One of my favorite things about summer is hosting backyard BBQs. I invite neighborhood families over to catch up and enjoy some favorite BBQ recipes while dining alfresco and watching the kids run around together in the backyard. Most would say that the grilled burgers, brats, chicken, pork chops, or seafood are their favorites, but for me, it’s always a fresh summer salad.
My go-to has always been this tomato-corn salad and this street corn pasta salad, but recently I tried something new, adding more fresh veggies, goat cheese, and sunflower seeds to the mix. It goes fast and someone always asks for the recipe, which I’m more than happy to share!
Recipe Highlights
- So colorful – the bright pops of color in this tomato salad draw everyone in, conjuring those ooohs and ahhs that a host always love to hear
- Nutritious – if getting others to eat their veggies is a goal, this salad can make it happen. I don’t hold back when it comes to adding more nutritious veggies, tossing in nearly everything that’s in season or ripe in my garden. Because of those veggies, this salad is an excellent source of fiber, as well as so many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s also a good source of good-for-me unsaturated fats from the extra virgin olive oil in the salad dressing.
- Makes a lot – this salad makes about 10 cups, which is a nice amount to serve as a side dish at a summertime BBQ or potluck. The leftovers store well for a few days, which is nice because it’s a healthy and simple addition to my lunches.
Ingredients Worth Spotlighting
This isn’t the complete list of ingredients for this salad. To see those, scroll down to the recipe card. But I wanted to share a few notes about the ingredients I’ve chosen and some good substitutes.
- Tomatoes – I always have some cherry tomato plants growing in my garden, so I use them in this salad. I like to use a mix of red, yellow, and orange cherry or grape tomatoes to get the most color. Chopped garden tomatoes, roma tomatoes, or heirloom tomatoes are also great.
- Cucumber – If my kids had to pick a favorite veggie, it is cucumbers. While I don’t grow cucumbers in my summer garden, I always have a hothouse, English cucumber, or mini cucumbers in my grocery cart or pick them up at the farmers market. Sliced fresh radishes, chopped zucchini, chopped romaine, or chopped kohlrabi are all good substitutes, as they add that juicy crunch I’m going for.
- Sunflower seeds – I love the addition of lightly salted sunflower seeds in this salad, which just makes it feel even more like a summer day. Toasted sliced almonds, chopped cashews, roasted or raw pumpkin seeds, or these crunchy edamame beans are good substitutes for the sunflower seeds.
- Goat cheese – I’ve always been a sucker for goat cheese on salads and veggies. I think it adds such a nice complementary flavor, texture, and saltiness. In this salad, I use a soft or semi-soft goat cheese, which blends in nicely to the veggies. Crumbled feta cheese, fresh mozzarella, or shredded or shaved Parmesan are also good.
- Fresh herbs – Don’t skip the fresh herbs. In my opinion, they’re what make this salad so seasonally perfect. I always have an abundance of basil in my garden, so I use that the most. But it’s also good with chopped fresh parsley, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, fresh cilantro, or chopped fresh mint.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Make The Dressing Ahead Of Time
When I’m hosting friends, I prep as many ingredients as I can ahead of time so I can enjoy the evening and not be tied to the kitchen counter. There are a few make-ahead components in this salad that make it come together even faster. First, prep the chopped veggies ahead of time and store them in a covered bowl. Also, shake all of the Italian dressing ingredients together ahead of time and keep it stored in a mason jar until it’s time to serve the salad. Then, the last-minute prep time tasks are just to chop the fresh herbs and toss everything with the vinaigrette.
Make It Dairy Free
If I know I’m serving someone who avoids dairy for dietary reasons, it’s easy to make this salad dairy free by just omitting the goat cheese. If that’s the case, I’ll set a little bowl of crumbled goat cheese or crumbled feta next to the salad so those who want some can add it themselves. This salad is also naturally gluten free, grain free, nut free, and egg free, so it makes a great option for serving a variety of people with different dietary needs.
Serve With A Protein And Other Sides
This salad adds not only fresh flavors and colors to a summer dinner, but it also has a delicious creamy-crunchy texture. When I pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss to combine the ingredients well, the goat cheese kind of melts into the ingredients, creating a delicious creamy texture that pairs well with a variety of cooked proteins.
I’ve served it with simple grilled or stovetop chicken breasts, grilled steak kebabs, these delicious marinated pork chops, and even a whole smoked spatchcock chicken. To round out a potluck, I might also add a simple fruit salad like a watermelon-feta salad with lime dressing, or caesar salad, blue cheese potato salad, or this favorite blueberries, quinoa and feta salad.
To make this a main-dish chicken salad, I toss in some cooked shredded chicken and chickpeas and enjoy it as a Mediterranean-style high-protein lunch for several days in a row.
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a little toss with a spoon before eating to redistribute all the flavors.
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Summer Salad
This explosion of summer produce makes the most beautiful, colorful, and delicious side dish salad that pairs well with a variety of cooked proteins. A perfect addition to summer potlucks and backyard BBQs.
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (about 1¾ cups)
- 1 medium cucumber, chopped (about 1½ cups)
- 1 bell pepper, diced (any color, about 1 cup)
- 1 cup sliced snap peas
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (may use canned or frozen and thawed)
- ½ small red onion, sliced or diced (about ½ cup)
- ¾ cup (4 ounces) crumbled soft goat cheese
- ½ cup roasted sunflower seed kernels
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley or fresh basil
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive or avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place piles of the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, snap peas, corn, red onion, goat cheese, and sunflower seeds.
- In a small bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, whisk or shake together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to combine well. The goat cheese will “melt” into the salad, creating a creamy texture.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Notes
Suggested Substitutions:
- If you don’t have cucumber, sub in sliced fresh radishes, chopped zucchini, or kohlrabi
- If you don’t have red onion, use sliced scallions (green onions)
- If you don’t have snap peas, use sliced snow peas or sliced pole beans
- If you don’t have goat cheese, sub in crumbled feta or shredded Parmesan
- If you don’t have sunflower seeds, substitute sliced or slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, or crunchy edamame beans
- If you don’t have fresh parsley or basil, substitute any mix of fresh herbs, such as fresh mint or oregano
- If you don’t have red wine vinegar, may sub fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
For dairy free, omit the goat cheese.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 140
- Fat: 10 g
- (Sat Fat: 2 g)
- Sodium: 194 mg
- Carbohydrate: 9 g
- (Fiber: 4 g
- Sugar: 3 g)
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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