What’s more refreshing on a hot summer day than a light, tasty salad? Not only can you feel good about all the wholesome ingredients (yay fruits and veggies!), but your meal will leave you satisfied, not stuffed. Not to mention the nearly infinite — and delicious — flavor possibilities, from shrimp and avocado to peaches and pecans.
Now that we’ve whetted your appetite, here are two recipes guaranteed to get you rave reviews this summer:
SUMMER GRILLED SHRIMP SALAD
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 ¼ teaspoons smokehouse maple seasoning (such as McCormick Grill Mates)
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 12 ounces peeled, deveined shrimp
Cilantro Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Salad:
- 4 cups mixed salad greens, or more to taste
- ½ cup thinly sliced English cucumber
- ⅓ cup freshly cooked corn
- ½ cup diced tomato
- ¼ cup sliced red onion
- 1 avocado, diced
Directions:
- Combine olive oil, maple seasoning and lemon juice in a glass bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
- Whisk olive oil, honey, lime juice, cilantro, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Set vinaigrette aside.
- Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Thread the shrimp onto skewers. Grill until shrimp turn pink and opaque, about two minutes per side. Remove from skewers and set aside.
- Place mixed greens in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Lay cucumber, corn, tomato, red onion and avocado in sections on top of the greens. Pile the grilled shrimp in the center of the salad. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
SPINACH SALAD WITH PEACHES AND PECANS
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup pecans
- 2 ripe peaches
- 4 cups baby spinach, rinsed and dried
- ¼ cup poppyseed salad dressing
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Arrange a single layer of pecans on a baking sheet and roast in preheated oven until they just begin to darken, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Peel peaches (if desired) and slice into bite-sized segments. Combine peaches, spinach and pecans in a large bowl.
- Toss with dressing until evenly coated, adding a little additional dressing if necessary.
*both recipes from allrecipes.com