Sensational Salads
Featured recipes:
Spinach Salad with Hot Sesame Dressing
Spinach Salad with Oranges and Raspberries
Southwest Salad
Tag Along Fruit Salad
Chilled Rice Salad
Mandarin Chicken Salad
Greek Salad
Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Bacon 'n' Blue Salad with Garlic Croutons
Cobb Salad
San Antonio Taco Salad
Plantation Salad
Chinese Cabbage Salad
Classic Potato Salad
Fruit Salad with Creamy Honey Lime Dressing
There's nothing better than a deliciously crisp salad on a hot summer day. Not only are they quick and easy to make, salads offer a refreshing alternative to typical backyard fare. Of course, we're not just talking about the green, leafy variety; don't forget all the rice, bean, fruit, and pasta versions. Here are some of our favorite summer salad recipes—from fruity treats to meaty medleys—that you can fix in a flash for a quick, light meal or prepare ahead of time so you're ready for that next afternoon barbecue.
If a simple bed of greens is what you really crave, try choosing a darker leaf for its nutritional value. Dark greens such as spinach are chock-full of vitamins and minerals. And not only is spinach low in calories, it's a good source of vitamins A and C, and minerals such as iron. Some of our favorite recipes include Spinach Salad with Hot Sesame Dressing or Spinach Salad with Oranges and Raspberries. When shopping for spinach, choose a smooth-leaf bunch with a healthy green color and firm leaves. Since spinach is a bit more perishable than other varieties, wrap and store your greens in the refrigerator and eat as soon as possible. When you're ready to make your salad, just rinse the leaves under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
One alternative to a leafy salad is a healthy bean one, especially our Southwest Salad, filled with black beans and corn, which are packed with fiber. Although this recipe allows you to substitute frozen corn for fresh, try using corn directly from the cob—summer corn is not only more flavorful, but also in peak season. Choose ears—either yellow or white varieties—wrapped in clean husks with silky tassels. Make sure the kernels are fully developed in neat rows by pulling back the husk. When you're ready to slice the kernels from the cob, use a sharp knife and slice carefully in a downward motion until you've sheared off enough corn for your recipe.
For a sweeter, easy-to-make salad alternative, try our Tag Along Fruit Salad. Buy bananas with an evenly colored yellow peel that are firm to the touch—buying them slightly underripe allows you to store them longer until you decide to make your salad. To ripen your bananas quickly, place in a paper bag with an apple, which emits ethylene gas and speeds the process. Certain types of apples, such as Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Jonathan, York Imperial, and Pippin, work best in fruit salads. Store these in a perforated plastic bag and place in the refrigerator until you're ready to use. If you decide to slice apples ahead of time, be sure to add a splash of lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
The biggest challenge of creating a tasty rice salad is trying to decide what variety you want to use. Our Chilled Rice Salad calls for white, brown, or wild rice, but there's actually more than 7,000 different kinds from which to choose! Try experimenting with long-grain, Arborio, and Basmati rice for a different flavor and texture. To keep rice from turning into a gooey mess, add one tablespoon of Crisco Oil for each cup you boil. You can store cooked rice in the refrigerator or freezer for longer.
Greek Salad gets its characteristic flavor from feta cheese and sweet onions. White crumbly feta is cured and stored in its own brine, which gives it a rich tangy flavor. Sweet onions are a great choice for salads because of their sweet, mellow flavor. For the best flavor look for Maui, Vidalia, Walla Walla or Oso Sweet onions to toss into our classic Greek Salad.
Our Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette packs a powerful nutritional punch with the vitamins and iron in the spinach, the calcium, fiber and minerals of the almonds and the Vitamins A and C in the raspberries. Make this tasty salad a complete meal by topping it with sliced grilled chicken breast.
Add Asian flair to dinnertime with our Mandarin Chicken Salad. The super simple Peanut Dressing tastes great against the coconut milk marinated chicken and mandarin oranges.
Try our flavorful Bacon 'n' Blue Salad with Garlic Croutons. Use microwave bacon – it's a real time (and heat) saver! Looking for a way to make this salad even heartier? Add cubed cooked chicken for a one-dish supper that really beats the heat!
Even the kids will love our Cobb Salad! With family favorite ingredients like bacon, chicken, hard-boiled eggs and avocado, there's something for everyone! Busy families can make this salad extra quick and easy by using rotisserie chicken and microwave bacon.
Wow your family with our San Antonio Taco Salad. (They don't need to know how easy it is to make our edible tortilla bowls!) And they'll love the great taco taste! Want to lighten it up a bit? Simply substitute ground turkey for the ground beef.
Our Plantation Salad gets a bright kick of flavor from marmalade in the dressing. Make it a meal by adding slices of grilled chicken.
Here's a party-pleaser like no other! Our Chinese Cabbage Salad will be the hit of your end of summer cook out.
New potatoes are just that, brand-new! Their tender young skins can be left in place to add color to our Classic Potato Salad.
Limeade is more than a refreshing summer beverage! It's the secret ingredient to the sweet-tart dressing on our Fruit Salad with Creamy Honey Lime Dressing. Make extra dressing for a fun fruit dip for the kids.