Can I just say that I love what is coming out of our Cool Bloggers Community so very much? It all started when Engie started the Cool Bloggers Book Club (a term coined by Birchie), and then Elisabeth invited everyone to join the Cool Bloggers Walking Challenge in April. Now Tobia is hosting the Cool Bloggers Summer Salad Challenge, and I am here for it. We eat a lot of salads during the summer and I don’t really get tired of them. Salads in the summer are what soups are for me in the winter. I could probably eat them every day and just minimally cook, if at all.
Tobia has compiled a list of salads that she wants to eat in July and August (to counterbalance the ice cream consumption – I HEAR YOU!), and Julie has also joined the challenge and posted her own list of mouth-watering salads, too. I’ve already bookmarked a few that I want to try!
Here’s my own list of favorites (which I already posted on this blog before):
Arugula-Tuna-Salad
This one doesn’t need an introduction because I’ve mentioned it so many times lately. We’ve been making this salad weekly for a few months now. It’s a classic that exists in many variations (Julie had a similar one on her list). I make mine with a simple dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My favorite.
Variation of a Classic Niçoise Salad
This semi-warm salad takes a little bit of time because you have to boil the potatoes and fry the zucchini, but it’s a really filling dinner with a variety of textures and flavors.
Potato Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing & Cornichons
This is how my mom makes potato salad and it’s my favorite. Because of the Greek yogurt, it’s not heavy like other mayo-based potato salads (you could even leave out the tablespoon of mayo completely). The special touch here is a little brine from the jar added to the dressing and the crunchy cornichons.
Greek Salad with Kale and Turkey Meatballs
This is one of our favorites and one you should try if you like kale. (Apparently there are people out there who don’t. Who are you?) The dressing is light with Greek Yogurt and feta and the turkey meatballs are a nice addition.
Farro Salad with Chicken
This is really tasty, very filling because of the added grain, but super-easy and quick to put together.
Tuna Salad with boiled eggs
I didn’t post a recipe for this salad because I think it’s one I “threw together” on a whim… but I loved it a lot. I used a spring lettuce mix, cucumber, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, and tuna with a simple vinaigrette (olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper) and added some boiled eggs for extra protein.
German Coleslaw
I make this coleslaw a lot (often without the kohlrabi, just with green shredded cabbage) and have taken it to various potlucks and it’s always been a hit. My mom’s recipe makes it with a splash of cream/half-and-half and it’s delicious.
Tomato Salad with fresh basil
I don’t have a link to a recipe because this is pretty simple: it’s just fresh Campari tomatoes, pepper, salt, a little olive oil and (balsamic) vinegar, and lots of fresh basil.
Caprese Salad with fresh basil
I don’t think this salad needs a recipe either. I am not sure that there are huge differences in how people make a Caprese salad: it’s basically the tomato salad above, plus fresh mozzarella cheese. It’s one of my summer favorites.
Here are a few more links to salads that I have bookmarked to try but haven’t taste-tested yet.
Greek Orzo Salad
Lentil Salad
Broccoli Salad
Chicken Fajita Salad
Creamy Pea Salad
Big Kale Pasta Salad
Spicy Chipotle Sweet Potato Chopped Salad
Tuna Pasta Salad
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Do you have a favorite salad right now? What is a new salad you’d like to try? Link in the comments!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
July 16, 2024 at 10:01 amOh so many good ones. I have the tuna arugula on the radar. Also the farrow one sounds great. I think that will go on the menu. I am not a fan of coleslaw but I do have two kohlrabi in the fridge that I could use for that. Maybe I give it a try.
I love a good caprese salad. Had it this lunch.
Salads are the best. So happy you are doing the Salad Challenge.
San
July 16, 2024 at 11:58 amSalads are the best! I’m so glad you initiated this challenge! I bookmarked some of your recipes!
J
July 16, 2024 at 11:55 amNothing says summer quite like a tomato basil or caprese salad, right? I need to go to the Farmer’s Market this weekend so I can get some really good ones.
I’m not a huge fan of kale, unless it is baby kale and I soften it with a massage first. I think I might try that kale salad with meatballs recipe, thank you for that! My daughter is vegetarian, so I will buy her beyond meatballs.
San
July 16, 2024 at 11:57 amYes! It’s all about massaging the kale and letting it “marinate” for a while – it’ll get much softer!
Allison
July 16, 2024 at 8:00 pmI love complex salads – greens! protein! nuts! berries! – but I’m terrible at making them – I will order one in a heartbeat. My usual summer salad is romaine, whatever protein we have cooked, hard-boiled egg, and whatever raw vegetables are in the crisper to chop up. If I’m making one for company, my mom’s pomegranate-feta salad or something with pears and candied almonds.
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:22 amUh, pomegranate and feta is such a delicious combination!
Nicole MacPherson
July 17, 2024 at 4:21 amI eat a lot of salads year round, but of course they ramp up in the summer. Since the garden has been so prolific we’ve had kale salads a few times a week, and I always add in lots of things on a whim, like apple and nuts and roasted chickpeas, etc. I also make a pasta salad weekly, and I have so much basil that I think tomorrow I’m going to make a pesto pasta salad, with broccoli. I make an Asian-inspired noodle salad on the weekly as well, and quinoa salads often too. I am not linking recipes because I basically wing it every time!
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:23 amI love that you have so much stuff growing in your yard and I know you’re also a big fan of kale in salads. I love kale (and so many people don’t. WHY?)
I wing a lot of my salads, too, I admit.
Sarah
July 18, 2024 at 8:23 amThese look great! Thanks for amplifying this challenge— it was not on my radar— I blame Feedly.
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:23 amIf in doubt, blame Feedly. LOL So true.
Michelle G.
July 18, 2024 at 10:00 amAll of your salads look and sound so delicious, San! I agree with you on salads in summer and soups in winter.
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:24 amThank you, Michelle.
Suzanne
July 18, 2024 at 11:37 amI love salads so much! That arugula tuna salad looks yummy!
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:24 amSAME!
Elisabeth
July 18, 2024 at 2:50 pmI love bulky salads with all sorts of textures (and temperatures; warm roasted sweet potato…um YES PLEASE).
I’ve been off salads lately because it’s not very kid friendly for summer meals on the go, but the ones you’ve posted look delish!
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:24 amWe had a salad with roasted sweet potatoes yesterday and OMG, it was so good!
Ernie
July 19, 2024 at 7:08 amThis is an awesome idea. I love salads, but I admit – I’m not great at making salads. I love eating salads prepared for me at a restaurant. I eat a very small cobb salad every day for lunch. I love hard boiled eggs, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, and shredded cheese in my salad with some torn up lunchmeat and honey mustard dressing. I’m not very adventurous and when Ed and I went to look at colleges (so like 6 years ago?), we ate at a restaurant and I asked if they could just make me a cobb salad, because I didn’t like the options on the menu. Ed rolled his eyes. The restaurant said no, and I ordered a salad with quiona and was so worried I’d hate it. I didn’t even know what quinoa was and I LOVED it. Ed references this moment often. So, all that to say, I can be adventurous but rarely am – unless a restaurant wants to feed me a salad that I’d never consider making on my own.
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:25 amI feel like salads are one of the easiest meals to throw together, yet we do tend to make the same ones over and over again, too.
Ernie
July 19, 2024 at 8:52 amThis is an awesome idea. I love salads, but I admit – I’m not great at making salads. I love eating salads prepared for me at a restaurant. I eat a very small cobb salad every day for lunch. I love hard boiled eggs, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, and shredded cheese in my salad with some torn up lunchmeat and honey mustard dressing. I’m not very adventurous and when Ed and I went to look at colleges (so like 6 years ago?), we ate at a restaurant and I asked if they could just make me a cobb salad, because I didn’t like the options on the menu. Ed rolled his eyes. The restaurant said no, and I ordered a salad with quinoa and was so worried I’d hate it. I didn’t even know what quinoa was and I LOVED it. Ed references this moment often. So, all that to say, I can be adventurous but rarely am – unless a restaurant wants to feed me a salad that I’d never consider making on my own.
Ally Bean
July 20, 2024 at 8:38 amWe’ve gone retro around here this summer, making 3 Bean Salad and Corn & Black Bean Salad. Not the lightest fare like a leafy salad, but for some reason their coldness has been appealing.
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:25 amOh, but bean-based salads are so filling and healthy! Yum.
Lisa’s Yarns
July 20, 2024 at 1:57 pmMy favorite salad is a taco salad! Other than that I am pretty basic with my salads – greens, tomatoes, peppers, maybe some olives and usually a vinaigrette. I also like to get the bagged salads from Aldi and then I will just add a protein.
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:26 amTaco salad. Now that is one I rarely ever make at home, but I’ll get it at a Mexican restaurant! :)
Daria
July 22, 2024 at 10:58 amThis is so amazing- saving the link for when I am in a rut, which is kind of now ;) I bought small mozzarella balls on a whim, added tomato, cucumber, scallions, and olive oil. It was good but needed a lot of salt lol
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:26 amI love the small mozzarella balls :)
Anne
August 1, 2024 at 4:05 pmI love this, but much like Ernie, I get in ruts. Deep ones. I love a big salad for lunch (I eat a very late lunch and a very small dinner), and should shove myself out of my rut to enjoy something like this! Thanks for the wonderful links. <3
San
August 2, 2024 at 10:27 amMaybe the suggestions will help you to branch out. I know it’s so easy to just make the same salad over and over again.
Shaping Happiness In July 2024 – craftaliciousme
August 2, 2024 at 12:57 am[…] – shared a list of her favorite salads – the tuna arugula and the farrow salad with chicken will be […]