Welcome to the summer house salad!
I mean, isn’t she pretty?!
I’m calling this my summer house salad for multiple reasons.
First, it’s no secret how obsessed I am with the how sweet eats house salad. Because that bowl is incredible. I make a version of it almost every single day. It’s classic and traditional with a few twists.
So naturally, I wondered, could I make it better? No. I always try to do that, then I fail. But I can make a summer version. Yes.
Second, summer house salad. Doesn’t it sound like you’re having a salad in your summer house? Yes. All dreamy and romanticized and maybe there is a beach involved. I certainly don’t have a summer house and doubt I ever will, so I like the dream.
Summer house salad it is!
You may remember a few years ago when I made this spicy rainbow salad. It’s based on one of our favorite local restaurants here and it’s incredible. It’s also a little spicy and has a few not-so-easy to find ingredients for everyone, like papaya and plantains. And it’s not so much of a greens salad, but more of a chopped salad.
And we all know I looooove a good chopped salad.
This one also kind of reminds me of that, but this one here is easier to throw together for dinner. Or a big summer cookout!
It’s also SO satisfying – in the way that it fills you up and the way that it looks.
It all starts with a base of greens! Use a spring mix or baby spinach or honestly whatever greens you like the best. I segmented this into what looks like a fancy salad, but it’s honestly not.
We have:
Tomatoes
Corn
Cucumbers
Avocado
Radish
Red onion (you could use pickled!)
Mango (adds the perfect sweetness!)
Peas
Herbs (mint and basil!)
And feta (use whatever cheese you’d like).
Oh oh and I also threw in a few of my chive blossoms! My chives are going insane and I can barely control their growth. I love to use the blossoms for garnish in salads and other dishes, plus you can totally eat them!
The dressing here is an herby vinaigrette – specially a MINT vinaigrette! Mint and basil. However, you could always sub in herbs of your choice.
See, I love the consistency of this cilantro lime vinaigrette, like how it almost becomes creamy when blended, but isn’t creamy at all. That’s what this is like! And it’s SO good. And so fresh.
I could drizzle it on bread alone or potatoes or shrimp or even use it on another salad – it’s very summer friendly.
I encourage you not to worry about the particulars here. Take these ingredients and create a salad you love.
Really enjoy summer corn? Throw in an extra ear. Don’t like cucumbers (hi Eddie), leave ’em out.
What makes the salad is the refreshing crunch of the product and the minty basil dressing, all mixed up.
I know this salad looks rather fancy, but that is just how I organize it in the bowl. I probably wouldn’t even have the time to make it this pretty if I was taking it to eat with friends, so don’t be afraid to toss everything together.
Because it doesn’t matter! The flavor is great. The crunch is wonderful. Add beans or chicken or shrimp if you’re feeling it. I can’t handle how much we love it!
Summer House Salad
Yield: 4 people
This summer house salad is loaded with crunchy fresh veggies, fresh herbs, feta cheese and drizzled with a mint vinaigrette.
- 6 to 8 cups spring greens
- 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 2 radishes, sliced
- 2 ears of sweet corn, kernels sliced from cob (I like to keep them raw!)
- 1 mango, peeled and chopped
- 1 avocado, chopped or sliced
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup sweet peas
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs, like mint, basil and chives, for sprinkling
- salt and pepper
herb vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- salt and pepper
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Place your greens in a large bowl and toss with salt and pepper. Add on your tomatoes, radish slices, corn, mango, avocado, red onion, peas, feta and mint. Toss everything well. Drizzle with the herb vinaigrette and serve!
As a note, you can prep this ahead of time by washing and chopping your vegetables then storing them separately. Wait to add the avocado and feta until serving.
herb vinaigrette
In a blender or food processor, combine the lime juice, honey, garlic, cilantro salt, pepper, pepper flakes and olive oil. Blend until combined and smooth (some pieces of cilantro may remain). Leftovers stay great in the fridge for a few days! Store it in a sealed container.
Total staple in my life now.
