I FREAKING LOVE SUMMER! Yes, I used capitals in that sentence because I need y’all to understand how much I love the warm sun on my skin, the longer days, spending time at the lake, and most importantly the cookouts, or more specifically the food!
We spend most of our weekends in the summer at the lake which is so amazing. While we are there it is nice to have easy go to foods for a quick lunch break between swimming and going on boat rides. However, weekends at home having the same conveniences it just as nice! I hate just having tons on junk food on hand and not fueling my body properly so I can enjoy the beautiful sun as well. That is what made me think about this post. I love go to salads that are quick to make, yummy to eat, and go for you!
I have narrowed down my top three go to summer salads that you can almost always find in my fridge during the summer! They are perfect to meal prep for every day or that cookout you may be headed to!
Chicken Salad
This is one of my favorite recipes to whip up on Sunday afternoon and have on hand for lunches during the week. Chicken Salad is a common dish for events as well so it is like having a party all week long! Well…. mayne not as fun, but just as good! With the different ways to eat it, you won’t get bored either.
My favorite way to prepare my lunch with chicken salad is over a bed of spinach! It is a light way to eat this on hot days. I also really enjoy making a chicken salad wrap on a gluten free tortilla! My husband enjoys it as a sandwich so we are always finding different types of bread to eat it on. Some ones he really enjoys are hoagie buns and croissants!
This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare and can feed two adults for 3-4 days easily depending on your serving size.
Chicken Salad
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken- pulled and cubed or shredded
- 1-1/2 Cup Halves Red Grapes
- 1 Cup Chopped Celery
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
- 1-1/2 Cup Sunflower Mayo
- 1/8 Cup Yellow Mustard
- 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
- 1 TBS Minced Garlic
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Tips:
You can purchase a rotisserie chicken or grill your own chicken. When we have a little extra time, we love using Beer Can Chicken in our recipe! If you want to reduce the mess a bit, grill 3-4 large chicken breasts and cube in small bite size chunks or buy pre-cooked frozen chicken. Preparing the chicken is the longest part of this process but it can also become the most expensive part depending on your preference!
I use sunflower mayo because it is better for my paleo lifestyle and I really like the taste. You can use whatever you have in your fridge or pantry. I recommend using a light option if possible though!
Once you have all the ingredients prepped, mix together in a bowl and stick in the fridge until your ready to eat!
Spinach and Fruit Salad
Ok, so I could eat spinach for every meal and I do some days. From breakfast to dinner! It can get boring sometimes though so I love dressing it up as a fun side salad or throwing some grilled steak or chicken on it for dinner!
This recipe I made for the first time a few years ago for Easter and it has now become a staple. My favorite part about it is that it is super quick and easy to toss together and people will think you spent all afternoon preparing! Well maybe not that long, but you get it! So here it is, the easiest and most delicious spinach salad!
Spinach and Fruit Salad
- 1 container or bunch of fresh spinach
- 1 small container of Strawberries- sliced
- 1 large can of Mandarin Oranges drained
- 1/2 of a large Red Onion thinly sliced
- 3 Green Onions sliced (optional)
- 1-1/2 cup sliced Almonds
Toss ingredients together in a large bowl and serve! We love serving this salad with any type of vinaigrette or avocado based dressing! How easy it that?
Summer Fruit Salad
This last summer salad has to be a favorite for my kiddos and I am sure that just about any kid will like it! This is also a great one to get the kids in the kitchen with you to help with!
Prep on this one can be a little more timely and here is why. I use fresh fruit, not canned. When making a fruit salad, I think it is best to use fresh if possible. Fruit naturally has plenty of sugar and most times canned fruit is stored in a sugary syrup and adds unwanted sugar. I also think the texture is better, but this totally a personal preference!
Fruit salad is good at any age but I love dressing this up just a little to make it more grown up too, but spoiler alert- the kids love it too! So here it my grown up fruit salad!
Fruit Salad with Mint and Goat Cheese Crumbles
- 1 Pineapple cored and cut into half inch pieces
- 4-5 Red Apples cored and chopped – remove skin if you prefer
- 4-5 large Pears
- 2 cups of Red Grapes halved
- 2 TBS Lemon Juice
- 2 TBS chopped Mint
- 1 Small Container of Goat Cheese Crumbles
Optional Additions: Watermelon, Mandarin Oranges, Mangos
After you have chopped all of your fruit, mix in a bowl and add the lemon juice. The lemon juice will help keep the apples and pears from turning brown. Mix in the Mint and Goat Cheese Crumbles right before serving. I love the smooth texture that the goat cheese adds to this otherwise crunchy fruit salad. The mint adds a nice refreshing hint of flavor, perfect for summer!
I hope that you try these recipes out and love them as much as my family does! I would love to know some of your favorite Summer Salad Recipes as well! Drop it in the comments so I can try it out!
Please Like and Share this post so that we can help others enjoy these super easy summer salads too!
