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This summer salad starts with fresh greens, layered with crisp, juicy veggies, tossed in a tangy dressing, and finished with a sprinkle of nuts and cheese.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Nothing tastes better than a veggie-filled crisp salad with a zesty lemon Dijon dressing, and balanced by a hint of sugar and seasoning.
- Recommended Tools: A salad spinner and a mandoline make short work of prepping greens for this summer salad.
- Time-Saving Tip: Save on prep time by buying a pre-washed bag of mixed greens.
- Make-Ahead Option: Assemble the salad up to two days in advance. Add the avocado and dressing just before serving for the best texture.
- Serving Suggestions: Create a main dish by adding your favorite shrimp, cooked chicken, diced ham, or crumbled bacon.
Ingredient Tips for Summer Salad
- Greens: Choose a variety of greens for maximum flavor and texture. Romaine, arugula, kale, baby spinach, iceberg, and red leaf are all excellent options.
- Vegetables: Colorful and crisp veggies like cucumbers, radishes, onions, and tomatoes are just the beginning. Use leftover sweet corn kernels from corn on the cob, spring peas, asparagus, or diced bell peppers for some added color.
- Nuts & Cheese: Mix and match cheeses like feta, goat, blue, mozzarella, or parmesan with walnuts, pistachios, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds. Lightly toast the nuts and seeds in a dry pan first to keep them crunchy and bring out their flavor.
- Dressing: This easy, versatile dressing starts with acid, oil, sweetener, and mustard. Short on time? Use your favorite store-bought dressing instead!
- Variations: Add fruit like blueberries, strawberries, peaches, or pears to brighten a summer salad. Fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, or basil, along with eggs, olives, almonds, or chickpeas, make flavorful additions. Mix and match for a unique salad every time!
Storing Summer Salad
Keep the salad and the dressing in separate containers in the refrigerator. Toss the leftover salad with fresh lettuce or veggies with a drizzle of fresh dressing before serving again.
Use leftovers as a filler for a wrap with your favorite protein.
More Veggie-Filled Salads
Did you enjoy this Fresh Summer Salad? Leave a comment and rating below.
Fresh Summer Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed greens
- ½ English cucumber sliced
- 6 radishes thinly sliced
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion or to taste
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 medium avocado sliced
- 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- In a mason jar, combine oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sugar, and salt & pepper. Close lid and shake vigorously to mix.
- Combine the greens, cucumber, radishes, and red onion in a large bowl. Add the dressing (you may not need all of it) and toss well to combine.
- Sprinkle the remaining ingredients on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze if desired.
- To mix the dressing in a bowl: Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl. While whisking, drizzle in the olive oil until well mixed.
- Seeds have the best flavor when toasted. To toast, place in a dry frying pan over medium heat and cook until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Store Summer Salad in the fridge in a covered container for up to 2 days, tossing before serving. Dressing can be stored for up to 7 days in a mason jar or cruet in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
So refreshing and can modify any way you want. Good for picky eaters who can select what they want. The dressing is simple but very tasty!
Roxanne, So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the great review!
Made the dressing, ummm not sure . i am not sure just because I add the oil immediately that it just didn’t taste fresh, more oily than I thought. Will try drizzling the oil in a bit at a time and taste as I go along.
The dressing will be more oily if it is not emulsified which keeps the oil and lemon portions from separating. The addition of dijon along with the process of very slowly drizzling in the oil while whisking creates a different consistency and allows the oil to mix with the lemon juice.
This salad looks amazing! It says summer salad, but I think this would be delicious as a side salad with lasagna! Thanks for sharing!