Who doesn’t love a summer salad. Try any of the ones below and you will be guaranteed a winner at home or to take out to a gathering with family or friends.
Recipe 1: Asian Slaw with Peaches and Herbs
Colorful, juicy, crunchy, sweet, bitter, herby, spicy… there are so many flavors and textures to put together with all the great fruits and vegetables that are in season right now. Perfect for picnics!
Ingredients to serve 4 as a side dish
Dressing:
• ¼ cup cashew or peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 to 5 tablespoons water, or as needed
For the slaw:
• 6 to 7 cups shredded red and/or green cabbage
• 3 mixed bell peppers
• 2 Spring Onions, chopped
• ½ cup chopped Coriander, including stems
• ½ cup fresh basil, Thai basil, and/or mint
• 2 Thai chiles or 1 serrano pepper, diced
• Sea salt
• ¼ cup toasted peanuts, pepitas, and/or sesame seeds
• 1 large ripe peach, thinly sliced, you can add more if you are a big peach fan
Instructions
1. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the cashew butter, miso paste, lime juice, sesame oil, and ginger. Whisk in enough water to create a drizzable consistency. Set aside.
2. In a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat, char the peppers whole, rotating until the edges have a little char, about 2 minutes per side. Remove. When cool to the touch, slice in half lengthwise, remove the stem, ribbing, and seeds and slice horizontally into thin strips.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, peppers, scallions, cilantro, basil, chiles, and ¾ of the dressing. Toss until combined. Add the remaining dressing, if desired, and season to taste with a few pinches of sea salt. Serve topped with the toasted nuts, seeds, and sliced peaches.
Recipe 2: Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
This fresh Mediterranean couscous salad recipe is packed with raw & roasted cherry tomatoes, feta, chickpeas & herbs. Ideal for a summer lunch or a wonderful side dish with lamb steaks. You can roast the tomatoes in advance for quicker assembly.
Ingredients
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, (half for roasting, half raw)
We have an amazing range of cherry style tomatoes so get creative!
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 cup dry Israeli couscous
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, more if desired
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme, more for garnish
• 1½ cups roasted chickpeas, tossed with 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika before roasting
• ¼ cup fresh basil, more for garnish
• 2 Lebanese or Telegraph cucumbers, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Roast 2 cups of the cherry tomatoes according to this recipe. These can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days.
2. Cook the couscous according to the package directions until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
3. In the bottom of a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Add the cooled couscous and toss. Slice the remaining raw cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl with the roasted tomatoes, the chickpeas, basil, cucumbers, and feta. Top with more fresh herbs and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Season to taste.
Recipe 3: BBQ Charred Sweetcorn Salad
This Charred Corn Avocado Salad with Roasted Red Onions combines all the fresh flavours of summer in a salad bowl. Sweet, smoky charred corn mixed with avocado, cherry tomatoes, roasted red onions and a lemon Dijon dressing makes it a perfect side salad for any barbecue or potluck gathering.
Ingredients
• Salad
• 2 red onions
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3 full cobs of sweetcorn
• 200 g red cherry tomatoes,
• 200 g yellow cherry tomatoes, (you can use any other variety here)
• 1 avocado
• ¼ bunch coriander
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
Salad Dressing
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
Salad
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C or 400°F.
2. Slice the onions with skin on in half lengthwise, right through the root end. Place cut side down in an oven tray, drizzle with olive oil and season well with sea salt. Roast on a lower rack for 30 minutes until soft and brown.
3. When ready, remove from oven and let it cool down. Then remove the skin so you can see the soft purple flesh of sweet onion. Slice approximately 1cm thick from top to root end. Separate the layers and put aside, ready for assembling.
4. Whilst the red onions are roasting, you can BBQ (or grill) the corn. Prepare the BBQ pan for medium-high heat.
5. Coat corn with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place corn on hot grill and cook for 10-12 minutes or until well charred. Some people like heavy charred, some not so much. Use personal preference here. Turn the corn occasionally so all sides are cooked well. Once ready, remove from grill to cool down.
6. Remove corn kernels from cob by using a sharp knife to cut close to the white of the cob. If possible, try to cut the kernels in chunks. Then, place cut kernels into a bowl, ready for assembling.
7. Wash and cut cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise.
8. Peel and cut avocado into 2cm cubes.
9. Wash and tear up coriander leaves.
Salad Dressing
Add olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste in a mason jar. Give it a good shake so the lemon and Dijon dressing is combined.
Assembly
1. Place all ingredients corn, roasted red onions, avocado and tomatoes in a large serving bowl.
2. Add dressing and toss well together. Then sprinkle cilantro leaves and mix again.
3. Season well with salt and black pepper.
4. Serve.