We’re getting into the peak time of summer produce, and every weekend at the farmers market feels like a treat. Sometimes the best way to showcase the flavor in those farmers market tomatoes and peaches is to keep it simple and fresh with a beautifully crafted summer salad. If you find yourself hoping for some new ideas on how to enjoy your summer bounty, look no further than these 11 recipes for salads that really highlight summer produce.
11 Summer Salads to Freshen Up Your Table
Spiral-Cut Zucchini Summer Salad
Summertime zucchini always tastes better and now is a great time to enjoy zucchini raw. In this recipe, the zucchini is cut into spirals and paired with crisp cucumbers and briny olives for a punchy summer salad that can be enjoyed on its own or with whatever you’re throwing on the grill.
Healthy BLT Salad
A BLT is the perfect way to eat a summer tomato. But perhaps you want a lighter version for a summer lunch. By toasting crackers in leftover bacon fat, you get a crunchy topping without a lot of bread. This BLT salad makes for a quick satisfying lunch. You can feel good about what you’re eating with a meal that makes those summer tomatoes sing.
Nicoise Salad with Creamy Avocado Dill Dressing
A Nicoise salad is a great way to enjoy summertime vegetables. Radish, cucumber, green beans, and fresh dill will all shine in this updated version. We feature a creamy avocado dressing made with Greek yogurt.
Watermelon Salad
This Watermelon Salad was developed by Chef Jackie Page and takes advantage of those sweet summer melons and fresh mint by dressing them lightly with just lemon and olive oil.
Kid-Friendly Summer Salad
Letting the kids help with a summer dish can teach them what’s in season. It also instills a vested interest in what they’re eating! Let them help pick out the berries at the farmers market, or better yet, go berry picking and make a whole activity out of summer lunch.
Tomato Peach Salad
If you’re one of those people who can’t leave the farmers market without peaches or tomatoes this time of year, this salad is for you. The two pair perfectly, especially when accompanied by this pickled corn vinaigrette and pungent fresh basil.
Biscuit and Peach Panzanella Salad
Ripe, juicy peaches match alongside buttermilk biscuit croutons and a red wine vinegar/oil dressing. This Biscuit and Peach Panzanella Salad is a beautiful rainbow of fresh flavors that you can always add more veggies to.
Charred Green Papaya Salad
Papaya. It’s sweet and nutritious, meeting somewhere between a mango and a cantaloupe. We’re mixing this lovely fruit up with charred tomatoes and green beans along with Thai spices.
Blistered Shishito and Corn Salad
Blistering is simply a cooking technique where you cook vegetables at a high heat, quickly, as the outside crackles. It adds a bit of nuance to the shishito peppers in this avocado and corn salad.
Summer Salad with Blueberries & Blue Cheese
We’re combining two of our favorite “blue” foods for a salad that’s robust and features a poppyseed dressing. Let yourself indulge in fresh spinach, cucumber, celery, blueberries, blue cheese, and candied walnuts.
Citrus and Kale Salad With Fig and Honey Vinaigrette
What could be more summery than vibrant citrus on a bed of fennel, kale, radicchio, pine nuts, avocado, and pomegranate seeds? Though it may be the fig and honey vinaigrette that takes this salad over the top.
Story by Kirsten Chervenak
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