It can be hard to make an effort to cook a nice, healthy dinner when the oppressive Queensland heat sets in. Lucky for you, we’ve searched far and wide to find four amazing, light salad recipes that you can whip up in a matter of minutes.
Sriracha Chicken Salad – Fit Foodie Finds
Pre warning – this one has some HEAT to it. This zingy salad serves two people, and only takes about 25 minutes to serve.
Ingredients
For the chicken
• 2 skinless chicken breasts (diced)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup flour
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• ¼ cup sriracha sauce
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
For the dressing
• ½ cup fresh parsley
• ½ cup fresh coriander
• ⅓ cup greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Juice from ½ lime
• Pinch of salt
For the salad
• 200g mixed salad leaf
• ¼ cup blue cheese
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• ¼ red onion, diced
• 1 avocado, sliced
Method
1. Prepare chicken marinade by combining sriracha, lemon juice, honey and garlic powder in a bowl.
2. Dip diced chicken into beaten egg mixture, then in the flour.
3. Heat olive oil in saucepan on medium heat. Once heated, add floured chicken and cook for 6-10 minutes or until completely cooked through.
4. Dip cooked chicken into marinade, coating completely. Leave aside.
5. Place all ingredients for dressing into a blender, and blend until smooth.
6. Assemble all salad ingredients in a serving bowl. Add marinated chicken, top with dressing and toss to mix.
7. Enjoy this delicious salad!
Summer Chicken Salad with Strawberries, Avocado and Fetta – Ambitious Kitchen
Food blogger Ambitious Kitchen created this recipe as way to combine some of our favourite summer foods. This salad serves four and takes 20 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
For the salad
• 2-3 large romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
• 250g grilled chicken breast, chopped
• 1 ½ cups ripe strawberries, quartered
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• ⅔ cup sweet corn
• 1 avocado, diced
• ¼ toasted almonds, chopped
• ½ cup crumbled fetta
For the vinaigrette
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 3 or 4 basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
Method
1. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together in a medium bowl until mixture appears muddled. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a salad serving bowl add all salad ingredients except avocado, almonds and fetta.
3. Add dressing over ingredients and toss to combine.
4. Garnish with avocado, almonds and fetta.
5. Serve the salad!
Tomato Cucumber Salad – Country Living
This summer salad balances the sweet, crisp flavours of cucumber and tomato with the sourness of apple cider vinegar and cumin. It’s a treat for the tastebuds! This recipe will serve eight intrepid salad eaters.
Ingredients
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 large tomatoes, sliced 1.5cm thick
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• Oliver oil, to serve
• ⅓ cup fresh coriander leaves, shredded, to serve
Method
1. Heat a large saucepan on medium and cook coriander and mustard seeds for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add cumin seeds to saucepan and stir for 10 seconds, until the seeds are fragrant.
3. Add vinegar, honey, salt and 1 cup of water. Stir to combine and simmer until the salt is dissolved.
4. Place onion in a heat proof bowl and pour vinegar mixture over onion. Keep onion and vinegar mixture aside until room temperature is reached. Cover bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (to pickle the onion).
5. Drain vinegar mixture from onion, keeping aside ¼ cup.
6. Arrange tomatoes, cucumber and red onion on a serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil and ¼ reserved vinegar mixture. Top with shredded coriander leaves and serve!
Pear, Parmesan and Walnut Salad
Last, but certainly not least, is this decidedly more-ish pear and walnut salad. The sweetness of the pear contrasts well with the bitterness of the rocket and spinach, and the crunchy texture of walnut makes every bite exciting. This dish serves four, and takes 15 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
For the salad
• 200g mixed rocket and spinach leaves
• 2 pears, cored and sliced thinly
• 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
• ⅓ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 50g sharp parmesan cheese, shaved
For the vinaigrette
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
1. Heat small frying pan on medium-high heat and add chopped walnuts. Toast for two to three minutes or until browned. Set aside to cool.
2. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Whisk thoroughly until muddled together.
3. In a salad serving bowl, assemble all salad ingredients except walnuts and parmesan cheese. Drizzle dressing and toss salad to combine.
4. Top salad with walnuts and parmesan and serve.
Make sure you grab the ingredients for these four salads at the Saturday Fresh Market. Have you tried one of these recipes before? If not, which will you try first? Let us know in the comments.
