipe uses fresh leaves and vegetables, which are easily found in the Middle East. In addition to croutons made with Arabic bread, which adds crunchiness and extra flavor to the preparation.
This salad is very rich in vitamins and minerals important for health. Like vitamins A and C, plus calcium, iron and potassium.
Ingredients:
- fresh lettuce leaves
- 1 ripe tomato
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 medium onion
- Half a bunch of parsley and chives
- Spiced pita bread croutons
- Sumac
- Salt and oil to taste for seasoning
Preparation method:
First, wash all the vegetables that will be used in the recipe. Then cut the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, parsley and chives into small cubes.
Place everything on a salad plate and season with salt, oil and sumac to taste. Croutons can be made by seasoning pita or Arabic bread with spices and putting it in the oven until crisp.
Sumac or sumac is a typical Middle Eastern spice, red in color and used to replace lemon in some dishes. If you can’t find it, you can substitute a mixture of spicy paprika and lemon.
However, it should be noted that the taste is only similar and the ideal is to always use sumac.
2. Vegetable salad and cottage cheese
Another recipe that goes well in summer is this salad that uses raw and steamed vegetables with cottage cheese. This is a type of cheese with low calorie content, as it is produced from skimmed milk.
Therefore, it is very light and goes well with many types of food, even salads. In addition to being tasty, this recipe is rich in B-complex vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iodine and selenium, in addition to containing proteins. Check out how to prepare this light and tasty meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup and a half of cubed green beans
- 4 small grated zucchini
- 350 grams of cottage cheese
- 4 tablespoons of sunflower seed
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- Green scent to decorate
Preparation method:
First of all it is necessary to steam the beans until they are soft. Cooking time is approximately 5 minutes. Afterwards, take it to a baking dish for salad and mix it with the zucchini and the lemon juice.
Finally, put the cottage cheese and sunflower seeds on top and finish with the green scent. This recipe is enough to serve four people and is ready in less than 20 minutes.
3. Sunomono
Sunomono is a sweet and sour cucumber salad traditional in Japan. It is very light and has a strong flavor. Best of all, it is low in calories and rich in many nutrients.
In addition, it goes well with different types of accompaniments or even alone and is very easy to prepare. Check out.
Ingredients:
- 1 japanese cucumber
- 1 tablespoon of sea salt
- 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of crystal sugar
- 2 tablespoons of sesame
Preparation method:
First, wash the cucumber that will be used with the skin. Then cut into very thin slices and place in a bowl or deep dish. Then add the salt and mix well.
Cucumbers should be left for approximately 10 minutes in salt to dehydrate. Then transfer the vegetable to a colander and leave for another 15 minutes. This is necessary to get all the water out of it.
Meanwhile, toast the sesame in a skillet and let it cool until ready to use. Meanwhile, you need to make the sugar and vinegar syrup that will give the sunomono its bittersweet taste.
To do this, place the sugar and vinegar over low heat in a saucepan. Stir well until there are no grains left, but do not allow the mixture to come to a boil. That’s why it’s important to keep the fire very low. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
Then wash the cucumber well to remove excess salt and dry it well with a paper towel. Finally, put all the ingredients in a salad bowl and finish with the toasted sesame.
A tip, always use rice vinegar in this recipe. It is less acidic and sweeter than the other types and will give the sunomono a delicate flavor.
4. Salada Carolina
The Carolina salad, besides being delicious, is easy to make and perfect for those who want it to be the focus of the meal. Especially because it already carries good sources of protein and other nutrients important for health. Check how to do it.
Ingredients:
- 1 stalk of lettuce
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 2 boiled eggs
- 150 grams of parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon of mustard
- Half lemon juice
- 50 ml of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation method:
The first step is to prepare the sauce. For this you need to mix the oil, lemon, mustard, salt and pepper in a deep container. Then sanitize all the ingredients and cook the eggs.
Cut the lettuce into strips, and the eggs and tomatoes into small cubes. Parmesan should be grated into thick strips. Finally, mix everything in the container with the sauce and it’s ready to be served.
5. Salad with turkey breast and fruit
In addition to fresh vegetables, fruits are also often the highlights during the summer. After all, they are light, tasty and have high amounts of nutrients and water.
Best of all, you can add some fruit to salads. The result is recipes with a slight sweet touch that will make you a hit. In this salad, the highlight goes to the apple , which adds an extra crunch to the preparation.
Ingredients:
- 3 leaves of crisp lettuce
- 1 small apple
- 1 teaspoon of green scent
- 3 slices of light turkey breast
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of mustard
- 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and balsamic vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation method:
Using the sanitized ingredients, cut the lettuce, apple, turkey breast and green scent into cubes. Then place them all in a bowl or deep bowl and mix well.
Then prepare the sauce by mixing all the liquids, salt and pepper, mixing well. Finally, put the dressing on the salad and it’s ready to serve.
6. Mediterranean salad
The Mediterranean salad is a great choice for those who want a quick and complete meal. It mixes fresh leaves and vegetables with cooked grains, which guarantees the consumption of important nutrients for the body.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of lentil tea
- half cucumber
- half carrot
- 4 radishes
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of skinless roasted almonds
- 1 bunch of watercress
- Salt, black pepper and lemon to taste
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- Chopped sauce
Preparation method:
The first step in preparing a Mediterranean salad is to cook the lentils. For this you will need to heat it with water and salt until it is al dente . Once that’s done, drain and let it cool.
Mix the oil, vinegar, a pinch of salt and parsley and add the lentils. Then cut the cucumbers, carrots, radishes and tomatoes into cubes and place in a deep container. Do the same with almonds.
Season everything with salt, pepper and lemon and let it rest for 5 minutes. Finally, add the watercress and mix the lentils with the other ingredients and it’s ready to serve. You can dare and add cheese, dried fruit or grilled meat. The lentils can be replaced by chickpeas.
Best accompaniments
Accompaniment is the name given to the food that is used to complement the main dish. As such, it is ideal for enhancing flavors, but it is served on a separate platter.
Most of the time, salads are seen only as side dishes. However, be aware that the recipes you saw in this article could be the main course of your meal.
That said, it’s important to know what to serve them with so you don’t end up with a dish that steals all the flavor. Therefore, the safest bet is to bet on grilled meats. Fish, chicken, or lean red meat go well with many types of salad and are excellent sources of protein.
Vegetarians can bet on cooked beans like white beans and chickpeas. Both can be served with vegetables and complement the freshness and mild flavor of the salads well.
Risottos or souffles are also very good and are often used for this purpose. The tip not to go wrong is always to choose complementary flavors. If the salad has ingredients with a stronger taste, as in the case of the factouche, opt for milder side dishes, for example.
Ideas for light and tasty sauces
The dressing is an important part and it enhances the flavor of any salad. For the summer, the ideal is that they are prepared with light ingredients that do not spoil easily with high temperatures.
An example of this is the traditional mustard and honey. This sauce uses only mustard, honey, vinegar and black pepper and goes well with many salad recipes.
The sauce with natural yoghurt is also a good choice. To prepare it you just need skimmed yogurt, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Just mix everything and it’s ready to use.
Finally, by mixing lemon juice, olive oil and garlic you get a light and perfect dressing for green salads. To bring extra freshness it is even possible to add mint leaves.
What ingredients should be avoided?
During the summer, the body asks for lighter foods with a high water content. Therefore, some ingredients should be avoided or reduced during the preparation of meals, whether they are salads, garnishes or side dishes.
An example of what to avoid is ingredients that are too fatty or processed. Processed products have very little water and high amounts of sodium in their compositions. Thus, they must be out of meals.
Ingredients that spoil easily such as mayonnaise, milk and fresh cheese should also be avoided. Especially if the salad is not kept refrigerated, as it is worth noting that heat reduces the life span of these foods.
Finally, in the book “Food guide for the Brazilian population”, the Ministry of Health highlights the importance of reducing the amount of salt, sugars and fats used in food preparation. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of consuming only fresh products that are properly sanitized.
Food care in summer
During the summer it is essential to take care of food. Especially since high temperatures alter metabolism, causing the body to lose more water. And this picture can lead to cases of dehydration.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health recommends the frequent consumption of water and fresh food, to maintain the hydration of the body. So the fruits, vegetables, and summer salads you saw in this article are the foods of the season.
Also, it is important to avoid excessive consumption of sugar, sodium, alcohol and processed foods. This is because these components increase the loss of water by the body and do not have all the nutrients the body needs to stay healthy.
My name is Ellie Lauderdale, MD and I am USA based professional Nutritionist .
I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and board certified specialist in sports dietetics who is trained in integrative medicine. I have worked with hundreds of clients, from those suffering with chronic disease to professional and olympian athletes. My goal is to help optimize you from the inside so that you can feel, perform, and look your best on the outside.