My 3 Favorite Summer Salads

Since my big boys are off at football camp this summer, I’ve been serving up some hearty salads for dinner. In my dream world, this is how I would eat all of the time: a big fresh salad as my main course and a cookie or dish of ice cream for dessert–or maybe both–it’s all about balance. Today, I’m sharing three of our favorite salads using seasonal ingredients that come together in minutes.

Peachy Prosciutto Salad

What You Need

  • 2 peaches, sliced
  • A couple of cups of arugula
  • A few slices of prosciutto (we crisped ours up in the microwave)
  • A handful of figs, halved
  • 1 avocado chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds
  • Fresh dill
  • A few drizzles of olive oil, balsamic, and pinch of salt for dressing

What You Do

Combine all ingredients and top with olive oil, balsamic, and pinch of salt.

The Franklin Chopped Salad from A Life From Scratch

What You Need

  • One bag organic chopped kale (I chopped it even more)
  • 1 cup of almonds, ground up or chopped really fine
  • Your choice of dressing, we used a lemon shallot dressing
  • 1 chopped apple
  • 2 mini cucs chopped
  • Handful fresh basil minced
  • 1 avocado chopped
  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • Salt & pepper

What You Do

Get a big bowl out and massage your choice of dressing into the kale and almonds.

Add remaining ingredients and finish with salt and pepper. If you make this salad for dinner, leftovers make a great lunch. And one tip that Courtney who came up with this recipe always shares is to shred your rotisserie chicken when it’s warm–it’s so much easier.

Jennifer Aniston’s Salad (Allegedly)

There are some conflicting reports that this is the salad that Jennifer Aniston actually ate on the set of Friends for 10 years, but it’s still so good. It’s also great for leftovers and can last in your fridge for up to a week. If you make it for dinner, I add a chicken breast or a salmon filet and it’s more than filling.

What You Need

  • 1 cup quinoa or bulgur wheat, uncooked
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup cucumber, chopped
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup mint, chopped
  • ⅓ cup red onion, chopped
  • ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios, chopped
  • 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 lemons, juiced (about 5-6 Tablespoons)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Ground pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

What You Do

  1. Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and water to a small pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool for 5-10 minutes. 
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and feta.
  3. Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving.
  4. Store salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

xo,

Picture byJenn Marie Photography

My name is Ann Marie Scheidler and I'm thrilled you've decided to check out my blog. I'm a pearl-loving yogi with a thing for travel, a weakness for beautiful bags, and a passion for storytelling. In this space, I'll be sharing stories about my family, go-to recipes, my wellness journey, fashion and beauty favorites, and my love for Chicago’s North Shore. I find new inspiration wherever I go. Thanks so much for coming along for the ride!

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