It's that glorious time of year where delicious fresh produce is abundant, and salads become more colourful, crisp, and tasty. Here are a few of my favourite summertime salad recipes:
Avocado & Smoked Salmon Salad
Ingredients:
100g smoked salmon, cut into bite sized pieces
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
4 cups butter lettuce, washed and torn
2 tbsp dill, chopped
Half a red onion, diced
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Black pepper to taste
Combine lettuce, avocado, smoked salmon, dill, red onion and sunflower seeds in a large bowl and mix. Mix olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper in a smaller separate bowl - this is your salad dressing. Drizzle the dressing over salad ingredients and enjoy!
Mediterranean Spiced Chickpea Salad
Ingredients:
4 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup cucumber slices
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp feta cheese
16 kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup spiced chickpea nuts
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Combine all ingredients and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
How to make spiced chickpea nuts:
Ingredients:
1x 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tsps ground cumin
1 Tsp dried marjoram
1/4 Tsp ground allspice
1/4 Tsp salt
Position oven rack in upper third of oven, and preheat to 425 F. Blot chickpeas dry with paper towel, and toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt and spices. Add chickpeas to baking sheet, and bake until brown and crunchy, ~25-30 minutes.
Apple Pecan Kale Salad
Ingredients:
Salad:
4 cups fresh kale
1 apple, sliced
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 tbsp dried cranberries
2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
Dijon Maple Salad Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoons honey or maple syrup
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stems and discard the stems. Chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the kale to a big salad bowl. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands by lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time, until the leaves are darker in colour and fragrant. Add sliced apple, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and goat cheese, and drizzle with dijon maple salad dressing.