- KICK OFF YOUR SALAD SEASON
Salad with Tropical Fruits, Marcona Almonds, Baby Lettuces and Lemon-Ginger Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2007
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4-ounce portions
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
- 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground Szechuan pepper or crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped mint leaves
- 8 large butter lettuce leaves
- 6 ounces diced mango
- 6 ounces diced papaya
- 6 ounces diced pineapple
- 20 toasted, lightly salted marcona almonds
- 1 recipe Lemon-Ginger Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Directions
Combine the chicken, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, pepper and mint in a plastic, re-sealable food storage bag and seal. Shake to combine, then transfer chicken to the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 24 hours. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and discard marinade. Allow chicken to come to room temperature for 20 minutes.
Preheat a grill to high.
When the grill is hot, grill the chicken breasts, turning to mark on both sides, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on your grill. Remove from the grill and allow to rest briefly before carving each portion into thin slices.
When ready to serve, place 2 lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates, and fan the chicken slices on top of the lettuce leaves. Garnish each plate with 1 1/2 ounces of the mango, 1 1/2 ounces of the papaya, 1 1/2 ounces of the pineapple and 5 marcona almonds. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the Lemon-Ginger Vinaigrette over each salad and serve immediately.
- Lemon-Ginger Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 4 tablespoons fresh ginger root, grated and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 7 ounces canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive container with a tight fitting lid, cover, and shake to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving.

Bibb Salad with Basil Green Goddess Dressing
2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved
Ingredients
- 1 cup good mayonnaise
- 1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions)
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 heads Bibb lettuce
- 2 to 3 tomatoes
Directions
Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended. (If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.)
Cut each head of lettuce into quarters, remove some of the cores, and arrange on 6 salad plates. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add to the plates. Pour on the dressing and serve.
Antipasto-Food Network
Ingredients
- 1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 head butter lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup rinsed canned red kidney beans, patted dry
- 1 cup rinsed canned garbanzo beans, patted dry
- 8 ounces salami, cubed
- 6 ounces Provolone, cubed
- 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Inactive Prep Time: none
- Cooking Time: none
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and salt in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper, to taste.
Garlicky Grilled Chicken, Portobello, and Radicchio Salad (see video)
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Ingredients
- • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- • 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- • 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- • 1 (4 to 4 1/2 pound) chicken, cut in 1/2
- • 4 portobello mushrooms, brushed clean and stems removed
- • 2 small heads radicchio, halved
- • Watercress, to serve
Directions
Put the garlic onto a cutting board and sprinkle it with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using the side of a large knife, slowly mash the garlic into a paste. Put the garlic paste into a small bowl and blend in 1/2 cup olive oil, parsley, and thyme leaves. Pour half the mixture over the chicken and season it with salt and pepper. Set the chicken aside to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients for grilling.
Heat the grill to medium high. Drizzle half the remaining marinade into the mushrooms and half onto the cut side of the radicchios. Season both with salt and pepper and place them on the grill over indirect heat. Grill until the mushrooms and radicchio are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes; set them aside to cool while you cook the chicken
Put the chicken on the grill and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Spring Pasta Salad
Recipe courtesy Jeff Mauro
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Pasta:
- 12 ounces cavatappi pasta, cooked to package instructions and shocked under cold water
- 4 ounces asparagus, blanched and thinly sliced on the bias
- 1 box frozen peas, defrosted
- One 12-ounce jar roasted yellow peppers, chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
- Ricotta salata, for garnish
Directions
For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper.
For the pasta: Toss the pasta with the asparagus, peas, roasted peppers, tomatoes, shallots and dill. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing to coat. Let the salad hang out for a bit to soak up all of the flavor.
When ready to serve, bowl it up and shave some ricotta salata over the top to seal the deal.
Neely’s Lemon Pasta Salad
Recipe courtesy The Neelys
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound corkscrew pasta
- 1 pound asparagus
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped dill leaves
- 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
- 7 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
In another large pot of boiling salted water, add the asparagus and blanch until bright green and slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or a spider and shock in icy cold water. Remove from the water and dry well.
Trim the ends of the asparagus and cut into bite-size pieces on the bias.
Whisk together the mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Combine the reserved asparagus and pasta in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, dill, peas, feta, and the mustard dressing. Toss with tongs to coat the salad well. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.
GARBANZO BEAN & MIXED VEGETABLE SALAD
Printed from COOKS.COM
1 (10 oz.) bag frozen cut corn, thawed & drained 2 red bell peppers, chopped 4 celery stalks, chopped 2 (16 or 19 oz.) cans garbanzo beans (chick peas), rinsed & drained 2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen peas, thawed & drained 2 bunches green onions, chopped 1 c. light mayonnaise 8 tbsp. lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, chopped plus 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. dried oregano Salt & freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp. ground cumin
In a large bowl, combine corn, peppers, celery, garbanzo beans, peas and green onions and toss gently. Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic and garlic powder and oregano in a small bowl. Add to bean mixture and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour. Sprinkle cumin over salad. Serve. Makes about 12 cups.
Thank you for reading my blog, I hope you like this post.
I love salads, summer and grilling! If you have any recipes you think I should try, please let me know. I think food brings people together, my hope is to make healthy food and lots of friends!
Enjoy your holiday week and let me know if you make any of these salads. 4th of July is a great time to bust out a new salad recipe!
Last night we made the Neely’s Lemon Pasta Salad…yum!!
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Thank you, Celia
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