The long, cold winter is over, and summer is finally here. With popsicles, cold drinks, and air conditioners all around us, you can’t help welcome summer early this year. It is best to stick to simple dishes that you can in a hot box and store in a casserole for later use. You should look at the fresh produce and seasonal groceries for healthy eating.
Delicious Salads You Can Whip Up Within 15 Minutes
Salads are excellent meal options that many people look over, unfortunately. People’s perception of a salad hasn’t undergone much change. Many still see a salad as a bowl of unappetizing raw vegetables that is difficult to be eat. This concept is completely untrue. You can play around with salads and elevate them to a delicious meal served from a casserole on your dining table.
Here are the top 10 easy summer salads you could make in less than 15 minutes:
1. Pasta Salad
There is a load of pasta salads that you can try out. Boil 2 cups of al dente bow-tie pasta. Once it has cooled down, add it in a bowl with 12 ounces of chopped asparagus, ½ cup thinly sliced red onion, 1 cup grape tomatoes in halves, and ¼ cup pitted black olives. For the dressing, mix olive oil, honey, spicy mustard, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes and mix these all up in a serving bowl or a stainless steel casserole until it is time to eat.
2. Shrimp Salad
In a bowl, add roasted cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, bell peppers, onions, and asparagus sticks. Toss in a pound of roasted shrimps as well. For the dressing, add lime juice, honey, olive oil, chilli powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix the dressing well with the vegetables and shrimp. You can serve it hot by keeping it in a hot box or serve at room temperature.
3. Fruit Salad
Fruit salad is a notoriously popular salad that people prefer to make in the summer. Seen more like a refreshing dessert, you can whip up a fruit salad in a matter of minutes. In a bowl, add sliced seasonal fruits like mangoes, strawberries, raspberries, kiwis, dragon fruit, grapes, apple slices, blueberries, and more. Add the juice of one lime for a tangy twist and serve cold. You can top it off with some whipped cream as well.
4. Chicken and Berry Salad
In a bowl, add mixed greens. Using the measurement of a cup, add cabbage, sliced carrots, boiled chicken slices, diced avocado, broccoli, mixed berries, tomatoes, plain nachos, and various nuts and seeds. For the dressing, a tablespoon should be more than enough. Serve at room temperature.
5. Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
The scorching heat of summer can make you feel lethargic. On such days, try this easy salad. Quarte four tomatoes and cube them. Slice a cucumber with the skin intact, and add it to the tomatoes. Thinly slice a red onion and add that as well. Pet and dice three avocados and put the veggies in a large bowl. Chop some cilantro and drizzle the salad with some lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir-Fry Veggie Salad
Slice onions, bell peppers, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, carrots, Brussels sprouts, green beans and flat beans. In a pan, drizzle some oil, add 2-4 slices of garlic, followed by the veggies separately. Cook the vegetables long enough so that the inside softens but it still retains its crunchiness. In a wok, add a couple of spoonfuls of ketchup, a few drops of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the vegetables into the sauce, and add a tablespoon of AP flour to thicken up the gravy. Garnish it with feta cheese and serve hot.
7. Tomato Salad
There is a bevy of tomato salad recipes that you can choose from for yourself. Summer is the time when you should go light with your meal choices. Tomato salads are quick and simple to whip up in a matter of minutes. For this recipe, slice a green, red, and yellow tomato each, sprinkle some parsley and coriander on top and add some lemon vinaigrette. You can eat it as it is or serve it with the main course from a casserole, one that will retain the freshness and flavor of the salad.
8. Caprese Salad
Many people consider the Caprese salad to be the epitome of sophistication, but really, it’s one of the easiest salads to make. All you need is two medium-sized firm red tomatoes, a roundel of fresh mozzarella cheese, coarse ground pepper, salt, 10 or 12 basil leaves, and extra-virgin olive oil. On a shallow plate, place 1/4th inches of tomato and mozzarella in alternating slices. Garnish with basil leaves on top and drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil. Serve it from a casserole, one that will retain the freshness of veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste as required while serving.
9. Broccoli Salad
Toss 1 pound broccoli crowns, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons mayo, 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey, 1 garlic clove, minced, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste, ⅓ cup diced red onions, and ⅓ cup dried cranberries in a bowl. Mix the ingredients well and serve it at room temperature. For the extra crispy factor, you can toss some roasted bacon bits on top. If you would like a vegetarian salad, swap the bacon with roasted almonds or croutons.
10. Egg and Potato Salad
Potato salad is a summer favourite. Not only is it easy to make, but it is also delicious and nutritious. You need 1.3kg potatoes, boiled and cut into ¼, 1 cup sour cream,1/4 cup mayonnaise, 4 scallions, green and white parts sliced, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and two cut-up hard boiled eggs. In a large bowl, toss the potato cubes, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions. Once all the potatoes are covered in the mix, add the eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix well. You can keep it in a hot case if you want to keep it warm. Or chill it in the refrigerator for an hour if you like your salad cold.
Final Words
A salad is an excellent source of necessary minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. Making a salad is as fun as eating it. You can make fun summer projects of salad-making with your kids. You can store excess salads in a casserole for later.
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