All too often when we think of salads, we automatically think of a tossed green salad. Now, I’m not opposed to those leafy greens at all. In fact, you could say that I’m a huge fan of them. But, I do think we tend to get in a salad rut so my goal this summer is to try a new salad with most dinner meals. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem at all. On my June 2 segment on THV11‘s This Morning I shared some of the Savory Side Salads that we have already tried and enjoyed.
- Safety Zone’s Spaghetti Salad comes from an old cookbook that was sold to help finance a safety house in our community. Over the years I have adapted it to suit our tastes which I’m sure you will do as well. It makes a large dish and doesn’t contain any dairy which makes it perfect for those large picnics or family reunions. It can be made days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. Just give it a good toss before serving. It is always a hit whenever I serve it.
- Chickpea and Green Bean Salad with Fresh Herbs and Parmesan is light, colorful and so, so flavorful. Both the salad and dressing can be made several hours ahead of time, but wait to combine them until shortly before serving or the green beans may lose a little of their color. I’ll be gathering all of the herbs from our garden. Don’t you just love that?
- Dilly Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette —well every good picnic, dinner on the grounds, wedding or funeral, or family reunion in the South must have a potato salad y’all. Honestly, for my tastes, they usually have waaaaayyyy too much mayo and are so, so heavy. This Dilly Potato Salad is absolutely not like that! I use a variety of colorful fingerling potatoes because I think they look so pretty on the serving dish, but you can use all of one variety if you prefer. And can you believe it has apples? And capers? Yep, you really have to make this one.
- Farro Salad with Beets, Arugula and Feta. Never used farro before? Here’s your chance to get acquainted with this sweet and nutty grain and in an incredibly healthy fashion to boot. It’s another make ahead (Are you sensing a trend here?). I use prepackaged peeled and cooked beets which makes this salad super easy, but you can use fresh ones that you prepare yourself if you prefer.
- Broccoli-Cauliflower Walnut Salad is based upon a recipe I got from my mom years ago. Because it always seemed to show up on the Easter menu, we dubbed hers “Pat’s Every Year at Easter Salad.” It’s even written up in the family cookbook that way. This version has a nice contrast between sweet and tart and is much lighter than my mom’s. This is the one I prepared on air, and you can find the recipe for it on the THV11 web site.
How about you? Are you adventurous when it comes to salad making? I’d love to know your suggestions.
After you’ve been so, so good eating these healthy savory salads, you deserve a treat. Check out this Blueberry-Lemon Souffle Pudding Cake I made in the slow cooker or this Cast Iron Skillet Peach and Blueberry Cobbler. Both are found on Taste Arkansas. They’re really good y’all.
