Summer time is the perfect season for yummy salads! But the whole lettuce, veggie, protein show can get a little mundane, so here are some of our favorite salads that we eat regularly.
Brussels Sprout Salad
We eat this salad at least once a week. It's crunchy and fresh - and it has bacon in it, so you can't go wrong. If you don't like Brussels sprouts, please give this a try! I promise, you'll love it. Original recipe can be found at Pinch of Yum - but the following is our adaptation of it.
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- 1 large shallot, minced
- ½ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped
- 1/2 bag of brussels sprouts (I buy the bag at Costco)
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
- Cook and crumble the bacon.
- Combine the olive oil, lemon, and orange juices and whisk until you have a creamy consistency. Add the shallot and salt and pepper (I often will omit the shallot just because I don't have one on hand).
- Using a mandoline, shave the brussel sprouts into thin slices to make a shredded/slaw texture. Tip: do not shave your fingertip! This may or may not have happened to both of us at least once.
- Toast the almonds over low heat for a couple of minutes. Roughly chop. Add the almonds, cheese, and bacon to the shredded brussel sprouts; toss to combine. When ready to serve, toss with the dressing!
Quinoa, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
Quinoa is a favorite of mine this summer - I've been making a batch of it and then mixing it with veggies and protein for lunch. Although quinoa isn't technically primal, it's gluten-free, and very nutritious.
Original recipe is from The Garden Grazer - here is my adaptation.
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 medium avocados
- 8 oz. cherry tomatoes
- 3 green onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. red or white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- Cook the quinoa.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl whisk together ingredients and set aside.
- Slice the green onions, halve the cherry tomatoes, and dice the avocado.
- When quinoa is done cooking, add it to the large bowl with spinach and toss.
- Add the green onions, tomatoes, and dressing. Stir to combine.
- Add the avocado.
Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad
This is the most refreshing salad! I love this in the summer. Original recipe from Garnish with Lemon - I didn't make any adaptations to this one.
- 7 cups of cubed watermelon, chilled and well drained
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- Kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Gently toss melon with rice vinegar, feta cheese and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
- This salad is best served right away. The vinegar starts to break down the watermelon if made too far in advance.
These look yummy!! Would you say these recipes make about 4 servings each?
Posted by: Kristin | 07/13/2015 at 04:19 PM