Summer Salads

Summer salads are great accompaniments for summer foods, especially with all the barbecues that will be available.  Whether it’s a Flag Day party, the Fourth of July, or a family reunion, plan to take one of these summer salads. 

For any occasion under the sun, these summer salad recipes will be sure to please a crowd.

Tomato, Mozzarella and Avocado Salad

Serves about 4-5

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
1 large ripe tomato, diced
½ cucumber, diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine all vegetables and the mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt. Toss well. Serve immediately with delicious crusty bread.

If you are not eating the salad right away, omit the avocado and only add it last minute to prevent it from turning brown.

Broccoli Salad

2 lbs. chopped broccoli    
2/3 cup mayonnaise
½ cup grated cheese    
¼ cup sugar
4 strips crumbled bacon    
4 tsp. vinegar
1 diced red onion

Fry the bacon until crispy; drain well and then crumble.  Add the bacon to the broccoli, onion, and cheese.  Mix the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar together in a small bowl and then pour that over the salad.  Toss well to evenly coat the broccoli.  Chill well before serving.

Refreshing Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cold water

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, then chill well before serving.

Chilled Rice Salad with Black Beans

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 cup canned black beans, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
¼ cup salad dressing of your choice (preferably Italian)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the rice, black beans, parsley and tomato. In a small jug, combine the dressing and the lime juice. Pour over the rice and toss.

Refrigerate for a few hours.

Best served on a bed of lettuce with fried tofu slices or as a side dish with BBQ meat.

Warm weather is a great time to make summer salads for any occasion.  They’re healthy, quick to fix, and won’t heat up your kitchen.  All in all, they’re the perfect summer fare for any event you need to attend.