7 Gorgeous Summer Salads

Published June 2, 2016 11:01PM

1. The Riviera Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Thinly sliced carrots, radish and fennel add flavor and crunch to this beautiful salad with fresh mint and tarragon.

2. Zucchini Carpaccio with White Beans, Basil & Pine Nuts

Don’t be fooled by the simple ingredients list in this salad – it has big flavor from crunchy pine nuts and fragrant fresh basil. A mandoline helps slice the zucchini as thin as possible, but you can also use a knife if you prefer. For added color, try adding cherry tomatoes if you have some on hand.

3. Deconstructed Bagel & Lox Salad

We’ve taken the classic flavors in a bagel & lox sandwich and packed them into a salad with wild smoked salmon, dill, red onion and even toasted bagel chips. To lend a delicious richness to this meal, try adding 3 to 4 oz of crumbled goat cheese.

4.The Baja Grilled Peach Salad with Spicy Cashew Dressing

Sweet, juicy grilled peaches add a lovely warm-weather flair to this salad packed to the brim with beautiful vegetables. The true star of this meal, though, is the creamy cashew dressing spiked with just a touch of cayenne. If you have time, we suggest making the candied pecans as they add an addictive sweet-salty crunch.

5. Tossed Antipasto with Pecorino-Romano Vinaigrette

Have you ever ordered an antipasto plate at your local Italian restaurant? Picture every delicious item from that platter – artichokes, roasted peppers and pepperoncini – all tossed together in a salad with a gorgeous oregano-cheese dressing. We promise, you’ve never had anything like this salad!

6. Seven-Layer Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

This recipe yields a generous amount of dressing – either toss the desired amount of dressing to coat the salad lightly right before serving, or serve the dressing alongside so your guests can dress it themselves. Or, you can go the route that many traditionalists take in the Midwest – they pour on enough dressing to lightly coat the salad (we suggest using about half of the dressing) and set it in the fridge to allow the dressing to trickle down and coat the veggies.