Summer Salads Recipe

Summer Salads that fill you up!

I am a Summer lover and I absolutely love summer salads. I enjoy the ease of prepping meals with simple salads when Summer kick’s in, and taking a break from the Winter and Spring slow cooker or roasts (eg. heavier meals). My salads pack a punch and stop hunger in its tracks, no limp lettuce and rumbling tums in sight!

The key ingredients of a hearty Summer Salad

Guideline 2 of the Australian Dietary Guidelines is to enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods so why not make your salad sparkle a little! When it comes to salad it may be a fight for your kids to initially embrace lettuce or spinach leaves but over time they will love the freshness. You may have to swap out the spinach leaves to a cos, little gem or butter lettuce for the crunch.

HOT Tip: pop the salad into a wrap & all of a sudden the kids are super happy.

Timesaver Summer Salads

Salads can last (depending on ingredients) 5 days (sans dressing) which for busy Mums is a huge timesaver. Freshly cook some protein when needed and your meal is on the table in record time. Prepared salad packs from the grocery store are HUGE time savers. Shredded coleslaw mixes, mixed greens or a pack of shredded lettuce sometimes save your sanity too.

Four reasons why this recipe is awesome

• Budget – Seasonal salad options are wallet friendly
• Variety – Mix up the protein each night
• Time – batch cook some protein like poached chicken and shred then reheat and add to a fresh salad
• Ease – better yet pick up a prepared salad mix PLUS a BBQ chicken and you’re halfway there – enter your mighty time saviour!

HOT TIPS: Use good quality bacon, if not using greek yoghurt then use an olive oil based mayonnaise, make your own croutons in your airfryer (you can even airfry your boiled eggs!)

Healthy Caesar Salad
Serves: 2
Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

4 hard boiled eggs
3 rashers bacon
6 cups iceberg lettuce (or your choice of any pre-packaged greenery)
4 tbsp parmesan cheese
2 tsp savoury yeast flakes (opt)

BUMP IT UP: ADD your choice of protein – chicken, beef, bbq chicken etc.

Dressing

4 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1⁄2 tsp onion powder
1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Method

• Boil or airfryer eggs for 6‒8 minutes
• Cook bacon on a frypan and slice when cool.
• Wash and chop lettuce / greenery
• In a bowl place lettuce, bacon, your choice of protein, parmesan
• Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowel and drizzle over salad

My favourite alternate toppings include cherry tomatoes, avocado, pinenuts, pre-roasted capsicums or eggplant.

This recipe is on high rotation at ours house, I love how fresh and versatile it is for those quick dinners on a hot night. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family. See more of our recipes here.