It is summertime...and one of my favorite things to do is visit farmer's markets to gather fresh from the farm produce. Tomatoes, corn, fresh herbs are all in season which will make these simple salads all the more delicious!
Elote Salad (Mexican Corn Salad)
Equipment
- Large wok or large skillet; microplane grater
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ¼ c tortilla strips
- 4 ounces feta or Cotija cheese, finely crumbled divided
Elotes
- 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 4 ears fresh corn shucked, kernels removed (about 3 cups fresh corn kernels)
- Kosher salt to taste
- ½ cup finely sliced scallions green parts only
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and stemmed, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 medium cloves garlic pressed or minced on a Microplane grater (about 1 to 2 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice from 1-2 limes
- Chile powder or hot chile flakes to taste
Instructions
Prep Salad Ingredients
- Clean and chop romaine lettuce. Slice tomatoes, if desired. Set aside.
Prepare Elotes:
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add corn kernels, season to taste with salt, toss once or twice, and cook without moving until charred on one side, about 2 minutes. Toss corn, stir, and repeat until charred on second side, about 2 minutes longer. Continue tossing and charring until corn is well charred all over, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add 2 oz cheese, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, mayonnaise, lime juice, and chile powder and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more chile powder to taste.
Notes
This salad can be a brought to school or work in a mason jar.
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Caprese Salad with Pesto Pasta
The freshness of your ingredients — cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls and basil — makes this simple salad divinely delicious.
Equipment
- immersion blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini pasta cooked
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes sliced
- ½ pound fresh mozzarella pearls drained
- ½ bunch fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Basic Basil Pesto
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil more for a smoother pesto
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
Salad Preparation
- In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and wine.
- Slowly whisk in oil.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add cherry tomatoes and cheese and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Pesto Pasta
- Prepare pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Using an immersion blender or In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and pulse until well chopped.
- Add the basil and pulse until combined.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the parmesan cheese, if using, and pulse to briefly combine. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.
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Easy Turkey Cobb Salad
Easy Turkey Cobb Salad with the Best Homemade Cobb Salad Dressing! This protein-packed salad is a meal in itself loaded with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, chicken, bacon, boiled eggs, creamy avocado and crumbled blue cheese.
Ingredients
Cobb Salad
- 6 oz cooked bacon (6 slices) chopped and browned
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce 5 cups chopped, rinsed and dried
- 8 oz turkey breast cubed
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 large avocado sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbled (or feta cheese)
- 2 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove pressed or finely minced
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté chopped bacon on a skillet until browned and crisp (5 min), then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool. Peel and quarter 2 hard boiled eggs.
- Chop, rinse and spin dry romaine lettuce and arrange on a platter. Arrange remaining salad ingredients (chicken, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, onion, blue cheese, and bacon) in rows over salad then sprinkle the finely chopped parsley over the salad.
- Transfer dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake. Drizzle over salad just before serving or let guests add their own dressing to taste.
Notes
This is a wonderful salad that can be brought to school or work in a mason jar.
Nutrition
Serving: 1saladCalories: 510kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 24gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 840mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8g
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Southwestern Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
DRESSING
- 1 avocado halved
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
- 1 lime juiced
SALAD
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup chicken rotisserie, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup red onion pickled and chopped
- 15 oz corn drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup scallion
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes sliced
- ¼ cup feta cheese
Instructions
- Add all dressing ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl add lettuce, chicken, cilantro, beans, onion, corn, green onion, and tomatoes.
- Top with prepared dressing; toss to coat.
- Enjoy!
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Greek Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano more for sprinkling
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 1 English cucumber cut lengthwise, seeded, and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 green bell pepper chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 5 ounces feta cheese cut into ½ inch cubes*
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives
- ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- On a large platter, arrange the cucumber, green pepper, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions, and olives. Drizzle with the dressing and very gently toss. Sprinkle with a few generous pinches of oregano and top with the mint leaves. Season to taste and serve.
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