The summer season is full of opportunities to show off your cooking skills using the season’s freshest produce.
There is just something special about grilling your dinner and preparing delicious salads to go with it.
If you would like to make a summer salad this holiday season, then these recipes are for you.
The best salads are colourful, vibrant, and tasty, and the perfect way to enjoy the very best of summer's flavours.
And while they can be healthy, salads can also be indulgent.
Each of these summer salads is bursting with flavour and big on texture.
They are perfect for summer picnics, barbecues, pool parties, or everyday light eating. So grab that knife and chopping board and go for it.
Roasted beetroot and strawberry salad
Serves: 5
Ingredients
2 oranges (zest and juice)
30ml olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning
150g beetroot
300g arugula
250g strawberries
100g Boursin cheese
40g savoury trail mix
Method
For the dressing, in a screw-top jar combine, orange juice, oil, kosher salt, and pepper; shake well to combine.
To roast beets, preheat the oven to 180ºC. Wash and trim beets.
Cut beetroot into wedges, drizzle olive oil and season with salt and pepper, with some orange zest. Roast beetroot for 20 minutes or until soft. Once ready, chill your beetroot.
Line a large serving platter with the arugula.
Top arugula with beet-dressing mixture; toss well. Top with the strawberries than with Boursin cheese. Sprinkle with savoury trail mix. Serve immediately.
Spicy paneer and watermelon masala
Serves: 5
Ingredients
60g olive oil
10g masala
120g paneer
20g honey
20ml lemon juice
A pinch of rock salt
250g watermelon cubes
160g cucumber (roll cut)
A handful of mint leaves (finely chopped)
Method
Add oil and masala to make a paste marinade your paneer.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Place your paneer on a roasting pan and roast it for 10 minutes set aside to chill.
Once cool, break into crumbs.
For the dressing combine honey, lemon juice, olive oil, and rock salt.
In a large bowl, take the watermelon and cucumber and add finely chopped mint leaves to it along with the dressing. Garnish with paneer
Serve chilled.
Recipes by Chef Noel Kanyemba.
Risoni prawn salad
Serves: 6
Ingredients
350g risoni pasta
300g cooked prawn tails
½ English cucumber, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 red onion, finely diced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
200g feta cheese, cubed
45ml chopped dill
45ml chopped parsley
salt and pepper
60ml olive oil
30ml lemon juice lettuce for serving
Method
Boil the pasta according to direction, drain and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch.
Combine in a bowl with the prawns, cucumber, pepper, onion, fennel, and feta. Add the herbs and season to taste.
Combine the olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the salad before serving on a bed of lettuce.
Recipe by Angela Day.