The sudden onslaught of full-on summer has us thinking salads. Here are five recipes—traditional and otherwise—for flavorful summer salads.
[su_dropcap style=”flat”]I[/su_dropcap] think we slept through spring this year in Chicago. We went from comforters on the bed well into May to 98º this past weekend. From braises and stews to salads. These are some of our favorites.
Berry Blue Cheese Watercress Salad
This is as close as we’ll get to a straight up salad in this post. With mild butter lettuce, peppery watercress, mixed berries and blue cheese, the Berry Blue Cheese Watercress Salad shown above makes a refreshing starter, or, with a sandwich, a nice, light meal.
Chicken Salad with Coconut and Roasted Cashews
Who doesn’t like a nice chicken salad? Marion’s Chicken Salad with Toasted Coconut and Roasted Cashews is a modern Chinese take on a summer classic. And served on a bed of mixed greens, it’s a complete, light meal on its own.
Watermelon Mango Salad with Blue Cheese
No lettuce at all in this fresh, colorful summer salad. Instead, watermelon, mango, blue cheese and cayenne pepper deliver a delicious mix of sweet, savory and spicy flavors.
Potato and Cherry Tomato Salad
Easy doesn’t have to equal unimpressive—as demonstrated by this quick salad of fingerling potatoes and cherry tomatoes tossed with a lively mustard vinaigrette. As Marion says when she makes it, something this easy shouldn’t taste this good.
Peach Caprese Salad
The Italian classic—made with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil—gets a reboot, as peaches stand in for the tomatoes in this Peach Caprese Salad. A bed of mixed greens adds another layer of flavor and crunch.
We had a really short “spring” too — very few of those balmy days that we usually associate with springtime weather. Oh well, summer is here, and that means salads for dinner! Great selection — thanks.