It's hot and you want to be out swimming and enjoying the short summer in Maine, right?
Now that my daughter is 5, she is begging to go swimming down at the pond 2 miles down the road practically every day!
So I need to come up with dinners that don't have me inside preparing all afternoon. I'm guessing you might feel the same way!
Here's a great way that has endless variations to get a meal on the table without spending too much time in the kitchen on anything elaborate. And guess what? It's even a hit with guests and kids alike.
It's our family's go-to when we get home from a fun summer outing and don't have a dinner plan. Doesn't need to be a disaster! 🙂
How to make salad a quick, easy and satisfying dinner
This is a riff on taco salad to be honest, inspired by a long-time CSA member, Mary Sue. No, it's not boring. And no, it's not skimpy.
It is super flexible, so yes! You can make it no matter what diet you're following or what you have available in your house. I promise!
Step 1: Prepare your lettuce
You can actually do this ahead of time. Which is a big time saver!
Here's how many experienced CSA members do it and me too!
- chop or tear up your lettuce
- rinse it well
- spin it dry (or pat it between clean towels)
- store it in a tightly lidded container in the fridge so it's easy when you come home
But you don't have to do it ahead of time. It will still be pretty fast and easy.
Step 2: Assemble your ingredients
Here's where the flexibility comes in. You can really put in anything you have in the pantry or fridge!
Veggies:
- Fresh chopped, thinly sliced, or grated raw veggies, anything you have on hand such as salad turnips, cucumbers, scallions, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, red cabbage, etc.
- Fresh lightly steamed veggies like green beans and/or broccoli, shredded cabbage, snap peas, etc.
- Leftover roasted or grilled veggies. (These can be excellent chopped cold over a salad with dressing.)
- Roasted squash or sweet potatoes
- Potato salad
- Pickled veggies, homemade or store bought, anything you have on hand like cucumber pickles, pickled beets, dilly beans, kimchi, etc.
- Avocado
- Mushrooms
- Olives
- Sprouts
Fruit:
- Fresh fruit such as blueberries, strawberries, grapes, raspberries etc.
- Dried fruits like mango, cranberries, etc.
Nuts and seeds:
- toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
- chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews, oh my!
Cheese/dairy:
- sour cream
- greek yogurt
- grated cheese like cheddar or parmesan
- cubed cheese like cheddar or colby
- crumbled feta or goat cheese
- blue cheese
Protein source:
This is the category that makes it super satisfying!
Examples include but are not limited to:
- sliced hard boiled eggs
- grilled chicken
- leftover sliced steak
- bacon
- ground beef spiced up Mexican style
- shrimp
- salmon or other seafood
- egg salad, ham salad, chicken salad, etc.
- beans, whole or refried (yum!)
- chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- hummus
- lentils
- tofu
Grains:
- quinoa
- rice
- tortillas (corn or flour)
- tortilla chips
- toasted bread or baguette
Herbs:
- Fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill, basil, etc.
- Dried herbs like oregano
Step 3: Have tasty dressings!
These can be store bought or homemade, depending on your preference. If you go for homemade, make them ahead of time and then they're just as easy as pulling them out of the fridge.
Here's my current favorite homemade dressing recipe that I use all the time.
Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette
Yes, I know I already shared this one on my last blog post. But it really is THAT good, so give it a try if you haven't already!
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, grated
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- juice of 2 lemons
- ½ cup olive oil
- salt, to taste
- honey, to taste
Combine ingredients and shake well to combine. Store in the fridge.
What did I miss? What is your favorite thing to add to salad to make it a meal? Post your comment below and I'll add it to the list! 🙂