Summer Salad Round Up 2011
If you're looking for super easy Summer Salad recipes, you're in the right place! Here are six side salads/light lunches that you might like to try!
Ingredients
Feta Mandarin Asian Quinoa Salad:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- ¼ cup “Feast from the East” Sesame Dressing from Costco (this is such a great dressing)
- ¼ cup green onions chopped (the green parts)
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
Chicken Peanut Thai Noodles:
- 1 pound whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 1 piece fresh inger peeled (1 inch)
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup white onion finely chopped
- ½ cup red or orange bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 cup shredded chicken breast cooked
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
Whole Grain Garlic Roasted Bruschetta:
- 1 loaf whole grain baguette
- 4 large Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
- 8 large fresh basil leaves stacked, rolled then thinly sliced
- 3 cloves roasted garlic (Place bulb of garlic in lightly wrapped tin foil, bake in oven at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes, peel and ready to use)
- 2 pinches coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Lemon Dressing Drizzled Chickpea and Sweet Pepper Arugula Salad:
- 30 ounces garbanzo beans drained (I used 2 15-oz cans)
- 1 cup chopped roasted red pepper drained
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ fresh lemon squeezed
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 bag of fresh arugula
BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing:
- 3 cups green leaf lettuce thinly sliced
- ¼ cup corn
- ¼ cup black beans
- 8 grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cooked grilled chicken breast
- ¼ cup favorite BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup prepared ranch dressing
- 1 heaping tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro leaves
Mediterranean Couscous Salad:
- 1 box Near East couscous cooked according to package
- ¾ cup red bell pepper diced
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper diced
- 4 ounce container crumbled Feta Cheese
- ¾ cup Kalamata olives sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- pinch of salt and fresh black pepper
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Feta Mandarin Asian Quinoa Salad:
- Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl. Mix in dressing, onions, feta, peppers and cilantro. Cover and chill until serving.
Chicken Peanut Thai Noodles:
- Cook noodles according to package. Drain, rinse with cold water, place in large pasta bowl and toss with sesame oil. Set aside.
- Place garlic and ginger in food processor until well chopped. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Pulse until well combined and slowly add hot water. Set aside.
- Place olive oil in hot skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in chicken breast, cilantro and salt. Stir until heated through.
- Add sauce and chicken mixture to noodles. Toss to coat and garnish with peanuts and sesame seeds if desired.
Whole Grain Garlic Roasted Bruschetta:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice baguette in ½ inch slices and place on baking sheet or tin foil. Brush lightly with good extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 5-6 minutes until lightly toasted.
- Place tomatoes, basil leaves, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil into a large bowl and mix well, making sure garlic is well incorporated.
- Place heaping Tablespoonfuls of tomato mixture over each toasted baguette slice and serve!
Lemon Dressing Drizzled Chickpea and Sweet Pepper Arugula Salad:
- Place garbanzo beans and peppers into a mixing bowl. Place olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk to combine. Toss over garbanzo beans and toss to coat. Spoon over a bed of fresh arugula leaves and toss. Serve room temperature or chilled.
BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing:
- Place lettuce into a salad bowl. Layer with corn, black beans and tomatoes. Dice cooked chicken breast and mix with BBQ sauce. Top over salad and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
- Place ranch dressing and cilantro leaves into a small bowl to combine. Drizzle over salad and serve.
Mediterranean Couscous Salad:
- Place cooked couscous into a large bowl. Let cool (put in the fridge to speed up the process). Add the bell peppers, feta cheese, olives and garlic to the couscous. Mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour over couscous and mix to combine. Stir in fresh parsley and serve! Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
- Feta Mandarin Asian Quinoa Salad: 8-10 servings
- Chicken Peanut Thai Noodles: 6 servings
- Whole Grain Garlic Roasted Bruschetta: Serves 6
- Lemon Dressing Drizzled Chickpea and Sweet Pepper Arugula Salad: 4 servings
- BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing: This recipe is for 1 large serving, double accordingly
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad: 4 servings