How To Beat The Heat With Some Easy To Make And Tasty To Eat Salads

Summers are here and so has the time to chill with ice-creams and golas have arrived!

We all since our childhoods have loved the summers due to various reasons.

While some loved it because it was that time when they had their summer vacations, some loved it for the family trips that were planned to hill stations. I personally loved it because of mangoes!

And surprisingly, it is still the same reason, why I love the summers.

I can relish mango as a fruit but also use it in different food preparations and salads too!

Speaking about salads, I am sure you might be knowing that if you eat salad daily with your meal, you could improve your muscle performance, build strong bones, and so on. And that is why we thought, why not cherry-pick some of the most delicious yet healthy salad recipes that would help you deal with this year’s summer heat.

#1. Mozzarella and Heirloom Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

For The Dressing

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

For Salad:

• 2 1/2- 3 cups sliced wedges of nectaplums
• Nearly 28 gms of mini fresh mozzarella balls
• 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
• 1 pound mixed heirloom tomatoes
• 1/3 cup fresh purple basil
• Sea salt and cracked black

Procedure:

• Take the olive oil, balsamic and dried basil into a jar with a lid and shake till it is mixed well and set aside.
• Take a large bowl and add the nectaplum slices, mozzarella, and red onion.
• Carefully slice the tomatoes into wedges taking out the middle part with a sharp knife leaving the outer wall after discarding the seeds.
• Roughly chop the basil and add to the bowl along with the tomatoes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently making sure everything is well coated.
• Taste and season again if you think it needs it.
• Garnish with more fresh basil and serve on a platter

#2. Grilled Chicken Mango Salad with Mango Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients:

For the grilled chicken

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 6 Chicken Thighs, skinless and boneless
• 1/2 cup Mango Cilantro Dressing

For the salad:

• 5 cups Lettuce roughly chopped
• 2 Cucumbers diced
• 1 Bell Pepper sliced thinly
• 1 ripe Avocado sliced or cubed
• 1/2 cup Cilantro roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup Mango Cilantro Salad Dressing

Procedure:

• Start by marinating the chicken in half a cup of mango cilantro salad dressing. Set aside for 15 minutes.
• Add olive oil to a grill pan, and cook the chicken for 15 minutes, turning halfway. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
• To assemble the salad, add lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, avocado, cilantro and grilled chicken to a large bowl.
• Pour the dressing on top and toss to combine. Serve immediately or the salad will get soggy.
• If serving the salad later, add the dressing just before serving or the salad will become soggy

#3. Charred Gem Lettuce Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. slivered almonds
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard /mustard sauce
• 1 tsp. anchovy paste
• 1/2 small clove garlic, pressed
• 1/4 c. plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 heads gem lettuce or 3 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise
• Shaved Parmesan cheese, for serving

Procedure:

• Place almonds and 1/4 cup water in a blender. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste, and garlic. Process until combined, about 1 minute.
• With the blender running, slowly pour 1/4 cup oil through the feed tube until combined. Season with salt and pepper. (Thin with additional tablespoon water, if desired.)
• Heat grill to medium-high. Brush cut sides of lettuce with remaining tablespoon oil. Grill, cut sides down, until charred, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to a platter.
• Drizzle dressing over lettuce. Top with Parmesan. Serve immediately.

#4. Mexican Chopped Salad

Ingredients For the dressing:

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• taste and add salt if needed

For the salad:

• 1 medium head romaine lettuce chopped in approximately 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium bell pepper diced in 1/4-inch pieces
• ½ medium red onion diced in 1/4-inch pieces
• ½ medium jicama peeled and diced in 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 medium zucchini diced in 1/4-inch dice
• 4 medium tomatoes seeded and diced into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 cup of corn if fresh. If that is not in season, you can use 1/2 cups of sweet, tiny frozen corn
• 1 1/2 cups canned black beans drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro or whole cilantro leaves for garnishing

Procedure:

• For the dressing, combine lime juice, honey, cumin garlic and salt.
• In a slow, steady stream, add the oils, stirring continuously with a fork or small whisk.
• Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside.
• For the salad, place corn, two ears at a time, in the microwave and cook for 3 1/2 minutes.
• Remove from microwave with a hot pad and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• After cooling, cut the bottom end of corn off, about 1 1/2 inches from the end. Pull back husk and silks (almost all of the silk should easily pull away). Cut kernels from husks and set aside.
• Combine corn and other salad ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add dressing and stir to coat all ingredients. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.
• Serve with tortilla strips on top or place a bowl on the side and let guests help themselves

#5. Creamy Dilled Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 large cucumbers, sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt (or sour cream or mayo or a combination)
• 1 lemon, juice and zest (or 1/4 cup white vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons dill, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic, grated (optional)

Procedure:

• Mix everything and enjoy!
• Option 1: Let the salad chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Option 2: Add a teaspoon or so of sugar or honey for a hint of sweetness!

#6. Fresh Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 heads fresh broccoli
• 1 red onion
• 1 cup boneless chicken, diced into small pieces
• ¾ cup raisins
• ¾ cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Procedure:

• Place the boneless chicken pieces in a deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat with a little oil until evenly golden in color.
• Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and cut the onion into thin bite-size slices.
• Combine with the chicken, raisins, your favorite nuts and mix well.
• To prepare the dressing, mix the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar together until smooth.
• Stir into the salad, let chill and serve.

#7. Southern Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet relish
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain and chop.
• Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water; peel and chop.
• In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, sweet relish, garlic, mustard, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. Gently mix together and serve warm.

#8. Chickpea Salad with Red Onion and Tomato

Ingredients:

• 19 ounces garbanzo beans, drained
• 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

• In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, red onion, garlic, tomato, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
• Chill for 2 hours before serving.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Serve.

We hope that you enjoy making these nutritional salads as much as we did. Do share your thoughts in the comment section below and also do not forget to post the pictures of the salads you make given in this list in the Cooking community.