Summer is that time of the year that brings freshness and lightness all around. You want to get outside and explore your surroundings. There’s so much to do and the air is buzzing with excitement. The last thing on your mind is having a heavy meal. I don’t know about you but I always crave lots of salads in the summer. They’re such a tasty and fresh addition to any meal or a fabulous dish all on their own. Today I’d like to share with you my 5 favorite and unique summer salads I guarantee you’ll salivate over.
5 Unique Summer Salads To Refresh And Delight You!
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Chickpea and Pepper Salad
This is one of my favorite summer salads because it’s very crunchy and refreshing. The combination of chickpeas and peppers brings a bit of sweetness and heartiness to this salad. Chickpeas are an awesome addition to any meal because they provide many great health benefits. Some of these include: controlling blood sugar, containing high fiber (which improves digestion and make you feel fuller), helping weight loss, protecting against heart disease and cancer, great source of protein and essential minerals. So they really do pack a punch in such a tiny little legume. To read more about the benefits of chickpeas check out this article.
Ingredients:
1 cup of chickpeas (canned or cooked)
1/4 of tsp of olive oil ( I really like the Terra Delyssa Organic Olive Oil)
1/4 of a red onion finely chopped
1 whole pepper (red, yellow or orange) chopped into cubes
1/4 cup of cilantro finely chopped
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper or to taste
1/4 cup of lime juice
1/4 of tsp of salt or to taste
Directions
Mix all the ingredients well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or longer to marinate and let the juices get absorbed. Once ready to serve sprinkle a bit more lime juice over the salad and mix well. Serve cold. This recipe yields 2 servings.
2. Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
Here’s my second go-to summer salad. I absolutely love this unique flavor combination. Don’t be afraid to use watermelon in a salad. I know these might seem like unusual ingredients but once you try these flavors together you won’t be disappointed. I promise you. The sweetness of the watermelon combined with the freshness of the cucumber and the saltiness of the feta cheese complement each other beautifully. This is like a medley of awesome flavor in your mouth.
Ingredients
1-2 quarters of a whole watermelon (depending on how large it is) chopped into small cubes
1/4 of a cucumber chopped into small cubes
4 thick slices of feta cheese cut or crumbled into small cubes (I prefer the Krinos brand as I find it’s the most authentic)
Black pepper to taste
Directions
Mix all the ingredients and sprinkle with black pepper to taste. Refrigerate until served. This salad doesn’t require any dressing because once the natural juices of the watermelon are released they act as salad dressing. It’s basically all you need to flavor this salad. Serve cold. This yields 2 servings.
3. Cucumber Salad
This is another one of my favorite summer salads that is going to refresh you and make your mouth water with delight. This cucumber salad is perfect for a spicy meal because of the cooling effect of the cucumber. I’ve made this salad to accompany Indian food dishes to cool my mouth after a spicy bite of such delicious dishes as chicken tikka or chana masala. To find out what’s my favorite spice to use in cooking check out my article here. But I also love this salad as a side dish to a signature Polish minced meat patty called ‘mielone’. A recipe of this awesome Polish delight is coming up on the blog soon so stay tuned.
Ingredients
1/4 of a whole large cucumber grated
5 tbsp of yogurt or sour cream
1 tsp of sugar (I prefer all-natural Monk Fruit sweetener)
Citric acid in powder form to taste (if you never used this and can’t find it in your grocery store look for it in a Polish food store or simply substitute with a bit of lemon juice).
Directions
Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate until serving. Serve cold. This yields 2 servings.
4. Tuna, Tomatoes and Basil Salad
I have to admit I’ve never heard of this salad until my boyfriend made it for me. He’s Italian so this is a salad his mom used to make for him and since he’s a tuna lover it’s one of his favorite summer salads. I really dig this salad now. I love the fact that tuna packs a lot of protein (66%) and also a very healthy dose of Omega 3.
Omega 3 may help lower the risk of heart disease, relieve arthritis, and reduce asthma. They also have the ability to regulate and lower blood cholesterol levels, and improve the ratio of good and bad cholesterol. Just make sure that you don’t eat too much tuna as there is a risk of high mercury levels. Also, try to find sustainable products and opt to buy Skipjack tuna to lower your risk of mercury exposure. To read more about what’s the best tuna to buy check out this article. If you’re not a fan of canned tuna this salad is delicious enough that you can just have it on its own.
Ingredients
2 cans of tuna
2 fresh tomatoes sliced
8-10 leaves of fresh basil chopped
1/4 of red onion finely sliced
Black pepper to taste
Dressing
1/4 cup of red vinegar
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp olive oil
Directions
Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate until serving. Pour dressing over salad when serving. Serve cold. This yields 2 servings.
5. Simple Mixed Veggies Salad with Avocado
This last salad is a simple mixed veggie salad with avocado. The reason why this salad is so great is because you should have all or most of the ingredients in your fridge. This is a refreshing and crunchy salad that accompanies any meal very well. This salad goes great with a zesty homemade salad dressing and I’m sharing our favorite home recipe with you.
Ingredients
4-5 large leaves of your favorite lettuce (I prefer green leaf or Boston lettuce)
1/4 of cucumber thinly sliced or cubed
1 tomato chopped
1/2 of green pepper sliced
1/4 of red onion finely chopped
1 avocado sliced
Homemade Salad Dressing
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
1 tsp of fresh oregano
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp of grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate until serving. Pour dressing over salad. Serve cold. This yields 2 servings.
Conclusion
So here you have my 5 favorite summer salads that are super easy to make and very light and refreshing. What’s your favorite summer salad? Share with me in the comments below. If you’re looking for nice bowls to serve these salads, here is one of my favorite glass bowls that you can get on Amazon. They’re see-through so you can stare at all the pretty colors in those salads.
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Have some of these in my meal plan and would love to add other suggestions too :), especially Avocado and Tuna ones
That’s awesome Abhinav. Glad you enjoyed these ideas.
Nice recipes. I often make the chickpeas and the cucumber salad. Would love to try the tuna salad
Yes, try the tuna salad. It’s delish!
I love them all!! Every night of the summer I have watermelon with Feta! It’s a Greek thing and so yummy! <3
Oh yes, it’s definitely a Greek thing. The feta is just so yummy! I love it.
These look delicious! Excited to give the Chickpea and pepper salad a try (I may or may not be chickpea obsessed ??)
Ha ha ha Sara. I’m definitely chickpea obsessed ?
Oooòoo I can’t wait to try the chick pea salad! Looks amazing xx
Thank you Tahnee. You’ll love it.
I clearly need to eat more salads, these look amazing! The tuna one looks great!
Salads are definitely my thing in the summer. They’re so gooood!
Such fresh and summery flavors! I love chickpea salads and your picture makes yours look mouthwatering! The cucumber watermelon is the best of two watery fresh fruits! Thanks for the recipes, simple and easy (my favorite! Lol)
I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying these recipe ideas Lisa. Thanks for visiting the blog. Take care 🙂
Yummy salads, perfect for the summer.
Thanks Anna. Glad to know you like these salad ideas.
Tuna Salad! I don’t think I had it before. Looks good!
Glad you found the article interesting Vipul! Thanks for checking it out!
I like the look of the chickpea and pepper salad (although in Australia we call them capsicums not peppers!) 🙂
Oh wow, I didn’t know that about peppers in Australia. That’s brilliant!!! Love it!
I love salads, so this post is perfect for me. The recipes are great….thanks for sharing!
So happy to hear that. Thanks for checking it out.
I love feta and watermelon..need to try out the others 🙂
Oh yes, try them for sure.
I love chickpea and pepper salad. Great options for salads to survive summers 🙂
Glad to hear that Kirti! Cheers!
this is PERFECT before leaving on holidays ! all look so yummy ! I will try them !
Awesome. Glad you think so Marine!
These all look so good. I will be meal prepping some of these this weekend. I will pin a these.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate that!
Thank you so much for sharing this salads recipe 😀
Oooh these are all looking super delicious! I’m not even a salad person, but I would eat all of these! So good! Thanks for sharing!
Ashlynn | http://thecrimsoncardigan.com
Glad you like these recipes Ashlynn! Thanks for checking them out.
The tuna salad looks great! Would love to try some of these!
Oh yes it’s definitely a good salad.
Chickpeas in salads are underrated.
This is true. They’re so good for you.
I will definitely have to try these! That watermelon and cucumber salad looks amazing for summer!
Oh yes Brianna. It’s one of my absolute favorites for the summer as it’s really refreshing.
I’m going to try the Chickpea and Pepper Salad – It looks fresh and delicious 🙂
That’s awesome Chad. I’m sure you’ll love it. Thanks for checking out the blog.
These look SO good, it’s making me rethink the pizza I wanted to eat. lol.
Ha ha ha glad you’re re-thinking your idea!!! These are too good to pass up!
I definitely want to try the chickpea salad! 🙂
Nice. I’m sure you’ll love it. I’m already craving it again!
Yess, the tuna, tomato and basil salad is my favorite. I almost want to prepare one right now, but I am missing some ingredients and it’s too late now to go and buy. But tomorrow or the day after I will. So, bookmarked for future reference.
Happy to hear that Andrei. I’m sure you’ll love making and tasting it. Thanks for visiting the blog 🙂
I’m such a big fan of tuna salads, so I’m definitely going to try your tuna, tomato, and basil combination, and the chickpea and pepper salad will be the next salad to try. Thanks for sharing. Great salad recipes for the summer!
Thank you so much Mercy. I hope you’ll love these salads.
a cold tuna salad with pasta is also very delicious
Yes, that’s tasty also. Thanks for checking these out.
Yummmmm mouth watering salads 🙂
Thank you Sana. Glad you enjoyed the recipes 🙂
Wow! Such yummy recipes!
Thank you very much. Have a great day!
Thanks for sharing. I clearly need to eat more salad. Most often, I stick to cucumber, carrots and cabbage but thanks for the variety! More options for me!
http://www.zinnyfactor.com
Glad you enjoyed getting some more salad ideas from the blog 🙂
All good. I love them all. Yumm
Awesome!