Welcome to my Summer Salad Challenge. I am craving salads so I am eating more salads. And I strive on challenges so here I am trying to fit in as many salads in July and August as humanly possible. For one it’s yummy but also to have some counterbalance to all the ice cream I am going to consume. Join me in my fun with the Cool Bloggers Summer Salad Challenge and link your favorite recipe here. Also email me and I’ll make a collage for my monthly recap.
Here are some of the salads I am thinking off:
- ✔️*German potato salad (Mom’s recipe or this one?) with Wiener or meatballs
- *Beluga Lentil Salad with Halumi cheese – a favorite from some years back
- Chickpea tuna salad – its been a long time I made this one
- Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice – I love this one. So filling and so summery
- ✔️*Potato Green Bean Salad – this looks so good. Would be great with a steak
- Fermented Shaved Carrot Salad – this one looks good but I am struggling what to pair it with
- ✔️Cottage Cheese Egg Salad – I can see it served with fresh (homemade) bread
- ✔️ Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing – raw broccoli is so American and never served in Germany but I am willing to try… I mean it has blueberries in them!
- Watermelon Feta Salad – best salad when temperatures are high
- White Bean Salad– again, what to pair it with…
- ✔️*Caprese Salad – a classic and love it
- ✔️*Mango Salad with Mint and Mozzarella – this could be interesting and perfect in a heatwave
- *Kritharaki Salad with Beef – this would be filling and I have some Kritharaki that need to be used
- *Tortellini Salad – this would be a cold version of our frequent dish
- Creamy Cucumber-Radish Salad – I can already taste it
- ✔️Rosolli Salad with fish (pickled herring? or trout) – a finish recipe I made for a party
All salads with a * I could serve the husband.
Alright… sixteen salads so far. I won’t be able to pull off a salad every other day so this will give me a lot of options to choose from just in one month. And I am sure I will find many more ideas and recipes once I am in and save them on my yummy salads Pinterest board. I am excited to try out some new recipes. I may also check my numerous cook books – and chip away at my 2024 goal.
What is your favorite salad? Do you eat different salads in summer? Do you have strong opinions on what NOT to include into salads? Any suggestion what I could serve besides the salad (enhanced difficulty: vegetarian/vegan option)?
24 comments
I love salads in the summer and we eat them multiple times a week. Right now my favorite salad is the arugula-tuna salad that I’ve been raving about… I could eat it every single day :) I am generally not a huge fan of fruit in salads (unless it’s a fruit salad LOL), the only thing I occasionally like is apples. The broccoli salad sounds really, really good.
I was hesitant adding blueberries to salads but it’s actually really nice. Recently I added peaches but wasn’t totally convinced.
I do need to try that arugula-tuna salad. Did you post a recipe on your blog?
https://theinbetweenismine.com/2023/11/08/recipe-arugula-tuna-salad/
Thanks.
Tobia recently posted…My purchases so far in 2024
I have a green bean salad I make with olives that is one of my favorites.
When I do family things, I make a big old salad with romaine, shredded carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and blueberries, and then with a homemade dressing that is blueberry-based. It’s quite good and one of my favorites.
I also have a blueberry potato salad recipe that I really like. It’s a pretty typical mustard-based potato salad, but you add some blueberries and blueberry juice and that’s lovely, too. I mostly use salads a a fruit vehicle, I guess.
Oh please share more on blueberry dressing and a blueberry potato salad. I am intrigued. Adding fruit to salad is a new thing for me and not all combinations are a hit so far.
Your salad recipes sound so delicious, Tobia! I’m very impressed with your Pinterest board, too!
Yesterday, I had a simple but wonderful salad of leaf lettuce, shredded carrots, baby tomatoes, and tortilla chips sprinkled on top—no dressing. I can’t seem to tolerate onions or garlic, so I just eat salads without dressings, and it’s great!
Ohhhh adding tacos sounds fun. Maybe I get a back later… I just fear they land in my belly before I manage to throw together a salad.
I never add onions or garlic in my dressing. Interesting… since I don’t mind those maybe I should experiment.
I love to eat salads as a meal in the summer. I have a few favorites but am always on the look out for new ones. I think I’d really enjoy the White Bean Salad, I love beans. I have a few broccoli salads that we enjoy, I’d have to leave out the blueberries though because my daughter can’t stand them. One of my favorites is a take on Waldorf Salad made with Greet yogurt and a bit of honey instead of mayonnaise. I also have a chopped salad with a cilantro lime dressing that I could eat almost every day, and if I feel I need a bit extra protein I’ll add some grilled chicken. Now I’m going to have to go through all of my saved recipes and see how I can fit them in my menus this month. It’s a great idea!
I don’t think I’ve never eaten a Waldorf salad. I’ve heard of it though… the white bean salad looks so good, no? And please tell me more about the cilantro lime
dressing.
This really is a great salad and not too bad calorie wise if you care. I don’t use fat free anything because they all seem to be just as bad as anything else. Once I started comparing labels I tossed away the idea that no-fat and low-fat were better for me. Hope you enjoy this salad.
Santa Fe Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing
6 tbls reduced calorie mayonnaise
3 tbls cilantro fresh, finely chopped
3 tbls water
1 medium scallion minced
1 1/2 tbls fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8 cups romaine lettuce cut into thick shreds (about 2 hearts)
1 can black beans (15 oz) rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups cooked corn kernels fresh or frozen
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 medium sweet red pepper cut into thin strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
To make dressing, whisk together mayonnaise, cilantro, water, scallion, lime juice, sugar and chili powder in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to a jar or a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use. In a large bowl or food storage container, layer remaining ingredients in order listed. Cover and refrigerate.
To serve, spoon salad ingredients into a bowl. Shake dressing and then drizzle dressing over salad; toss well to coat. Makes about 2 cups of salad and 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing per serving (8 servings)
Note: Storing this salad in layers (instead of tossing it immediately) and keeping the dressing separate, helps to keep the salad fresh. It can be stored up to 4 days n the refrigerator.
Thank you so much. I hope I can try it soon. It sounds very delicious.
Great idea, I will write a post and link here, and to some of my favorite salad recipes. I’m going to check out some of the ones you linked to, perhaps get some dinner inspiration.
I try to use the toaster oven to cook in the summer, and it’s really easy to make chicken breasts and have them with almost any salad. Yeah, we get tired of chicken sometimes, but they’re so easy and healthier than red meat.
A toaster oven does sound like a good investment for summer. I do not own one. But we are considering getting an electric grill we could use outside. I rarely do chicken at home anymore since we switched to vegan. Only ground beef. But with a grill I might…
I am looking forward to your salad post. Always gathering more inspiration.
I came back and looked at all of your recipes. I think I’m going to make the cottage cheese egg salad, the beluga lentil salad, and some watermelon feta salad. Those all sound really good. I’m not sure if I’ll make a salad every day, or even try, but I like the idea of folks posting about salads and sharing recipes. I just remembered Birchie’s chickpea salad, too. I think I’ll make that. That and the egg salad could be for lunches, and the watermelon salad and the lentil salad can be side dishes for dinner. The lentil salad recipe mentioned making it alongside salmon, which sounds really good to me.
Oh that is an idea…. Adding salmon to the lentil salad. It’s really really good especially the dressing.
I need to check out Birchie’s salad… everyone is raving about it.
Also I will not have salad every day either.
I loooooove salads. So good and so many options! We have had “caprese” salad a few times this summer, with lots of basil and mozzarella, tomatoes for people who eat tomatoes, and grilled balsamic chicken. I also cut up red bell pepper and make a balsamic dressing. Delicious!
Oh yes a press salad is a staple here. I am waiting for my basil to provide enough. It’s still growing.
I just dumped a can of white beans in my salad and it was such a good flavor combo. Very happy. Will try more version. I definitely eat tomatoes. It’s the best. I love a tomato salad on hot days.
I love salads. I recently had an orange, fennel and fried haloumi salad that was really yummy, although I shouldn’t eat it because of the cheese.
At the moment I have this broccoli, date and pistachio salad that I’d like to make: https://tovegetableswithlove.substack.com/p/broccoli-date-and-pistachio-salad?utm_campaign=post&triedRedirect=true
One of my favourite salads to take places (or eat at home) is this Roasted potato and lentil salad: https://www.occasionallyeggs.com/roasted-new-potato-salad-with-lentils-herb-dressing/
It’s winter here though so I’m mainly craving curries and soups.
Oh thank you so much for the recipes. Will check them out. I love everything potato but paring it with lentils is something I’ve never done. But I keep seeing the recipes. Maybe I should give it a try…
I have a winter salad on the blog I didn’t include because .. summer but you may enjoy it: https://www.craftaliciousme.com/winter-salad-with-savoy-bacon-tiger-nuts/
HOW DID I MISS THIS?? I blame my reader. **shakes fist at Feedly** I am in! I like a salad that is a meal by itself. Right now, I am wild for arugula, beets, goat cheese, (not vegan, obvs) and walnuts.
Yes this sounds so good. I love goat cheese. And I have a beet in my fridge I need to use. Good suggestion.
Glad you found your way here.
This is an impressive list of salads. I’ve seen the salad challenge popping up all over the blogosphere. I’m linking this post to my upcoming post about a salad bar and taco salad recipe that we’ve leaned on this summer. I love a good salad, but I’m admittedly boring. I eat a small cobb salad every day for lunch. I love big salads, but I like them better when they are prepared at a restaurant by someone who knows their way around all the best salad fixings.
I have a standard salad – similar to the Cobb minus chicken & bacon – I make all the time as a side and often eat solo too. And I am always seeing all the impressive yummy looking salads. Hence the salad challenge to broaden my horizon a bit. I have made a few I am liking. A taco salad recipe sounds fun. I’ll be looking for it.