Seven delicious and refreshing salad recipes to try this week

These seven delicious and super easy to create salad recipes are the perfect salads to enjoy on their own if you fancy a light meal, or they can be served as side dishes for your planned lunches or dinners.

Pulled pork, cabbage and arugula

Ingredients

For the salad

• 4 cups pulled pork
• 3 cups sliced ​​red cabbage
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/3 cup sliced ​​almonds
• Lime vinaigrette

For the lime vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 orange, juice
• 3 limes, juice
• 2 teaspoons jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

Method

For the salad

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl, drizzle with lime vinaigrette and toss.

For the lime vinaigrette

1. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.

This recipe was found on downshiftology.com

Italian pasta salad

Ingredients

• 225 g pasta, uncooked
• 380g salami
• 1 + ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup red onion, chopped
• ½ cup black olives, halved
• 118g bocconcini mozzarella balls, halved
• 1 + ½ tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup Italian dressing, homemade or store-bought
• Parmesan cheese, grated (optional, to serve)

Method

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes or as directed on the package. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking and cool the pasta.
2. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl or serving bowl. If you are not assembling the salad immediately, add a little olive oil and toss to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Otherwise, add the remaining ingredients. Pour the Italian dressing on top and toss.
3. You can serve immediately with parmesan cheese on top or cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This will allow all the flavors to infuse into each other. When ready to serve, toss the salad well and add a little more dressing, if desired.

This recipe was found on frontofthethyme.com

Salmon salad with fennel, ricotta, capers and cucumbers

Ingredients

• 1 bunch watercress leaves, rinsed
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled into ribbons with a peeler
• 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped/chopped
• 200g cold smoked salmon or trout ribbons
• 100 g ricotta cheese, crumbled
• A handful of capers
• Fresh lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste

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Method

1. In a large salad bowl (or on 4 individual plates), assemble the watercress leaves, then garnish with cucumber, fennel, salmon/trout, ricotta and capers. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Serve immediately with a glass of Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc.

This recipe was provided by Spier.

Shrimp, asparagus and avocado salad

Ingredients

For the salad

• 450 g peeled and deveined raw prawns
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 20 asparagus spears, (1 bunch)
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon vinaigrette

For the lemon vinaigrette

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

For the lemon vinaigrette

1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together.

For the salad

1. Bring a medium pot of water and a medium sauté pan of water to a boil. Add the prawns to the pan and the asparagus to the sauté pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the shrimp and asparagus to an ice water bath. Drain and slice the asparagus.
2. Add the shrimp, sliced ​​asparagus, baby spinach, avocado and green onion to a salad bowl. Add the vinaigrette, salt and pepper and mix everything together.

This recipe was found on downshiftology.com

Couscous salad with cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

• 4 cups cherry tomatoes (half for roasting, half raw)
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 cup dry Israeli couscous
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, more if desired
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Leaves of 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
• 1½ cups roasted chickpeas, tossed with 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika before roasting
• ¼ cup fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Roast 2 cups of cherry tomatoes. These can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
2. Cook couscous according to package directions until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and let cool.
3. In the bottom of a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt and several black peppercorns. Add the cooled couscous and mix. Cut the remaining raw cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl along with the roasted tomatoes, chickpeas, basil, cucumbers and feta. Garnish with fresh herbs and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Season as desired.

This recipe was found on loveandlemons.com

summer corn salad

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• ½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup ricotta salata cheese, cubed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Method

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place each ear of corn on a large piece of aluminum foil. Put ½ tablespoon butter on each, then roll up and seal in foil.
2. When the grill is hot, add the wrapped corn on the cob and grill for about 5 minutes on each side, for a total of 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes.
3. When the corn is cool enough to touch, slice the kernels and place them in a large bowl. Add the green onions, tomatoes, ricotta salata and olive oil, then toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, taste, then adjust the seasoning if necessary.
4. Add freshly torn basil leaves straight to the bowl, give a final toss, then serve hot or at room temperature.

This recipe was found on frontofthethyme.com