Cucumber Tomato Salad

This cucumber tomato salad is a refreshing summer side dish! A tangy vinaigrette brightens juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, onions, and herbs.

This cucumber tomato salad recipe is the simplest summer side dish! Making it is as easy as tossing sliced cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, crisp onions, and herbs with a tangy 5-ingredient dressing. I make some version of it every week in the summer, changing up the herbs to use what looks best in my garden or tossing in fun add-ins like avocado or cheese. Bright and refreshing, it pairs well with almost any meal, from fresh summer pastas to veggie burgers off the grill. Whether you make it as written or make it your own, this recipe is a great one…

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Grilled Halloumi Salad

This halloumi salad is a cheese lover's dream! It features fresh veggies, croutons, and a tangy Greek dressing, plus lots of smoky grilled halloumi.

Cheese lovers, this grilled halloumi salad is for you! It stars salty, squeaky halloumi cheese, a goat and sheep’s milk cheese that hails from Cyprus. The #1 thing you should know about this cheese is that you can cook it! Its high melting point and firm texture make it perfect for grilling and roasting. I mean, grilled cheese?! Yes, please! This simple salad is one of my favorite ways to use grilled halloumi. The smoky, salty cheese plays off hearty croutons, crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and a tangy Greek dressing. It’s sort of like a cross between a classic Greek…

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Avocado Salad

This avocado salad recipe is a delicious, healthy side dish! A zesty dressing coats creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp veggies, and fresh herbs.

salads / spring

I’ve been craving this avocado salad recipe ever since I first made it. If you’re thinking, “Craving…a salad?”, well, you simply have to try this one. This avocado salad is not guacamole. But like guacamole, it keeps you coming back for more. Creamy avocado plays off juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, crunchy red onion, and spicy jalapeño. A bright lime dressing brings it all together. The fresh, zesty flavors and the delicious combination of textures make it so much more than the sum of its parts. It’s been one of my go-to side dishes this summer because it’s super tasty, super quick,…

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Quinoa Salad

This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe is hearty, healthy, and packed with fresh flavor! Serve it as a side dish, or enjoy it as a meal on its own.

summer / salads

This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe is fresh and flavorful. It’s a delicious addition to the menu of any potluck, cookout, or picnic. It can easily pass as a side dish, but it’s so hearty and satisfying that it can be the main event, too. And if you happen to have leftovers, you’re in luck! This quinoa salad keeps well if you make it ahead of time, so it’s a great recipe to meal prep for healthy lunches throughout the week. Over the years, I’ve shared lots of quinoa salad recipes on the blog, but I’m especially smitten with this one.…

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Italian Pasta Salad

This Italian pasta salad recipe is fresh and delicious! A zesty Italian dressing, veggies, olives, pepperoncini, and cheese fill it with bold flavor.

I’ve made this Italian pasta salad for all our picnics and potlucks over the last few weeks. When I added the ingredients to my shopping list again this morning, I knew I had to share the recipe! This Italian pasta salad is full of bold, zesty flavor. It starts with colorful veggies, oodles of noodles, and chewy mozzarella cheese. Then, I add olives and pepperoncini for tangy, briny flavor and fresh herbs for an aromatic pop. To tie it all together, I douse it in my homemade Italian dressing. It’s a perfect recipe for summer gatherings because, like many pasta salads, you can…

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Easy Gazpacho

Beat the heat with this easy gazpacho recipe! Made with summer veggies, vinegar, and olive oil, this cool soup is rich, tangy, and refreshing.

summer / soups

It’s no secret that I love gazpacho. Over the years, I’ve shared a gazpacho recipe with watermelon, one with corn, another with carrots, and still another with tangy tomatillos. What can I say? On a hot summer day, there’s no better way to cool off than with cold soup. If you’re not familiar with gazpacho, it’s a chilled soup that originated in Andalucía, Spain. Traditional recipes call for tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and bread, which thickens the soup. This recipe isn’t entirely authentic, but it has a lot in common with Spanish gazpacho. Tomatoes, cucumber, and…

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Easy Pasta Salad

This fresh, easy pasta salad recipe comes together in under 30 minutes! Tossed in a tangy vinaigrette and filled with veggies, it's a cookout hit.

summer / salads

Today’s recipe is a picnic-perfect pasta salad! Every cookout needs a great pasta salad, and this is the one that I make all summer long. It comes together in no time, it’s full of fresh ingredients, and it packs a flavorful punch. I took extra care to make sure that this recipe is not just easy, but also easy to make in advance… because I totally get that you don’t want to be futzing with your pasta salad when you could be spending time outside with your friends. Note: If you do decide to make this salad in advance, toss…

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Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

This Mediterranean quinoa bowl is a delicious weeknight dinner or healthy lunch! Great for meal prep, it's packed with veggies, chickpeas, and more.

Quinoa bowl recipes are some of my favorite easy meals to toss together for a healthy lunch or weeknight dinner. I love them because They’re customizable. You can change up the quinoa bowl toppings based on what you’re craving or what you have on hand. They’re great for meal prep. Cook the quinoa and mix up a tasty sauce over the weekend. Then, quickly assemble quinoa bowls all week! They’re super satisfying…not to mention tasty! I fill my quinoa bowls with protein-packed quinoa, fiber-rich veggies, and big drizzles of a flavorful sauce. It’s the ultimate combination of healthy and delicious. You can…

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Fattoush Salad

Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad made with fresh veggies, herbs, and crispy pita bread. Tossed in a zesty sumac dressing, it's bright and delicious.

This fattoush salad recipe is the perfect side dish for a summer meal. A Middle Eastern staple, fattoush is fresh and bright, featuring seasonal vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and lettuce, plus a hefty dose of parsley and mint. But, as tasty as tomatoes are in August, the star ingredient in fattoush isn’t a vegetable. It’s bread! That’s right—crispy pita bread adds crunch to this salad, making it pretty darn irresistible for just about anyone. (Salad skeptics, I’m looking at you.) I hope you try this recipe. I think you’ll love it! Fattoush Salad Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need…

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Fresh Spring Rolls

Stuffed with noodles, tofu, veggies, and fresh herbs, these spring rolls are SO refreshing! Serve with peanut sauce for a delicious vegetarian appetizer.

I’ll never turn down fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce for dipping, but they especially hit the spot on hot summer days. Served cold or at room temperature, they’re cooling and refreshing, stuffed with noodles, tofu, veggies, and fragrant herbs. The sweet and savory dipping sauce takes them over the top. I’ve ordered fresh Vietnamese spring rolls countless times at restaurants, but if I think to snag a pack of rice paper wrappers at the store, I make my own at home. I can’t call them 100% authentic because I love to experiment with different ingredients in the filling (mango?…

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Cucumber Salad

Featuring fresh dill, onions, and a sweet, tangy dressing, this cucumber salad recipe is a refreshing summer side dish. Bonus: it couldn't be easier!

This cucumber salad recipe is one of the simplest summer side dishes, and if you ask me, it’s also one of the best. It’s versatile. Serve it with any cookout or picnic fare. It’s flavorful. Shout out to the sweet and tangy dressing! And it’s SO refreshing. Just the thing for a hot day. It’s my take on a classic cucumber salad, complete with crisp, cooling cucumbers, red onion, and a punchy vinegar dressing. My special twist? I shower it with dill and chives for a fresh, savory kick. This cucumber salad has definite dill pickle vibes, and I am 100%…

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