To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomat – the problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know how much oil to mix in with one’s vinegar.
-Oscar Wilde
Are you a meal planner? 10 years ago, I started taking about 30 minutes each Monday to plan meals for the week and never looked back. At first thought, one would think this goes against my propensity to casual, unstructured living. What I have found though, it that having a plan for the week actually makes it so much easier to make other plans throughout the week. I keep it really simple and plan 5-6 dinners and plug them in on whichever days they make the most sense as we go through the week. Try it guys, you’ll love it – I promise.
Meal planning in the summer, however, can be tricky. You don’t want to turn on the oven. It might even be too hot to stand over a stove top. Schedules are looser and hopefully more meals are being eaten outside, and with friends. Enter…Main Dish Salads!
The advantages of salads are endless:
- No need to heat up the house!
- Flexibility. Start with a recipe and mix it up depending on what’s on hand. Or start from scratch and pull it all together with a delicious dressing.
- Lighter fare for when it’s hot and heavy, greasy food just doesn’t sound appetizing.
- Mix and match to different family members tastes.
- Nutritious! Load up on vitamin and anti-oxidant packed veggies, omega-3 packed seeds and nuts, and protein packed eggs, cheese or tofu.
- Totally customizable. Gluten free, paleo, Whole 30 – salads are awesome for accommodating any kind of diet.
- Last but not least: DELICIOUS! The best thing about main dish salads is the mix of textures and flavors. Crunchy vegetables + creamy avocado + bright citrus based dressing = YUM!
To get your creative juices flowing, here are some of our family favorites. These are tried and true and have been on repeat for years!
Taco Salad
I mean, duh. Is it silly to include this on a BEST salad list? No, it’s not. And I’ll tell you why. EVERYONE loves taco salad. It’s not only a kid pleaser but a crowd pleaser. You can dress it up or down and it will always be a reliable winner.
My basic go to is:
- Ground Beef: Seasoned with a packet of taco seasoning, or just a teaspoon each of salt, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder.
- Veggies: Lettuce and tomato always + whatever veggies are in the fridge. Bell pepper, cucumber, sliced radishes all add fabulous crunch
- Shredded cheese: Cheddar or Jack. Cotija is a great Hispanic style option.
- Sliced Olives. Or leave them whole because you know, finger puppets.
- Avacado: Because, OF COURSE.
- Tortilla Chips: Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chip Dippers are our favorite but Fritos, tortilla chips or homemade fried tortilla strips are all delicious. Salty + crunchy = Delicioso.
- Optional if on hand: Black beans, cilantro, corn, lime and peppers. Pico de gallo injects a ton of flavor and Trader Joe’s has a great one.
- Dressing: Equal parts sour cream and salsa. Creamy avocado dressing is also really good here.
The Pioneer Woman has a great Chicken Taco Salad and you can’t go wrong with Ree!
Leon Salad
This is my HANDS DOWN favorite salad you guys. I make huge bowls for parties and it’s always a hit. This chopped salad from La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills was first introduced in the 1960’s and became super popular among celebrities. You can make it at home for a lot less AND customize it to your taste. I discovered this salad from a little gem of a cookbook called “Fresh: Nourishing Salads For All Seasons” by Kimberly Harris.
This cookbook is well worth the purchase but she also has a link to the recipe on her beautiful site, The Nourishing Gourmet.
There is something serendipitous about the mix of crunchy romaine, salty salami, creamy provolone, buttery olives, fresh basil and her Everyday Salad Dressing. This is my favorite dressing by far, and I use it on 80% of our salads.
Salad Nicoise
Salad Nicoise originated in Nice, France in the early 20th century and is a sublime mix of potatoes, hard boiled eggs, olives, tomatoes and tuna or anchovies. Gordon Ramsey calls it the finest summer salad of all, and he should know, right?!
There are many versions of this salad and sometimes I use an actual recipe but usually I just throw together somewhat equal parts:
- Boiled potatoes – spring potatoes, fingerling, red or Yukon Gold all work well here.
- Steamed green beans. Add to the potatoes during the last 3-5 minutes.
- Hard Boiled Eggs: I like to make a big batch to have extra on hand for later in the week.
- Olives: Nicoise olives are small, brine-cured olives produced in the French Riviera. Sub in Kalamata, plain black or any other variety from your local deli.
- Tuna: I like to mix 2 cans with a little mayo and sea salt. You can also use chunks of seared tuna, or a tin of anchovies.
- Tomatoes: Garden fresh or from the farmer’s market can’t be beat in the summer. Cherry or pear tomatoes make it easy peasy!
- Optional: Artichokes, capers, romaine or butter lettuce, red peppers and shallots.
- Dressing: A basic vinaigrette on hand or mix up a really easy dressing with olive oil, vinegar, mustard and herbs like this.
Traditionally, this salad is served with each component plated separately. This makes it easy to mix and match to taste and looks pretty but I often mix everything in a large bowl to save time, and just leave the eggs on the side. They don’t hold up well when mixed, and I have an egg averse boy in the house!
Nigella Lawson has a beautiful recipe here if you’re not quite as slap dash as I am!
There you have it friends! Our top three summer salads. Visit your farmers market this weekend and get inspired to make your own fresh and beautiful salads.
Au revoir,
Alicia