A crisp, cool salad can be the perfect meal and with produce at its peak during summer, it's a great time to get chopping, tossing and enjoying a fresh spin on greens all season long.
From a food blogger favorite to an easy to recreate A-list chef-approved salads that will transport your taste buds, check out these simple, savory and delicious recipes that are sure to make any social media feed shine with summer produce.
MORE: Back to Basics: The simple, foolproof vinaigrette technique I swear by for saladsYumna Jawad, food blogger known as the Feel Good Foodie, shared two of her bright salads that combine fresh summer fruits with soft greens and simple dressings.
1 pound strawberries tops removed
5 ounces fresh arugula
3/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
For the Dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar balsamic, sherry or still
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 small shallot peeled
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons honey
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Thinly slice all strawberries and reserve 3 large berries for the dressing.
Make the dressing. In the bowl of a food processor or a high-speed blender, add reserved strawberries, oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, shallot, water and honey. Process until smooth and creamy, adding more water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
On a large serving platter or in a large serving bowl, mix arugula, berries, pecans, basil, and feta. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Ingredients
3 cups spinach slightly chopped
3 large peaches sliced
1 avocado sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Dressing: (can be made, refrigerated up to 7 days ahead)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.
Create a bed of spinach in a large salad bowl. Add the sliced peaches and sliced avocados on top. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pecans. Pour the dressing over the salad and top with fresh torn basil.
"My favorite salad for a hot summer day is a jerk shrimp Caesar salad, which is Miss Lily's spicy Caribbean re-mix of a crowd pleaser with chilled crunchy romaine hearts, spicy jerk grilled shrimp, toasted jerk parmesan breadcrumbs and classic creamy Caesar dressing," Chef de cuisine Kahari Woolcock told, "Good Morning America."
Serves: 4
Ingredients for the shrimp
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp sized (16-20)
3 cloves garlic
8 sprigs thyme
1 small pinch of ground all-spice
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sub habanero)
6 each scallion
1 small white onion as needed water
For the salad
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 cup jerk breadcrumbs (recipe below)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 anchovies salt packed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup canola oil
2 heads romaine lettuce, inner leaves only, washed and carefully dried, large leaves torn into smaller pieces, smaller leaves whole
For the Jerk Breadcrumbs
3 cups coarse breadcrumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablepsoon shopped fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoon granulated garlic
Directions
Pat shrimp dry and set shrimp in bowl. Combine the rest of the shrimp and marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor until a smooth coarse paste is formed; use water to help loosen if needed.
Pour the paste over shrimp and mix well and let marinate for 6 to 12 hours.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, olive oil, thyme, and granulated garlic in a mixing bowl and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in an even layer flat. Bake until breadcrumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes to 20 minutes.
While breadcrumbs are toasting, make the dressing. Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and parmesan cheese in a blender.
With blender or processor running, slowly drizzle in canola oil until a smooth emulsion forms. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in. Season to taste generously with salt and pepper.
To grill shrimp, use 2 skewers parallel to one another and cook on high heat until desired char and flip. This will take approx. 2-3 minutes per side. Allow shrimp to rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Serve the grilled shrimp skewer on the side or take off the skewer and cut it into smaller pieces.
To serve, toss lettuce with a few tablespoons of dressing, adding more if desired. Once the lettuce is coated, add half of the breadcrumbs, and toss again. Transfer to a salad bowl and sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs. Serve with chopped shrimp or with the skewers on the side.
Chef Cedric Vongerichten, the son of esteemed chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and owner of an intimate French-Indonesian hotspot Wayan in New York City shared this simple, bright salad that's perfect for peak tomato season this summer.
Ingredients
5 Heirloom tomatoes
2 tablespoons picked Thai basil
1 1/2 tablespoons picked cilantro
2 each garlic, peeled
2 each green Thai chilies
1 teaspoon ginger, peeled
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Vinaigrette
6 ounces sambal oelek
12 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons ginger young peeled
1 teaspoon garlic, peeled
1/4 ounce lemon juice, fresh
3 ounces olive oil
3 ounces coconut oil
Directions
To make the pesto, blanch the basil, then squeeze out all excess water in a clean kitchen towel.
In a food processor, combine all ingredients and puree until bright green and completely smooth then cool down in the bowl over ice, stirring with a rubber spatula until cold.
For the vinaigrette, combine it all in a food processor until smooth.
Slice the tomatoes and top with pesto and vinaigrette. Garnish with Maldon flaky salt and olive oil.
Recipe reprinted courtesy of Wayan chef and owner Cedric Vongerichten.
"Fennel and parmesan make for a clean, beautiful, and un-complicated salad," chef Eric Ripert wrote in his latest cookbook, "Vegetable Simple" about this recipe. "Fennel can oxidize quickly, so I recommend shaving it at the last minute for optimum texture as well as to keep its fresh, anise aroma."
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 bulb fennel, trimmed (fronds reserved)
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly shaved parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
Directions
Using a mandoline, thinly shave fennel from root to the top into a bowl. Season the fennel with salt and white pepper. Add the oil and lemon juice and gently toss to coat. Divide among four plates, garnish with shaved parmesan and a few fennel fronds, and serve immediately.
Recipe reprinted with permission from "Vegetable Simple" by Eric Ripert. Copyright © 2020 by Eric Ripert. Excerpted by permission of Random House, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
"After a day of lounging under the warm summer sun, this refreshing and colorful salad is a fantastic option for a family lunch," Nino La Spina, chef de cuisine at Florie's in Palm Beach, told "GMA." The Italian native added that "the combination of flavors, reminiscent of Mediterranean cuisine, will always impress your guests."
Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped Dill
1/4 cup chopped Chevil
1/4 cup chopped Chive
1/4 cup chopped Basil
1/2 cup chopped Mesclun Mix
1 Celery Stick
1/2 ounce Fava Beans
1 small cucumber
1 Red Pepper
1 small bunch Spring onions
3 small cartons cherry tomato
2 bunches of Radishes
2 ounces Black Olives
2 ounces White Anchovies
4 ounces Tuna
2 tablespoons vinaigrette
2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive oil
2 pieces French Baguette Bread
2 tablespoons Olive Tapenade
4 leaves Basil
1 Artichoke
Salt and Pepper
Directions
For the vegetables, first roast the red pepper, peel, cook in the oven at 390F for 20-25 minutes, later cut into the pepper and marinate in olive oil with a crushed garlic clove and a sprig of thyme.
Next, cut the heart of the celery branch in length. Let it soak in the water and shell the beans and coat them with olive oil.
Peel the cucumber and prune it until small, sprinkle with salt and put it to drain.
Turn the artichoke, cut in half, then slice and can in lemon water. At the same time cut radishes into slices. Dry the artichoke slices, dip them in flour and fry them in sunflower oil until crisp and golden.
Place them on absorbent paper to remove excess oil and lightly salt them.
Sort and wash the mesclun and cut the tomatoes.
To prepare the vinaigrette, mix the Olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
To prepare the tuna, cut a nice rectangle of fresh tuna, season it with oil and salt. Sear the tuna in a hot pan, changing sides every five seconds to avoid overcooking the fish.
Let it cool in a pan and then cut it into slices half-inch thick.
To finish, in a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and season them with the vinaigrette, add salt or pepper to taste.
Make the baguette croutons with garlic and olive oil and spread with olive tapenade.
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe reprinted courtesy of Florie's chef de cuisine Nino La Spina.
Editor's note: This was originally published on June 21, 2021.
