Peak-season fruit, farmers market vegetables, fresh greens, burrata, prosciutto — arrange whatever you love on a tray and call it a summer salad. This is a blueprint that keeps giving all season long.
Same concept, a different salad every time. Think of it as a choose-your-own-summer-salad-adventure.
This post is a celebration of summer in salad form: sweet, juicy fruits and crisp vegetables that almost don’t need a recipe. Sweet strawberries, ripe tomatoes, crunchy watermelon, creamy burrata, crispy chickpeas, pickled radishes — really, anything delicious at the market works.
If it belongs in a salad, it belongs in ours.
I want a salad that balances texture and flavor, changing each time based on what looks best at the market and how I’m feeling. That’s the point. Want a light, refreshing watermelon-feta vibe or a creamy burrata-and-peaches moment? Prefer caramelized figs and prosciutto or a rainbow plate of veggies? I enjoy riffing on classic combinations — a strawberry-burrata twist on panzanella, or a plum-and-cucumber salad dressed in roasted ginger vinaigrette. Experimenting is encouraged.
The Summer Salad Blueprint
Pick Your Fruits: peaches, figs, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon — if it’s great on its own, it will shine in a salad.
Pick Your Veggies: summer squash, corn, green beans — let the farmers market lead the way. Vary the preparation: raw, roasted, blanched, or charred for different textures.
Pick Your Greens: little gems, peppery arugula, butter lettuce — or skip greens altogether.
Pick Your Add-Ons: mix textures and flavors — crispy chickpeas, toasted nuts, seeds, pickled radishes, creamy burrata or fresh mozzarella, crispy prosciutto. If you’re unsure about a combo, taste a sample. Playing is the point.
Pick Your Dressing: keep it simple so the produce is the star. A classic oil-and-vinegar or lemon vinaigrette does wonders. Swap vinegars to change the profile — red wine for brightness, sherry for roundness, balsamic for sweetness, white wine for delicacy. Add shallot for bite, honey or maple for sweetness, mustard for depth and emulsification. Whisk or shake in a jar and taste.
Use the salad as a main or a side. Add baked feta, roasted sweet potato, or roasted meat for a full meal.
Summer Salads Worth Making
Summer salads are my go-to: peak produce, minimal fuss, maximum color. Below are ideas worth making — simple approaches you can adapt to what you find at the market.
Use this blueprint to build your own summer salad. Play in the kitchen and make it yours.
Recipe
Print Recipe
Summer Salad Ideas
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus, blanched
- 2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- 1 pint figs, halved
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 6 heads little gem lettuce, washed and dried
- 2 avocados, diced
- Handful basil leaves
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 shallot, minced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons vinegar (balsamic, sherry, red, or white)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients you’ll cook first: sweet potato, asparagus, and corn. For the sweet potato, preheat the oven to 400°F. Thinly slice (peeling optional), toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast 15–20 minutes until tender, flipping once.
- To blanch asparagus, prepare a large bowl of ice water. Trim the ends, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add asparagus, and cook until tender (about 3–5 minutes depending on thickness).
- Drain asparagus and immediately transfer to the ice bath for 1 minute to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.
- Remove corn kernels with a knife. Heat a sauté pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the corn, and season with salt and pepper. Sear on high heat for a bit of char, or cook on medium-low for 8–10 minutes until the corn loses raw starchiness. Set aside.
- Prep the rest: slice tomatoes, halve figs, slice mozzarella, wash and dry lettuce, and dice avocado.
- Make the vinaigrette: combine shallot, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, and honey in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season to taste.
- Arrange all salad components (except the lettuce) on a tray and serve with a bowl of dressed greens. Optionally drizzle a little dressing or good olive oil over the board and finish with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Notes
- When possible, buy local and organic produce.
- Pick a range of textures and flavors for a more interesting salad.
- Serving size can be adjusted for your group.
- Bringing this to a potluck? Assemble on a rimmed baking sheet and cover for transport.
- Vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving.
Did you make this recipe? Please share and tag @DanielaGerson! I’d love to see how you’re making colorful waves in the kitchen.
Summer-licious salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, purple cabbage, pickled red onion, roasted lemons, basil and a simple vinaigrette.
Make a smaller version on a plate instead of a board — for example, a rainbow tomato and cucamelon salad with grapes and cheese makes a beautiful plate.
Or try a savory cherry salad with cherry tomatoes, baked feta, little gems, purple cabbage, basil and an herbaceous vinaigrette.
Another variation: cherries, sourdough croutons, fresh herbs, little gems, burrata and a pesto vinaigrette.
Or simply arrange the best summer fruit with cheese, nuts, and honey and call it a salad.
This was the bounty from an early summer farmers market visit — I turned it into a salad with a rhubarb vinaigrette.