Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by Ellen Christian
Check out the ultimate summer salad recipe with fresh ingredients from our garden! Try this summer salad for a refreshing light lunch.
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Summer is here and along with it the high temperatures make me not want to heat the oven up to make dinner. When you combine the heat with the availability of fresh produce from the garden and the farmer’s market, a summer salad recipe is the best of both worlds.
Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe
I don’t need to heat up the oven. A salad is nutritious and cost-effective and can be made in so many different ways that I am not going to get tired of having one several times a week.
While my salads always have vegetables in them, I like to add other things as well to make them a little bit different. A plate full of nothing but vegetables can get a bit boring sometimes.
There are so many different things to add to your salads that you don’t need to feel at all limited. Just a few of my favorites are chopped hard-boiled egg, nuts, dried raisins or cranberries, chopped apple, shredded or crumbled cheese, croutons, bits of meat, olives, etc.
The possibilities are endless. This Salad Topper is one of my absolute favorites.
What can I add to my salad?
Most summer green salad recipes start the same way, you add lettuce, spinach, arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc., and toss them in a large salad bowl. To make this salad unique, try adding a few non-traditional vegetables to your salad.
Consider adding mushrooms, broccoli, shredded cabbage, jicama, and kale. Or, try adding a few edible flowers to make it fun.
If you’re trying to keep this Paleo or gluten-free, you’ll want to skip the cheese and croutons. Instead, you can add sunflower or pumpkin seeds for crunch.
You may want to try my homemade salad dressing. It’s gluten-free and, if you use stevia instead of brown sugar, it would be Paleo as well.
If you plan on taking this salad to work with you, I have a few tips on how to pack a lunch salad so it travels well. Here are a few more easy summer salad recipes to try.
If you’re planning on serving salads for lunch, why not serve it buffet style and allow everyone to add what they want to their salad?
That way people can create a salad they’ll truly enjoy and leave out things they don’t like.
Check out the healthy meal options that Splendid Spoon offers for another way to make summer eating a bit simpler.
Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe
Check out the ultimate summer salad recipe with fresh ingredients from our garden! Try this summer salad for a refreshing light lunch.
Ingredients
- Leaf lettuce, torn
- Tomato, chopped
- Cucumber, sliced
- Egg, hard boiled & crumbled
- Extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Fisher Chef's Walnut pieces
- Fisher Dried Cranberries
- Croutons (optional, leave out for gluten free)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the croutons.
- Toss croutons on top of the complete salad and enjoy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 305Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 104mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 9g
Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
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