Summer Salad Ideas

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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.

Spinach Salad with Vinegar Dressing

Here's a delicious recipe I received from my Aunt Ruth. I love this vinegar dressing. Try it this weekend!

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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 Croissant Sandwiches

Here is a recipe the girls and I like in spring and summer. Especially nice for Mother's Day luncheons if you adjust the recipe to size.

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Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts – Add some chicken to your summer salad with cranberries, Glazed English Walnuts, and boiled eggs. Yum!

Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts

Here's an easy salad to fix when you want to serve a light and tasty dinner entree.

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Taco Bowl Salad – This is a fun weeknight meal to make. Form bowls by baking them over balls of tinfoil.

Taco Bowl Salad

Here's a recipe that's easy to make and fun to eat. Enjoy!

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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.

Spinach Beet Salad

Here's a delicious recipe to enjoy this summer with pickled beets, English walnuts, Feta cheese, and mandarin oranges. So yummy!

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Southwest Bean Salad – I like this salad with its black beans, avocado and tomato. So good!

Southwest Bean Salad

This Southwest Bean Salad is packed with flavor and lots of heart-healthy foods sure to satisfy every appetite. 

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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! 

Tortellini Garden Salad

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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.

Mixed Vegetable Salad

Here's a variation on 3-Bean Salad. Enjoy!

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Antipasto Salad – This is a favorite at family gatherings. Add some pepperoni to make it a meal.

Antipasto Rotini Salad

Here's an easy and colorful salad recipe to enjoy when the weather turns warm.

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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!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Here's a recipe that reminds me of the boxed Suddenly Salad dish you can buy in the store. Only better!

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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.

Mediterranean Garden Vegetable Salad

This 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.

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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.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Here's a delicious and easy salad to make this summer to go with Honey-Glazed Grilled Chicken Thighs or Grilled Pork Chops. 

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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.

Ranch Dressing Mix

Here's a recipe to store in your cupboard for when you need salad dressing. May use it in dips or other recipes.

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This Thousand Island Dressing is very easy and perfect for little hands to prepare.

Thousand Island Dressing

I'll always remember making Thousand Island dressing as a girl at a 4-H cooking meeting. Here's a similar recipe for you to enjoy.

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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!

Homemade Sourdough Croutons

This recipe is so easy and delicious, you may never go back to store-bought croutons. Serve on your favorite salad or with soup.

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See more Salad Recipes Here.

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