Luscious Summer Salads
Fruits of the season
Spring and summer offer such a bounty of colorful delicious fruits and vegetables. All they need is a flavorful dressing to create a stunning and savory meal.
Going to the farmer’s market in summer is like going to an art gallery. The colors, shapes, and textures are eye-popping. When in full ripeness, the flavors are so exquisite that it takes very little to turn them into an unforgettable meal.
When planning a big salad full of fruits and/or vegetables, I think about two elements: a variety of textures and a dressing that enhances, rather than masks, the flavors the earth has provided.
As they say, we eat with our eyes first, so choosing a variety of shapes and colors just adds more enjoyment - for the eyes and the palate.
Look at these colors! It makes one want to capture them on a canvas, but I think I’ll eat them.
I have created three stunning salads taking advantage of the summer bounty. Each of these can easily be made vegan or vegetarian. Or, up the protein with chicken, fish, steak or tofu.
The dressing for each salad was designed to complement and enhance the ingredients. Let summer shine!
Need some guidance or inspiration? Watch my cooking show on the ZebraTV website or YouTube channel.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°
- Cut pepper in half and remove stems, seeds and membranes
- Lay peppers on foil lined baking sheet, cut side down
- Roast the peppers for 15-20 minutes (time varies by size of your pepper) until they are blackened and soft.
- Remove from the oven and put pepper in a bowl; cover with the foil that lined the baking sheet (this is to re-use the foil). Allow to set 10-15 minutes. This allows the skin to further release from the pepper
- Slip the skins off. They will come off quite easily, although you may need to gently rub in some places. Remove as much skin as you can.
- Cut the roasted pepper into small pieces. This can be done up to a week ahead of time. You do want the peppers to be cool for your salad.
- Shuck your corn and, using a sharp knife or corn zipper, remove the kernels from the cob.
- In a medium saute' pan, heat 2 tsp toast the cumin, caraway until fragrant; about 2 minutes. Add 1 Tsp olive oil, corn, and a pinch of salt.
- Cook, stirring, until the "milk" evaporates and the corn is slightly brown.
- Stir occasionally to avoid burning. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Put mayonnaise, lime juice, zest from one lime, Tajine (or chile powder) and 2 Tsp salt in your large salad bowl.
- Whisk the olive oil into the mixture until smooth. It will look curdled at first, that is just the lime mixing with the mayonnaise.
- Whisking will emulsify it all into a smooth dressing. Taste for salt.
- Add the pasta and lettuce to the bowl and gently toss in the dressing. Layer on the tomatoes, corn and pepper. Toss all together to distribute the dressing.
- Taste for salt. Garnish with a heap of chopped cilantro, zest of one lime, and sprinkle with the crumbled cheese.
- Top with grilled chicken for a complete meal.
Notes
The malt vinegar adds a little acidity that nicely balances this creamy dish. If you don't have malt vinegar, use a small amount (2 tsp) of white wine vinegar.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
346.24Fat
19.43Sat. Fat
2.99Carbs
39.38Fiber
5.35Net carbs
34.03Sugar
9.73Protein
7.9Sodium
1864.21Cholesterol
5.79You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Our nutritional information is based on the entire recipe, not per serving
Fruit Salad with Sumac, Honey, Lime Dressing
Ingredients
Instructions
- Put all of the cut up fruit and radishes in a large bowl
- Drizzle over the dressing and give it a good toss to coat
- Add the fresh mint and give a light toss. Serve right away.
- Add all ingredients except olive oil in a lidded jar
- Give a good sake to combine well
- Add the oil, put on the lid and give a hearty shake to emulsify.
Notes
- The fruit can be cut up as much as a day ahead.
- The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead; just give it a vigorous shake before dressing the fruit
- Only add the dressing and mint within an hour of serving
Nutrition Facts
Calories
192Fat
14Sat. Fat
2Carbs
18Fiber
2Net carbs
16Sugar
15Protein
1Sodium
596Cholesterol
0You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional.
Farro, Spinach, & Fruit Salad with Thai Dressing
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add cider vinegar to a lidded jar
- Add all other ingredients except the oil and basil leaves
- Shake to combine.
- Just before serving, add oil and basil leaves and give a vigorous shake to emulsify
- Peel and thinly slice a whole red onion so you have thin rounds
- Cut each round in half (you will a pile of half-moon shapes)
- Put in bowl and drench in red wine vinegar
- Allow to pickle for at least 45 minutes; this step can be done up to a week ahead of time. Keep the pickled onions in the refrigerator until ready to use
- Measure out 1 cup of farro
- Soak in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain into a bowl
- Bring 2 cups water to a boil and add drained farro
- Boil until al dente; about 10 minutes.
- Drain and cool for at least 30 minutes. This can be done a day ahead
- This step is easy. You can do this a day ahead and store in a dry place (not the refrigerator) or while your onions are pickling.
- Add the coconut flakes to a dry warmed skillet.
- Keep the heat on medium to medium high and allow to become golden brown. Keep stirring to get all bits browned to keep from burning
- Immediately remove from the skillet onto a plate. Allow to sit and cool for 10 minutes.
- Add cooled farro to a large serving bowl
- Top with spinach, radicchio, mango, blueberries, and cucumbers. Toss to combine
- Remove about 4 Tbl of pickled red onion from your bowl or jar . Drain on a paper towel to remove some liquid and add to the farro.
- Pour over dressing and give a good toss to combine everything.
- Top with chopped parsley, then toasted coconut flakes
- Serve
Notes
*You will not need the entire red onion. If you prefer, slice 1/2 of the onion and save the rest for another use. If you choose to pickle the entire onion, keep the surplus in a lidded jar in the refrigerator. It will last weeks and is a delicious garnish in any kind of salad - assembled salads or chicken or tuna salad.
**Fresh ginger is really best in this dressing, but you only need a small bit. Here is how to preserve the rest of the ginger:
Use a vegetable peeler to remove as much skin as you can. Use a paring knife to remove the rest. Finely chop the entire knob into 1/4" pieces. Put in a lidded jar and keep in the freezer. Just be sure to remove with enough time to thaw the amount you need for your next recipe. You can also store in an ice cube tray; just be sure to cover it will. The ginger will keep in the freezer for 6 months.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
397Fat
18Sat. Fat
5Carbs
54Fiber
12Net carbs
42Sugar
7Protein
9Sodium
665Cholesterol
0You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional.