The weather is getting hotter and, let’s face it, nobody really wants to slave away over hot stove to create a fancy dinner. A salad is the perfect meal idea if you want something cooling, simple and full of flavour. Without further ado, here are six ideas to get the mouth watering and the salad tongs moving.
Grilled Peach Panzanella
Why not start with something unusual? Panzanella is an Italian salad using tough crisp day-old bread that soaks up the flavours of the ingredients. Grilled peaches may seem like an odd ingredient to put in your salad, but the combination of sharp tomatoes with the juicy peaches is perfection.
Cucumber, Watermelon and Mango Salad with Mint
It doesn’t roll off the tongue as much as the first entry on this list, but this refreshing salad is a breath of fresh air on a sweaty summer’s day. As well as this, it’s vibrant and colourful, and you can add chicken or white beans for that much-needed protein.
Greek Cucumber Salad
Greek salads are a summer essential, and if you get it right, you are in for a treat. Cucumber, onion, feta and olives combine to make this special dish. It wouldn’t look out of place on the Saladette Counter of a top restaurant, like the ones at https://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/commercial-refrigeration-brands/i-l/interlevin/interlevin-esa900-refrigerated-saladette-counter.
Tuna and White Bean Salad
This is a salad classic. Toss in the tuna with some white beans, tomatoes, of course, and some artichoke hearts to make a hearty meal-worthy salad. Salads need beans and grains to add a variety of nutrients other than watery vegetables.
Fig Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing
Figs aren’t something people normally think of as an ingredient. Like radishes, they seem to have disappeared from people’s radars. In reality, they make a great base for a salad that can include another lean protein and a sweet honey and lemon dressing.
Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Walnuts
And spinach, a salad classic, finally makes an appearance. Give it a summery twist by adding a bright and colourful fruit like strawberries and a handful of chopped walnuts to complement spinach’s natural affinity to nuts.
Use the summery salad ideas in your cooking and you will no doubt begin to experiment and come up with ideas even more strange and wonderful than the ones on this list. Happy cooking.