Five delicious summer salads to make for dinner when you don't feel like cooking

If you're not in the mood to cook this bank holiday weekend, try one of these healthy salads for dinner

There's endless possibilities when it comes to a summer salad. 

Summer salad

Combining fresh greens, soft-fried almond eggs and a refreshing, lemon vinaigrette with a hint of mustard, this summertime salad packs a punch of flavour

Course

 Imported

Cuisine

 Traditional

Ingredients

• For the almond soft-fried eggs:

• 6 eggs

• ¾ cup Panko style breadcrumbs

• ½ cup finely ground almonds

• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 2 eggs, beaten

• ¼ cup flour

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• vegetable oil, for frying

• 3 cups mixed micro or baby greens — rocket, beet shoots, kale

• 1 cup mixed herbs — parsley, tarragon, chervil, thyme, mint, coriander, chives

• ½ cup shelled and roasted pistachios

• ¼ cup olive oil

• salt

• pepper

• For the lemon vinaigrette (use 1/8 cup):

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

• ½ cup olive oil

• For the lemon oil (use ¼ cup):

• 1 tsp canola oil

• 4 pieces lemon zest

• ¼ bunch lemon thyme

• ¼ stick lemongrass

Method

1. To make the lemon oil, in a medium saucepan combine all ingredients. Place over a very low heat for 1 hour. Do not let the oil boil. Remove from the heat, cool and strain. refrigerate until ready to use.

2. To make the vinaigrette, in a medium bowl combine mustard and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in lemon oil and olive oil. Season to taste, and set aside to make the eggs.

3. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, gently add the eggs and cook for 6 minutes. Immediately remove the eggs and immerse in a bowl of ice water until cold: carefully peel and set aside.

4. In the first of three medium bowls, combine the Panko, almonds, parmesan, salt and pepper. In the second bowl, whip the eggs until smooth; in the third bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper.

5. To coat the eggs; first roll the cold, soft cooked eggs in the flour, shaking to remove any excess.

6. Dip the eggs in the beaten egg mixture, then in the crumb mixture, rolling until completely coated.

7. Repeat with a second coating of beaten egg and crumb mixture. Using your hands, press the crumb mixture around the eggs to secure the coating. You can prepare the eggs to this stage and store refrigerated for up to 4 hours.

8. To cook the coated eggs; heat about 3 inches of oil to 175°C in a medium saucepan. Carefully add the eggs and cook, turning, until golden brown and heated through, about 2 minutes. 

9. In a large bowl, toss together the baby fennel, pistachios, greens and herbs. Add lemon vinaigrette to taste and season with salt and pepper.

10. Divide salad into individual bowls and top with immediaetly with the eggs
    This recipe is from From Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Peach, gorgonzola and watercress salad

The saltiness of the blue cheese, freshness of the spring onions and vibrant flavour of fresh, juicy peaches is a gorgeous summer salad, made in minutes

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 4 ripe peaches or nectarines

• 2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice and a little honey, sprinkled over the peaches to stop them discolouring

• small watercress or rocket leaves

• 225g blue cheese (Gorgonzola, Crozier or Wicklow Blue)

• 110g walnut halves, coarsely chopped

• 4 scallions or spring onions, thinly sliced

• For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 6 tbsp walnut oil or extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

• 1 tsp wildflower honey

• sea salt

• freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. First make the dressing. Whisk all the ingredients together in a little bowl with a fork. Season to taste.

2. Choose perfectly ripe peaches or nectarines. Slice in 6-8 pieces and sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey if not serving immediately.

3. Scatter a few watercress sprigs or rocket leaves on each plate, tuck a few peach slices in here and there, crumble some Gorgonzola or other blue cheese over the top. Drizzle a little dressing over the salad, sprinkle some toasted walnuts and thinly sliced scallions or spring onions over the top. Serve immediately.
   From Grow, Cook, Nourish published by Kyle Books

Roast aubergine with feta and salad

Thank you to Orla McAndrew for this gorgeous recipe, perfect for sunny days

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 aubergine

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 300g spinach

• A bunch of mint

• A bunch of parsley

• A bunch of basil/coriander

• ½ red chilli sliced thinly

• 30g flaked almonds

Method

1. Slice an aubergine in half lengthways and make diagonal incisions deep into the flesh. Brush with olive oil and place in a preheated oven for 25-35 minutes until completely tender.

2. Meanwhile, wilt the spinach by popping it in a large saucepan with a little drop of water, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Chop up all the herbs and lightly toast the almonds in the oven for the final 4-5 minutes of cooking time.

4. Once the aubergine and spinach are cooked it is just a matter of compiling everything together.

5. Place the spinach on top of the aubergine and layer with the feta. Pile on all the chopped herbs, — the more the merrier — and finish with the toasted almonds and chopped fresh chilli.

Rebooted Caesar salad

recipe by:Gareth Naughton

I love taking dishes that are almost tragically ‘unhip’ and with some quality ingredients and newer techniques, making a dish smart and fun again. Especially something like a Caesar salad which everybody loves!

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• For the Caesar:

• A head of large romaine lettuce or 2 heads of baby gem

• Aged Parmesan, grated, for garnish

• 2 anchovy fillets (Boquerones are best)

• 50g Lough Neagh smoked eel

• For the dressing:

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1¼ tsp white wine vinegar

• 1 black garlic clove

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 10g Parmesan, grated

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 dash Tabasco

• A pinch of black pepper

• 120ml vegetable oil

• For the Pangrattato:

• 250g stale sourdough, roughly blended

• 100g guanciale or high-quality smoked bacon, diced as finely as possible

• A splash of extra virgin olive oil

• Zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. To make the dressing, it is essentially the same process as making a mayonnaise. Place the egg yolk, vinegar, black garlic, eel and anchovy into a food processor and blend until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oil until the dressing reaches a thick consistency and add the final ingredients until the dressing reaches the taste you like.

2. To make the Pangrattato, add the guanciale (or high-quality smoked bacon, if using) to a cold pan and allow it to crisp up slowly and the fat render well from the meat. As soon as it crisp, remove it with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. Add the chopped sourdough to the pan of rendered fat and allow to crisp, just like croutons, and add the lemon zest and leave to one side until ready to finish the dish.

3. To finish the dish, take the lettuce and break into individual leaves, wash and dry the leaves.

4. Generously dress each leaf with a handsome amount of the Caesar dressing, a handful of the Pangrattato and a large grating of aged parmesan. Rebuild the leaves on a plate, each one back on top of the other and finish the top layer with the still crisp guanciale, a few Boquerones anchovies, 5-6 pieces of smoked eel, and cover this final layer with the remaining croutons and a final grating of Parmesan.

Watermelon, rosewater and maftoul Salad

recipe by:Darina Allen

Maftoul — Palestinian or Pearl couscous sounds very exotic but it’s now widely available and so worth keeping in your store cupboard.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 500g (18oz) watermelon, 2cm (3/4 inch) cubes

• 1-2 teaspoons rosewater, depending on intensity

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil f

• laky sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

• 225g (8oz) Maftoul or Pearl couscous

• seeds of 1 pomegranate

• 50g (2oz) pistachio, coarsely chopped

• 1 handful of mint leaves, coarsely chopped

• 1 handful of parsley, coarsely chopped

• 1-2 teaspoons sumac

• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

• 60ml (scant 2 1/2fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

• 125g (4 1/2oz) feta

Method

1. Sprinkle the rosewater over the watermelon cubes (careful not to use too much). Allow to macerate.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan, add the couscous and stir for 3 or 4 minutes until coated and toasted. Transfer the maftoul to a stainless-steel saucepan of boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, drain and cool.

3. Meanwhile, flick the seeds out of the pomegranates and save the juice too.

4. To serve: Mix the pomegranate seeds with the watermelon and chopped pistachio nuts. Add the mint leaves and parsley. Season well with flaky sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper and sumac.

5. Whisk the pomegranate molasses with the extra virgin olive oil. Drizzle over the feta, toss gently and add with a shower of crumbled feta to the salad. Taste and tweak if necessary. Enjoy soon.