It’s still only June, but already heat waves are spreading across the country.
I don’t know about you, but as temperatures climb, I lose my desire for traditional meals made of a main course, vegetable and starch. I crave salads and lighter fare. Luckily, along with hotter temperatures come farmers’ markets and gardens overflowing with fresh vegetables, greens, herbs and edible flowers.
Here are three new salads, all vegetarian and all highly adaptable. You can use the ingredients listed or substitute with your favorite vegetables, cheese, nuts and herbs. All three of these summer salads work just as well served as a main course or side dish. If serving the salads as a main course, add crusty bread or pita pockets.
Roasted chickpea salad “Greek style”
I love a good Greek salad, with its combination of creamy feta, crunchy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes. I thought it would be interesting to combine the classic flavors of Greek salad on a bed of roasted chickpeas flavored with oregano and olive oil. You can alter this recipe in any way you like, adding olives, capers, anchovy filets, edible flowers, etc.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
The chickpeas:
- 13-ounce jar or box of cooked chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and drained again
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped or 1 ½ teaspoons dried and crumbled
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
The salad:
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup tomato or cherry tomatoes, red and/or yellow, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup feta cheese, cubed
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped, plus 1 large whole mint leaf for garnish
- Juice 1 large lemon
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chickpeas on a rimmed cookie sheet and toss with the olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Place on the middle shelf and roast for about 17 to 20 minutes, or until they begin to lightly brown and pop. Remove and cool.
- Arrange the roasted chickpeas on a serving platter. Arrange small mounds of the cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, feta, and scallions around the chickpeas. Pour the lemon juice, olive oil, just a touch of salt (feta tends to be salty) and a generous grinding of pepper on top. Sprinkle on the mint and top with the mint leaf.
Farro and herb salad with nuts and currants
This salad is a riot of textures — nutty farro, crunchy nuts, peppery greens, soft, fruity currants and tender, flavorful herbs.
Farro is an inherently chewy whole grain that pairs well with other crunchy foods. Here I cook the grain and toss it with crunchy hazelnuts (it could also be pistachios, walnuts, etc), currants or raisins, and lots of fresh summer herbs. The farro is placed over a bed of spicy greens. (I use mustard greens but you could also use arugula, or watercress.)
Serves 4 as a side dish and 2 as a main course.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup farro
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 finely chopped scallions
- ¼ cup minced or finely chopped chives
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons white wine, rice or cider vinegar
- ¼ cup currants or raisins
- ¼ cup hazelnuts, pistachios or walnuts, etc, chopped
- Small bunch sharp lettuce like mustard greens, arugula, or watercress
- Edible flowers like nasturtium, optional
Instructions
- Cook the farro: Place the farro and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, stir, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Drain any remaining water, fluff with a fork, and place the cooked farro in a mixing bowl.
- While the farro is still warm, mix in the scallions, chives, oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the currants and nuts and taste for seasoning.
- Place the sharp greens on a serving plate and mound the farro salad in the center. Garnish with flowers, if using.
Roasted beets with fennel, cucumbers and greens with orange vinaigrette
Beets are just beginning to appear at farmers’ markets around the country. They tend to be super sweet (and relatively small) and earthy this time of year and make an ideal base for a summer salad. I roast them (this can be done one to two days ahead of time) to increase their sweetness and then thinly slice. They are surrounded by summer greens, cucumbers, crunchy fennel, and soft creamy goat cheese with a sweet orange vinaigrette (orange and beets pair beautifully).
Serves 4 as a side dish and 2 as a main course.
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium-sized beets, red and or yellow
- 2 cups assorted summer greens
- 1 small to medium-sized fennel bulb, cored, and very thinly sliced
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and very thinly sliced
- ½ cup goat cheese or feta, cubed
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons fennel fronds or dill
The orange vinaigrette:
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Juice from 1 small or ½ large orange
- 1 tablespoons finely chopped fennel fronds
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Roast beets: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place beets unpeeled in foil and wrap tightly to make a packet. Roast for about 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the size and freshness, or until a small, sharp knife is easily inserted in the center. Remove the beets and let cool for about 5 minutes or so. Unwrap the beets, and, using your fingers or a small sharp knife, remove the peel. Thinly slice the beets.
- Arrange the greens on a large platter or salad bowl. Arrange the beet slices, fennel, cucumbers and cheese on top. Sprinkle with the orange zest and fennel fronds.
- Make the vinaigrette: in a small bowl combine all the ingredients and taste for seasoning, adding more orange juice, salt or pepper as needed.
More recipes:
- Not the same old summer salads: 3 new takes on classic side dishes
- Celebrate spring with these bright, fresh salad recipes
- 3 salad recipes to segue from winter to spring
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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