This summer Jeremy and I have been enjoying daily homemade salads. We've been experimenting with different combination and I thought I would share a few of our favorites with you!
Tomato + Basil Salad/ I made this salad on a bed of spinach and arugula. It has pesto mixed in, a splash of balsamic vinegar, fresh basil leaves, local tomatoes and chopped macadamia nuts. I love this one because I'm on a basil kick!
Artichoke + Apple Salad/ This salad is served on a bed of Arugula (my fave) and it has granny smith apples (half and apple, sliced), sunflower seeds, sesame seeds blue cheese dressing and artichoke hearts. It's delicious.
Blue Cheese and Peas Salad/ This salad is on a bed of spinach and butter lettuce. It has blue cheese dressing, avocados, tomatoes, sesame seeds and peas. (i LOVE peas!)
Curry + Fig Kale Salad/ I never thought I would grow to love raw kale, but it happened! I love raw kale most when it is marinated in a salad dressing for an hour or two. This is a good salad to make in advance and then refrigerate. My favorite salad dressing is Curry + Fig by Salad Girl. Also in this salad is a little spinach, broccoli and tomatoes.
Hearts of Palm + Pesto Salad/ This salad is simply arugula (see a trend? i'm obsessed), tomatoes and hearts of palm with pesto mixed in. So yummy!
I don't see our salad obsession ending anytime soon. Do you have a favorite recipe? Please share. XO elsie
85 Comments
My favorite salad has mixed greens, quinoa and lentils, chickpeas, edamame, avocado, onions and fresh herbs, and a jalapeno vinaigrette. The shop down the street from my work calls it their “Be Well” salad. It is beyond incredible!
Kayla ☆ http://www.kaylanaut.com
Thank you so much for these lovely recipes! The second one looks amazing and I’m sure I’ll be making it in the next couple days.
My favorite salad comes from a restaurant called Cube in LA. I used to work there, and it was all I ate during the summer. It’s super simple: Slice fresh yellow peaches, heirloom tomatoes, and mozzarella (buffalo is best!),and layer them, then top with some basil, good olive oil,a little balsamic reduction, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
It doesn’t need anything extra because when the ingredients are in season, all the flavors come together perfectly. I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Occasionally we top it with a little prosciutto (I have a photo on my blog).
Xo.
The best guilt-free dressing ever is a couple of fresh mangos pureed in a food processor with a bit (anywhere from 1/4 tsp to a whole tsp depending on personal taste) of ground cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. I was skeptical of it, thinking that it wouldn’t be dressing-y enough without some olive oil or vinegar, but it really works.
Love to have it drizzled (liberally because it’s guilt-free) over spinach/baby greens with some chopped cucumber, green pepper, red onion, dried cranberries, almonds, shredded cheddar cheese, and (because my husband doesn’t consider salad a dinner unless there is meat too) grilled chicken strips.
Oops! I think I deleted my first comment, so I’m sorry if this shows up twice. Thank you so much for the lovely recipes, the second one looks amazing and I’m definitely going to make it soon.
My favorite salad comes from Cube, a restaurant in LA that I used to work at. It’s just fresh yellow peaches, heirloom tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella layered, then topped with olive oil, balsamic reduction, basil, and a little salt and pepper. Occasionally when my husband makes it for me, he tops it with prosciutto. It’s so simple, but when those ingredients are in season all the flavors come together perfectly, and I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. (I have a photo somewhere on my blog)…
Good luck with your adventures in salad-making!
I love salads! Sadly, I’m one of those people that finds ONE recipe I like, and then never makes anything different, haha. I should try one of these for dinner tonight! Yum! 🙂
neha
http://nehamade.blogspot.com/
I’m not the salad-type, but when I do get the crave for a good salad, I love to mix iceberg salad, cucumbers, avocado, a splash of chili-powder, youghurt, pepper and salt – and if possible, some pine-seeds or sunflower-seeds. I’m really picky and I don’t like bell-peppers, tomatoes and a lot of salad-types, so this is my fool-proof combo!
http://stainsofpaint.blogspot.com/
Beautiful and healthy. Thanks for the inspiration.
all those tomatoes look great, but… avocado salad seems to be the best! looks really yummy. I love avocado especially in sushi:)
Julia
http://www.thesheerstories.blogspot.com/
Yummmm
This is exactly what I needed to read, my salads are getting so boring as of late.
Great post 🙂 x
The Lovelorn
arugula, grapefruit, toasted almonds, grilled corn, blackberries and heirloom tomatoes with a lemon dill dressing. very summery!
I have only favorite salad recipes. Ok this is not true, but I have a lot of them, as salad is not something I can or want to eat the same way every day. But one of my favorites: baby spinach, corn salad, rocket leaves, blue cheese, walnuts, pear, and olive oil-lemon juice-mustard-salt-pepper dressing. Optional ingredients, which are great, but i don’t always have all these stuff at home at a time: avocados, dried apricot or cranberries. We can swap the blue cheese to goat cheese, and the walnuts to pine seeds 🙂 I ate this yesterday with freshly made pink duck-breast slices. mmmm
Beautiful salads! I must try the Artichoke + Apple Salad, looks yummy.
I made a post on my blog a few days ago about my favourite salad, Fattouch, I think you would like it, have a look 🙂
http://notesfromrochester.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/fattouch-salad.html
Love Kathrine
yummy!! I love salads in lunch hour, also I prefer a snack like soy milk with vegetables and fruits 😀
I wish I could get my boy onto salads but his response is usually – Where’s the meat? Haha. These all look delicious! I have a thing for bruschetta right now — I’m making it all the time and putting it on everything from pizza to salads to pasta.
PS. Elsie I’m sooo enjoying reading about your house hunting and things on your Everyday ELsie blog! Congrats! 🙂
My mom is famous for making a heirloom tomato salad. It’s literally just home grown heirlooms, drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and fresh basil. LOVE it. Fish off with a chunk of crusty bread? You’re set 🙂
Mmm these look so yummy! I love a turkey salad with chick peas and lots of peppers and organic greens.. 🙂
http://vivikstyle.blogspot.com
I love make up a cobb salad bar and then we all pile on the toppings that we like and skip the ones we don’t. I usually offer up hard boiled eggs, bacon crumbles, chopped celery, chopped bell pepper, corn, peas, onion, etc… then we top it with our favorite blue cheese dressing. I also really enjoy hitting the salad bar at our local natural foods market. I go there last when I am grocery shopping and make sure to make a big salad for us to share when I get home for lunch.
I think I need to blog about this! 🙂
Blue Cheese and Peas salad please! 🙂
http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com/
Lettuce mix, chopped walnuts and sweet corn with a honey, olive oil and modena vinegar vinagrette, simple and delicious! And another favourite of mine, alvocado, a can of tuna and some mayo, incredibly tasty with crakers but has lots of calories so better not abuse!
Hi! I am visiting your blog for the first time and I love it already and am looking forward to further exploration 🙂 how can I subscribe to this blog??? Maybe my excitement is preventing me from seeing a subscribe option?? Thank u!
spring mix, goat cheese, red onion, strawberry, a tiny bit of olive oil. no dressing, just meyer lemon juice.
Im not much of a salad girl, and when I do eat salad its usually chicken Caesar which I know isn’t all that good for me. These salad recipes have inspired me… Thanks 🙂 Have you ever made a salad with raspberries? I would love to see that recipe.
HonestConfessions.blogspot.ca
I really want to try the artichoke and apple salad!
hmm, these look lovely!
i actually had a very nice salad today during lunch: mixed greens (if i remember correctly) with apple, grapes, pecan and dijon vinaigrette!
xo, cheyenne
These all look delicious! So light & healthy. x
Kate {Modette}
http://modetteblog.com
You looked so fine, and your wonderful clogs only added to the perfection; I wish every one of your readers could have seen how great you looked!
oh yummy!
These look soo yummy! I made a beet and kale salad today 😉
Oh these look yummy! I am heading to the farmer’s market tomorrow and will be hunting for fixin’ to throw together one of these pretty salads! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yummm! I have always wanted to try Kale, too bad I have never seen it anywhere here in Australia.
Thanks for the recipes another great post 🙂
Becky
http://pixiwishesforeheadkisses.wordpress.com/
Ahhh, absolutely delicious looking! Colorful and fun edibles!
X
http://www.iloveublank.blogspot.com
Last night my roommate and I made a magical salad. No greens. It’s just sliced tomato, sliced peach, and sliced avocado. We topped with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Fresh picked basil finishes it off! It’s so so delicious and summery.
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these look so good! especially the blue cheese and peas 🙂
georgia
edelweissmoons.blogspot.com/
Oh, yum! Anything with avocados… I never once had an avocado before moving to California and now I have to throw one in EVERYTHING almost everyday. Beautifully done salads!
YUM! I love salads.
http://www.eatblogpray.blogspot.com
xo
i’ve recently been adding fresh herbs to my salad and it’s delicious! basil sometimes, as i see you also like, but cilantro or parsley is delish too.
http://www.wishdownawell.blogspot.com
We love adding roasted butternut to our salads and it’s always topped with toasted nuts and seeds. I love basil too
Mmmm, curry and fig kale salad sounds (and looks) amazing! And I would like blue cheese and peas salad if it was edamame. That would be fun too.
-Lindsey
http://ettu-tutu.blogspot.com
yummm!
I use to eat salad, thanks for sharing yours. I will try one.
xoxo Luisella
yum!!
I’m nearing the end of a month of salads (one a day for July). The thing I’ve learned is to be creative and just use what’s handy. I’ve put a lot of stuff in my salads that I normally wouldn’t have using this rule, some with really tasty results.
I love dry roasted pine nuts and dry roasted sliced huolumi (sp?) over pretty much any sald- nom nom!x
So many different combinations, it’s great! Pesto does really liven up a salad, I use it all the time! x
http://www.jenventure.blogspot.co.uk
I’m drooling. OK, it is now my mission to see if I can come up with some equally tasty salads! No more chaofan for me!
Hi Elsie! Beautiful pictures as always!
I love all sorts of salad, but my favourite has to be spinach, roast butternut squash, edameme beans, broccoli, green beans and shredded carrots, topped with toasted pumpkin seeds. yum!
These salad combinations sound divine, especially the ones with arugula! I’ve never had raw kale, though am now intrigued to try it.
Loulou
Yummmmmmm these salads look divine. especially the blue cheese and pea salad.
Xo Emilie at Hungry Delights
That blue cheese and peas salad looks just amazing!
Yum!!
Val
http://valentinaduracinsky.blogspot.com/
Those look fantastic! I’ve lost 35 lbs. eating smaller portions and foods that are good for me and these fit right in. Thank you!
Yum! I will have to try them all! 🙂
Here are 2 of my favorites:
http://www.oanabefort.com/2012/05/summer-favorites.html
http://www.oanabefort.com/2012/06/summer-favorites-part-2.html
Mmm, they sound delish! You can use lime as a dressing for salads, my mum uses it because she cannot stand the taste of vinegar.
My favourite salad at the moment contains nectarines, feta cheese, fresh spinach, black beans with a lemon, mint and chilli vinaigrette. Nectarines and feta cheese match awesomely.
Beautful salads!! What type or brand pesto are you mixing in or is it homemade?
I am vegeterian, and this looks delicious!!!! <3
xxx
This looks so delicious, especially the first one. I love tomatoes!
http://www.creativityandchocolate.blogspot.com
I love salads, specially in summer
These ones looks delicious!
http://mykitschworld.blogspot.com.es
Yes seriously I do think these salads are damn amazing! I love how we’ve totally taken something as simple as vegetables and churned it into a whole new art! woahhhh…..
so glad I randomly clicked on your blog from someone’s fave list
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xx nathan.niche
http://www.the-provoker.com
In the summer months, I love putting corn in my salads! Either straight from the cob or roasted.
I’m a tabbouleh girl for sure!
I’ve never added artichokes to my salads, that’s an idea I’ll definitely have to try out along with marinating the kale. I could eat cooked kale meal after meal, but I’m trying to warm up to the idea of it raw.
http://www.goodbyemychangingwind.blogspot.com
I eat salad for lunch every day. There are so many different ways you can make it different and I ad beans, nuts, or seeds to make it more filling. I recently did a detox and stopped eating oil and sugar, which meant no salad dressing, but I was really surprised that just squeezing a lime or orange and adding spices was perfectly satisfying! I’m now addicted to adding a sprinkle of garlic powder to my savory salads.
A whole avocado massaged by hand into chopped pieces of kale. Add a bit of olive oil, salt and lemon juice. Mix in red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, bell peppers. Yum!
Ahh, I love salads. I’m definitely going to have to try some of these out.
omg these are so colorful and amazing looking!
i think u would really like my blog! It gives beauty and fashion tips!! much love!
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http://www.beautybooklove.blogspot.com
My favorite salad lately is a California salad. I use a spring mix base with grilled chicken, dried cherries, walnuts, crumbled goat cheese, and lemon poppyseed dressing on top. It’s SO, SO good!
I like to make Cucumber, Tomato and Red Onion Salads this season:
2 diced heirlooms (or a bunch of halved cherry tomatoes)
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced thinly in rounds.
Dash of light italian dressing.
Toss and chill for a bit and … it’s perfect!
They all look delicious, especially those tomatoes! Yum..
Okay the blue cheese pea salad looks amazing, and I will deff. be making that soon! I currently have gestational diabetes (boo) so I have been looking to spice up my boring go to meals 🙂
Thanks for sharing these!!!
I’m excited to try the Kale salad. There is a little deli here that makes raw kale coleslaw with kale, red cabbage, garbanzo beans and carrots. So tasty.
That spinach, blue cheesy, pea salad looks super yum. I found your blog through betterbusinessbetterlife.com – one of her top five favorite blogs. Pretty cool site you have here!
I LOVE SALADS. I pack them everyday for lunch.
One of my simple faves is: mesclun greens + crumbled blue cheese + pecans + dried cranberries.
I love adding different nuts to salads for extra crunch and texture, especially maple walnuts! (coat walnut halves with maple syrup and toast them in the oven… sweet and delicious.)
Thanks for the salad inspiration!
What wonderful salads! I feel like my salads have been boring lately – I’ll have to try these out 🙂
http://thejoyfulfox.blogspot.com
I love mixed greens with strawberries, goat cheese and. A died pecans with raspberry vinegarette. It tastes like desert!
I was never really a salad type of girl. But then I learned that it was because salads at restaurants were lacking in anything yummy! Lettuce and dressing, the end? no thanks.
Ever since I started making them at home I’ve been in love. Thanks for the recipes!
I made one the other day for my husband and me. I took a slab of salmon and salted and peppered it and added fresh thyme leaves before cooking. I also marinated pitted halved fresh cherries in a dash of balsamic with a little lemon zest and salt. When the salmon was done, I dressed some arugula with a bit of balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper and plated the salmon and cherries on top. Then I topped it with crushed pistachios. ZOMG so good!
summer = salads! garbanzo beans are a staple in all my salads. can’t wait to try out your combinations!
Such a great idea! I am so intimidated taking photos in restaurants, but I’d love to play! Let’s see where this weekend takes me.;
yumm! These all sounds so good!
http://thelittletexan.blogspot.com/
Mmmm….. delicious…
http;//pizquitasdevida.blogspot.com.es
Here are some of my favorites:
http://ashleysyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/search/label/salad
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