From watermelon with tangy feta to crunchy kale meets creamy avocado, we’ve rifled through our favourite collection of summer salad recipes, each as easy to prepare as it is delicious to eat. Healthy, zingy, seasonal, fresh and delightful, these are the salads we’ll be feasting upon at our table under the sun. Whether you're hosting a barbecue or enjoying a quiet dinner by starlight, these summer salad ideas are guaranteed spotlight stealers.
Watermelon and Feta Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Olive Tomato
When the sun really comes out, there is nothing more refreshing than watermelon; we could – and often do – devour whole hunks of it. But for a perfect high summer lunch, you can’t do much better than this Greek classic which, as Elena Paravantes rightly says, is made for the moments when you simply cannot be bothered to cook in the heat of the day. We love her addition of sesame seeds for crunch, vinaigrette for bite and a touch of honey for added sweetness. The very stuff of la dolce vita. Get the recipe.
Baked Feta Salad
Olive Magazine
We are, as you might discern, warming to our theme here. But since tangy feta with fruit is just so perfect at this time of year, it would be negligent not to devour it in its every iteration. When figs are in season, find us poised to work them in to as many meals in as many ways as possible. This is a showstopper: salty, sweet, drizzled with honey, scattered with almonds and given a kick with chilli flakes, it’s the perfect dinner party salad to eat in gardens thronged with lavender. Get the recipe.
Kale Salad W/ Avocado Tahini Sauce
Love & Lemons
As Love & Lemons’ blogger Jeanine says, this is a recipe to have on standby all throughout the year. As green as it gets, it’s packed full of goodness, thanks to the kale (which, since raw, should be massaged), brussels sprouts, white beans, radishes, almonds, basil and sliced carrots, all of which is lent a nutty, lemony luxuriance via an avocado tahini. We can think of few tastier salads than this, and it’s as gorgeous eaten al fresco with a good glass of white wine now as it is in a few weeks’ time with a some red to see us through the autumn. Get the recipe.
Aubergine Salad With Mint And Pine Nuts
Olive Magazine
A beautifully charred aubergine goes hand in glove with crumbled feta, not least when further lifted by fresh mint and sweet sultanas. This excellent and easy salad goes dreamily with barbecued lamb or, alternatively, works well on its own, perhaps with an accompanying tomato salad to offset the flavours. Get the recipe.
Creole Shrimp Caesar Salad with Cheesy Croutons
Country Living
We adore a good hearty salad that transports us to the coast in a bite (who doesn’t?) With extra jumbo shrimp, mayo, anchovies, lemons, parmesan, cheesy croutons and crunchy romaine lettuce, this one’s a masterclass in balancing flavour and texture. Get the recipe.
Hot Smoked Salmon And Freekeh Salad
Delicious
This beautiful salad is great way to serve up salmon to the troops in one relaxed and informal dish. We love the crunch of the chopped almonds and the sunflower seeds, the sweet goodness of the goji berries and golden raisins, and the freshness of the parsley and coriander. Perfect for relaxed candlelit al fresco suppers at dusk. Get the recipe.
Tomato Salad With Burrata And 'Nduja Sauce
Olive Magazine
A good tomato salad, served with a side of crusty sourdough to mop up its delicious sweet juices, is really all we’ll ever need on a hot day. This one from Olive Magazine is simple and flavoursome, adding burrata for creamy sustenance and ‘nduja for kick. Perfection whether served up in the garden or on a balcony overlooking the sea. Sigh. Get the recipe.
