Thanks to the expanding variety of remarkable fruits and vegetables, inspiration for stunning summer salads comes easy.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
It is difficult to improve on this classic combination. Balance the tang of flavorful heirloom tomatoes—garnered fresh from the garden, farmers’ market or produce aisle—with creamy fresh mozzarella in pearl-size form. Toss in aromatic basil leaves and a good balsamic vinegar and you’ve captured the essence of summer.
Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad
If you haven’t tried raw kale, this appetizing salad is an excellent incentive. A 30-minute douse in garlic-and-lemon-infused olive oil softens the vitamin-laden leaves. Flakes of salty, aged Percorino Romano cheese and a handful of toasty pine nuts enhance the wow factor of the leafy superfood.
Triple Berry Spinach Salad
This salad gets an A+ for taste and nutrition. Tender, young spinach leaves are powerhouses of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, plant-based compounds with disease-fighting potential. Sweet, juicy berries boast brilliant colors, signaling their protective antioxidants. Top it all off with creamy flecks of high-protein, low-fat goat cheese and honey-sweetened raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
Melon Pedestal Salads
Looking for a fresh way to enjoy summer melons? Create watermelon bases using a drinking glass to cut uniform circles. Top with a mixture of arugula, cantaloupe and honeydew, ad-libbing with peaches, plums or other summer fruits. Tie it together with a lively, lime-spiked pepper jelly vinaigrette that permeates and amplifies soft-spoken fruits.
Tropical Stacked Salads
Crisp and fresh are the themes of this vertical fruit and veggie salad, with juicy, ripe mango and pineapple brightening each bite. Flash-baked, seed-sprinkled wonton skins create crisp platforms. Bottled Asian sesame salad dressing moistens the mix, adding hints of garlic and ginger. We found both knife and fork essential for eating this triple-decker delight.
Orange, Avocado and Radish Platter
A composed salad plays up the striking beauty of individual ingredients. Notice radiating and concentric designs within this soft-hued circle of circles. Fuchsia-centered watermelon radishes and sweet red onion offer a mild, peppery bite, contrasted by buttery avocado and fresh oranges. Add a final flourish with a vinaigrette of Meyer lemons, a natural hybrid of lemon and Mandarin orange.
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