Cold Salads for Hot Weather

Looking for a simple, healthy meal that won’t raise your temperature now that the hot days have hit?

You’re in luck—it’s cold salad plate summer. Foodies and home chefs online are throwing together proteins and greens, flavors and textures to make exciting, colorful, and delicious compound dishes that nourish and refresh without making you sweat.

Whether you want a quick and easy family dinner, or a make-ahead spread to impress at a barbecue, Tufts experts have plenty of recipes to mix and match as you make your own version of summer’s coolest salad.

1. Start with a scoop or two of protein. 

Tufts experts offer healthy twists on the classics: blueberry almond chicken salad and nicoise tuna salad. For a high-fiber, plant-based option, try a four-bean or cold black-eyed pea salad.

Blueberry almond chicken salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt; 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped; 1 cup blueberries; 1/2 cup celery, chopped; 1/4 cup scallions, chopped; 8 leaves lettuce; 2 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions
1. In a bowl, combine yogurt, basil, salt, and pepper until blended.
2. Add chicken, blueberries, celery, and scallions and toss until evenly coated.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves on serving platter and top with chicken mixture, dividing evenly between lettuce leaves.
4. Top with almonds.

Nicoise tuna salad

Ingredients

1 lb mini potatoes; 8 oz green beans, trimmed; 1 pint cherry 
tomatoes, 
halved; 2 (5 oz) cans tuna, drained; 1/4 cup pitted, chopped olives; 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed; 1 Tbs olive oil; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, boil potatoes until fork-tender. Let cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. While the potatoes are boiling, steam the green beans to desired tenderness, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the tuna, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, olives, and white beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Chill before serving.

Cold black-eyed pea salad

Ingredients

2 15 oz no or low sodium black-eye peas, rinsed; 1 cup diced red bell pepper; Tbsp diced jalapeno, seeds removed (optional); 1 cup diced cucumber; 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro. For the vinaigrette: 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar; Juice of one lime; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp honey; ¼ cup olive oil; Half of a small shallot, finely diced (optional); ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp cayenne pepper; Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Vinaigrette, in a small bowl combine and whisk the vinegar, lime juice, mustard, and honey. Drizzle in the olive oil gradually, whisking to combine. Add the shallot, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste, whisking to combine.

2. In a medium to large bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, peppers, cucumber, and cilantro.

3. Add the vinaigrette to the black-eyed pea mixture, stirring to combine. Refrigerate to chill before serving.

2. Add two or three chilled sides. 

This sweet potato salad pops with color and more nutrition than white potatoes, or try a pasta salad for added flavor, texture, and heartiness. 

To get whole grains in the mix, consider a wild rice or quinoa salad, a bean and barley salad, or a wheat berry salad with dried apricots and spiced citrus dressing.

Sweet potato salad

Ingredients

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion; 3 tbsp sliced almonds; 2 3/4 cup sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4 chunks; 1/4 cup fresh orange juice; 4 tsp lemon juice; 1/2 tsp honey; 1/2 tsp minced garlic; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 1/4 tsp salt or to taste; 1/8 tsp pepper; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 4 cup baby spinach (washed & dried)

Instructions

1. Place onion in a medium bowl and cover with ice water. Let soak for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Place almonds in microwave-safe bowl and microwave at High 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Let cool.

3. Meanwhile, place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes or just until tender but still firm. Drain.

4. Whisk orange juice, lemon juice, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, salt and pepper in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Reserve 3 tablespoons of this dressing for spinach.

5. Add hot sweet potatoes to dressing in bowl. Drain onions and add to sweet potatoes; toss gently to mix. Toss spinach with reserved 3 tablespoons dressing in a large bowl. Mound spinach on 4 plates. Top with sweet potato salad and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve warm.

Wheat berry salad

Ingredients

3/4 cup wheat berries or spelt berries; 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced; 1/3 cup fresh orange juice; 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1/2 tsp minced garlic; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/4 tsp ground coriander; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 pinch black pepper; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 1/2 cups red bell pepper, seeded and diced; 1/2 cup chopped scallions; 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Instructions

1. Place wheat (or spelt) berries in large saucepan with 4 cups cold water. Cover and boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until wheat (or spelt) berries are tender and some of the grains have started to splay, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water.

2. Meanwhile, place dried apricots in medium bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand 5 minutes. Drain.

3. Whisk the orange juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Add red pepper, scallions, cooked wheat berries, and plumped dried apricots. Toss to coat well. Stir in mint.

3. Don’t forget the fruits and veggies. 

Keep it simple with cold berries, cherry tomatoes, or sliced melon or avocado—or add a zesty flourish with a zucchini salad with lemon and basil, or a cucumber-watercress salad.

Who says fruits and veggies have to be separate? Dare to eat a peach, tomato, and basil salad, or a Swiss chard salad with oranges and citrus vinaigrette.

Zucchini salad with lemon and basil

Ingredients

4 cups thinly sliced zucchini; 2 Tbsp lemon juice; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil; 1/8 tsp salt plus a dash for serving; freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, lemon juice, olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper.

2. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and serve immediately or cover, refrigerate, and serve chilled.

3. Top with a dash of salt just before serving.

Cucumber watercress salad

Ingredients

2 medium cucumbers, diced; 1 large tomato, diced; 1 small red onion, diced; 1 avocado, cubed; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar; 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar; 2 sprigs watercress or cilantro, leaves and stems, chopped

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the diced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.

2. In a small bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the salt, apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar.

3. Drizzle the dressing over the cucumber mixture, add the chopped watercress or cilantro, and toss to combine.

4. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Peach, tomato, and basil salad

Ingredients

medium tomatoes, cored and diced; 2 medium peaches (or nectarines), pits removed, diced; 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil; 1 Tbsp olive oil; Tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar); 1/4 tsp salt; Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, peaches, basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

2. Serve immediately.

Swiss chard salad with oranges and citrus vinaigrette

3 cups Swiss Chard or Kale; 2 medium Oranges, peeled and chopped; 1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds. For vinaigrette: 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 small orange, juiced (about 3 Tbsp juice); ¼ tsp cumin; Salt and pepper (as desired, optional)

Steps:

1. Wash chard leaves, and dry. Chop them fairly fine and place in a large salad bowl. Add chopped oranges and pumpkin seeds.

2. To make citrus vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil, orange juice, cumin, and salt and pepper (optional) in a small dish.

3. Toss dressing into salad, combining well.

4. Set aside or chill for about 30 minutes to let dressing tenderize greens. Toss and serve.

4. Finish it off with bread or crackers. 

Freshly baked whole wheat or sourdough are great choices, or if you’re buying, look for the phrase “100 percent whole wheat” and for “whole wheat” as the first ingredient. Gravitate toward sourdough and sprouted grains, and select the lowest sugar and sodium levels.

Go whole-grain for crackers, too—or if you’re looking for a less processed crunch, try unsalted nuts, seeds, or plain popcorn.

This story repurposes content that originally appears in the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter.