Summer Salad Ideas
Summer is the perfect time to serve light evening meals to your family. Too hot outside to heat up the kitchen with an oven or stove. Why not make a quick yummy meal with fresh vegetables and a smattering of meat. Here are a few of our favorite Summer Salad Ideas.
Summer Dinner Salads
Here are a few dinner salad ideas to try, with or without meat. Serve one of these when you want something light and cool on a hot summer night.
Spinach Salad with Vinegar Dressing – The vinegar dressing for this salad is really delicious.
Chicken Salad Crescent Sandwiches – Chicken Salad is a favorite during our hot summer months. This one is so easy to make. Tender chicken breast, celery, onions, grapes, and cashews. Delicious!
Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts – Add some chicken to your summer salad with cranberries, Glazed English Walnuts, and boiled eggs. Yum!
Taco Bowl Salad – This is a fun weeknight meal to make. Form bowls by baking them over balls of tinfoil.
This Spinach Beet Salad is a wonderful addition to your summer meals. Fresh Baby Spinach, Mandarin Oranges, Glazed English Walnuts, Pickled Beets, and Feta Cheese, with a delightful sweet vinaigrette. Serve either as a side salad or as a light dinner salad with flatbread.
Southwest Bean Salad – I like this salad with its black beans, avocado and tomato. So good!
Summer Salads to Serve at Your Next Barbecue
Sometimes in the summer, when it’s hot, you just want something easy to make for dinner, that’s cold. This Tortellini Garden Salad is perfect for just such an occasion. Plus, you can use lots of garden vegetables in it!
When summer arrives, I want quick and easy foods to prepare, like this Mixed Vegetable Salad. Foods that won’t heat up my kitchen. Cold foods to go with grilled chicken, pork, or steak.
Antipasto Salad – This is a favorite at family gatherings. Add some pepperoni to make it a meal.
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad – While this is not really considered a dinner salad, I love it and could eat it for a meal. Tender macaroni, peas, shredded carrots, bacon and a delicious homemade ranch dressing to pull it all together. Yummy!
This Mediterranean Garden Vegetable Salad is a delicious recipe to make when you want more than a lettuce salad with your dinner, but still desire something light and refreshing. I love that it uses bunches of garden vegetables and that it is so easy to prepare.
Corn and Black Bean Salad is a delicious and easy recipe to make this summer. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or even a family picnic. It’s a cool and refreshing dish to make after a long, hot day.
Make Your Own Salad Dressings
Why not try making your own salad dressing? Here are two of our favorites!
Store Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix in your cupboard for when you need salad dressing. You may also use it in dips or other recipes.
This Thousand Island Dressing is very easy and perfect for little hands to prepare.
Don’t Forget the Croutons!
Sourdough Croutons,– While you’re at it, go ahead and make your own croutons, too! So much better than store bought! Crunchy on the outside yet slightly chewy and seasoned perfectly. You cannot buy croutons as tasty as these!
See more Salad Recipes Here.
