recipe
Summer Salads
There’s something comforting about salads. Before rolling those eyes, hear me out first. Nothing made me happier during my grad-school days than a large bucket of salad to chomp away while working in the laboratory, or late nights in the library. It was the combination of the cucumbers, nuts, or, fruits; a hit of something salty and tangy, which never made me feel guilty as I waited for dessert; freshly made doughnuts. So, take a break from all the carb loaded lunch and dinner meals, try out these quick and easy but very filling salad options.
LOADED CAULIFLOWER SALAD
Ingredients
1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
6 slices of beef bacon
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp garlic powder
1½ cup shredded cheddar
¼ cup of finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper to season
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Bring about a quarter cup of water to boil in a flat-bottomed pan, add the cauliflower and then cover it with a lid, for about four minutes. Drain the water and let it cool and then chop it into florets
In a separate pan, cook the beef bacon until it is crispy over a medium flame.
Remove the pan and place the bacon strips onto a towel-lined plate until the excess oil is soaked and then chop it up.
Take a large bowl and whisk all together sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Mix in the cauliflower and season it with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the remainder of the ingredients — bacon, cheddar, and chives. Serve immediately.
COBB SALAD
Ingredients
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to season
1 head romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
1½ cup of cooked chicken, diced
8 slices of beef bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 avocado, thinly sliced
½ cup of crumbled blue cheese
2/3 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Method
In a bowl whisk the vinegar, mustard, oil and season it with salt and pepper. On a plate, place the lettuce out on one side and then add in rows, hard boiled eggs, chicken, bacon, avocado, blue cheese and tomatoes. Sprinkle salt, the dressing, chives and then serve.
CORN SALAD
Ingredients
4 cups of fresh or frozen corn, defrosted
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup of crumbled feta
¼ red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup of basil, thinly sliced
3 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Method
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and then season with salt and pepper.
GREEK SALAD
Ingredients
For the salad —
2 and ½ cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, thinly sliced into half moons
1 cup of halved kalamata olives
½ red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup of crumbled feta
For the dressing —
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 tsp of dried oregano
Salt and pepper for seasoning
¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
Method
Mix the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and red onion in a large bowl, and gently fold in feta. For the dressing, mix vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and salt and pepper in a separate small bowl. Incorporate the olive oil by whisking it in slowly and then drizzle over the vegetables.
AVOCADO TOMATO SALAD
Ingredients
¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ tsp cumin
Salt and pepper for seasoning
3 avocados, cubed
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small cucumber, sliced into half moons
1/3 cup of corn
½ a can of Jalepeño, minced (optional)
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Method
Combine oil, lime juice, cumin and salt and pepper, in a small bowl. Mix all the vegetables in a serving bowl and toss in the dressing and serve.
WATERMELON FETA SALAD
Ingredients
¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp of salt
3 cups of watermelon, deseeded.
1 cup of medium cucumber, chopped
1 cup of crumbled feta
½ cup of red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup of coarsely chopped mint
Method
Mix in together, olive oil, apple cider vineger and salt in a jar.
Toss the watermelon, cucumber, feta, red onion and mint in a medium sized serving bowl and drizzle the dressing in and combine.
Compiled by Supriti Sarkar
Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed