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.