My backyard garden is in full-bloom so it’s time to harvest all those veggies for a serious summer salad.

With crunchy veggies and a divine red wine oregano vinaigrette; you can make this recipe in a snap with whatever veggies you have on-hand.

What is there not to love about a summer salad!? There’s ample opportunity to use your very favourite veggies because the dressing that goes with this salad is very versatile. It’s always a good idea to have some go-to green salad recipes in your back pocket for each season.

What I love about a summer salad like this one and this one is they satisfy many cravings. And, it doesn’t take a ton of time to make!

This versatile salad recipe takes you beyond the classic greek salad or caesar salad recipes because it uses veggies that you may not think of putting together. But, once you try it out I think it may become a new favourite!

Why you’ll love this summer green salad

• Easy to make during the summer months!
• Uses simple, fresh ingredients.
• It’s quick to whip up on summer day.

Ingredients needed to make this summer salad

Greens: Crispy, fresh greens are the best base; I’m using mixed greens from my garden but you could also use arugula, romaine lettuce or baby kale.

Radishes: Bringing a crunchy, sometimes mildly ‘spicy’ taste to this salad, radishes can be slices or if smaller, cut into quarters for a lovely presentation.

Beets: A delicious way to enjoy earthy beets is by shredding them for this salad because it’s a quick and efficient way to add this ingredient to the mix.

Cucumber: Crisp, fresh curls of cucumber go so well with all of the other ingredients.

Tomatoes: Fresh from the garden, tomatoes are so in-season right now and I love baby or cherry tomatoes sliced in half for an easy topping to this salad.

Feta: Bringing a bit of saltiness to the mix, feta cheese goes with all of these fresh ingredients really well.

Toasted Nuts: To add some crunch, try toasting chopped or sliced almonds as a salad topper.

Salad dressing: We can’t forget, a summer salad needs a divine vinaigrette dressing to bring this entire dish together. Tangy red wine vinegar is added to this dressing along with oregano, olive oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper.

How to make this simple salad

Step 1: Prepare all of the fresh veggies ingredients: wash the fresh salad greens; slice radishes; shred beets; peel cucumbers into ribbons or slice; slice tomatoes; crumble feta.

Step 2: Prepare the toasted almonds: chop almonds and toast in a pan on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes until starting to brown. Remove the toasted almonds from pan and set aside.

Step 3: In a mason jar or container with a lid, add all of the dressing ingredients and shake until combined.

Step 4: To assemble the salad, start with the lettuce and then add all of the toppings – dividing everything between two bowls. Then drizzle and mix with dressing. OR, if you’re making side salads, mix all salad ingredients in one bowl and serve at the table for 4 people.

Expert tips

• Looking to pack this for lunch? Pack the salad in an airtight container and make sure to keep the dressing on the side until you’re ready to eat.
• If you want to make this a main course, add a protein option like baked or grilled chicken, salmon or chickpeas. Or, serve this quick summer green salad recipe as a perfect side salad to your favourite chicken dish.
• You can make the dressing and prep the salad ingredients ahead of time and store separately in airtight containers in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, add to a large salad bowl, add the dressing, toss and serve.
• A good substitute for the almonds is toasted walnuts instead.
• If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to make a dressing, use a store-bought Greek dressing / vinaigrette instead.

More seasonal produce and other toppings to add to this simple green salad

This green salad is just so versatile! You can mix and match your favourite toppings and greens to make your our salad recipes.

• Chopped or shredded carrots
• Avocado
• Bell pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Chopped kale
• Arugula
• Mozzarella cheese
• Walnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• Red onion

Common questions

Can I substitute the feta cheese?
If feta cheese isn’t your favourite, try replacing with creamy goat cheese. Otherwise, you could omit it altogether.

​What if I can’t find golden beets?
In a pinch you could use red beets instead of golden in this delicious salad.

Is there another type of salad greens I could use?
The base of this salad calls for a fresh, crisp mixed greens but you could easily substitute with romaine lettuce. baby kale or even spinach or arugula.

What can I use instead of almonds if I have a nut allergy?
A tasty alternative to nuts in this salad recipe is toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

How to store this green salad

I recommend enjoying this salad as soon as it’s made.  If you’re looking to meal prep this for lunch, pack the salad in an airtight container and make sure to keep the dressing on the side until you’re ready to eat.

More easy summer salad recipes to love from the blog

Blueberry Basil Summer Green Salad with Goat Cheese

Easy Green Summer Chopped Salad (with meal prep tips)

The Best Strawberry Summer Salad Recipe with Feta

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Quick and Refreshing Summer Green Salad Recipe

This Summer Green Salad is quick and easy to make. Packed with delicious, seasonal veggies, it will be your go-to summer salad!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 large salads (or 4 side salads)

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 8 cups mixed greens or other lettuce of choice
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 small golden and/or red beets, shredded or 1 large beet
• 2 baby cucumbers, peeled into ribbons or sliced
• 1 cup baby or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Red Wine Oregano Vinaigrette Dressing

• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dijon or grainy mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• ground pepper a couple of turns from a pepper grinder

Instructions

• Prepare all of the produce ingredients: wash the salad greens; slice radishes; shred beets; peel cucumbers into ribbons or slice; slice tomatoes; crumble feta.
• Prepare the toasted almonds: chop almonds and toast in a pan on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes until starting to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
• In a mason jar or container with a lid, add all of the dressing ingredients and shake until combined.
• To assemble the salad, start with the lettuce and then add all of the toppings - dividing everything between two bowls. Then drizzle and mix with dressing. OR, if you're making side salads, mix all salad ingredients in one bowl and serve at the table for 4 people.

The post Quick and Refreshing Summer Green Salad Recipe appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

The mixture of brussels sprouts and kale with a zingy lemony dressing gives you all the crunch a crisp, fresh salad should have.

It’s a salad you’ll keep going back to again and again; let’s mix it up!I love to have a go-to salad in my repertoire, especially during the cooler months.

But you may be wondering…

Can you eat raw brussels sprouts in a salad?

YES! I think brussels sprouts are one of the most versatile vegetables for fall and winter months. Sliced thin for salads is one of the best ways to enjoy them raw, especially since they stand up to salad dressing really well.

As much as I enjoy cozy recipes, this brussels sprouts and kale salad also hits all the right notes!

With the lemony dressing and parmesan cheese, you could even call this a ‘healthyish’ caesar salad.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this salad

Brussels Sprouts:  Thinly sliced brussels sprouts are part one of this crunchy, green salad. You could also use a food processor to slice/shred them if you have that available in your kitchen.

Kale: The second part of this very green salad, kale is chopped and mixed with the brussels sprouts.

Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese adds a bit of saltiness to all of the green veggies and goes so well with the lemony dressing.

Lemon juice: Fresh-squeezed lemon juice is bright and tart, and a key part of the salad dressing,

Olive Oil: The other key ingredient to the dressing, olive oil and lemon mix perfectly for the base of the dressing.

Garlic: Can’t forget this add-in to the dressing for a zesty taste to the mix.

Toasted Nuts: Toasted hazelnuts are DIVINE in this salad but you could also try walnuts or pecans.

Want to take this salad up another notch?! It lends itself well to other delicious ingredient additions like dried cranberries and pomegranate seeds.

Print

Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad

This Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad Recipe is a great equalizer and alternative to heavy sides. You can keep it refrigerated and use it later for meal prep.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword chopped salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale, leaves removed from stems & chopped you want 4-6 packed cups
• 16 brussels sprouts, chopped or shaved thin
• 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts (or other nuts), chopped & toasted

Lemon Garlic Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice from half to a full lemon
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Chop kale and slice or shred brussels sprouts. Add to a large bowl.
• Toast hazelnuts on low-broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes until starting to brown (watch these closely as every oven is different; some will toast faster than others).
• Mix dressing ingredients together, using juice of half a lemon. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice if preferred.
• To serve the salad, add the parmesan cheese to the kale and brussels sprouts and mix. Mix in all of the dressing and taste. Adjust with salt and pepper if needed. Top with toasted hazelnuts and serve.

This crispy, crunchy salad is a serious dose of green veggies. It makes a wonderful side dish but you could eat this as a main dish with a protein added as well!

Meal prep this salad

Make all of the ingredients ahead of time, store in a container with dressing on the side. OR mix the salad and portion into containers. Since kale and brussels sprouts are heartier vegetables, they stand up well to dressing and will hold for 1-2 days in the fridge once mixed.

Love wintery salads as much as I do?! Try my Winter Citrus Chopped Salad too!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.