Sohla El-Waylly’s Quinoa Crunch Salad is a masterclass in texture and flavor. Half the quinoa is cooked until fluffy, while the rest is baked and toasted into nutty crunch. Little Gem lettuce, Persian cucumbers, scallions, avocado, dill, and cilantro form a fresh base, all coated in a tangy, creamy green-goddess dressing with jalapeño heat and soy-umami depth.
Casey Elsass’s What Can I Bring is packed with crowd-pleasing, transport-friendly recipes, perfect for summer gatherings. I made the Perfect Pasta Salad with pesto, salami, mozzarella, and banana peppers – flavorful, fresh, and equally good hot or cold. With BBQs and potlucks ahead, this book is already a favorite!
To celebrate The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook’s release, I tried Meredith’s Blueberry BBQ Grilled Chicken Salad. It features caramelized chicken, tangy-sweet blueberry BBQ sauce, creamy goat cheese, sunflower seeds, and a blueberry vinaigrette. Bright, hearty, and packed with blueberries – this is summer on a plate.
After a month of travel, I craved a veggie-packed meal – and Smitten Kitchen delivered with her Sushi Takeout Cobb. This vibrant, no-cook salad layers cabbage, edamame, tofu, and more under a tasty carrot-ginger dressing. It’s fresh, satisfying, and perfect for hot summer days when cooking is the last thing on your mind.
Nok Suntaranon’s Yum Nua is a bold, flavor-packed Thai steak salad featuring juicy, marinated skirt steak, fiery chilies, fresh herbs, and toasted rice powder. A sweet-spicy dressing ties it all together, making it a must-try dish for spice lovers. This isn’t just a salad—it’s a taste explosion worth every step!
Eagerly awaiting focaccia expert Lacey Ostermann’s “3 Doughs, 60 Recipes” cookbook? Try her Winter Panzanella now—a seasonal twist featuring golden-toasted focaccia, Tuscan kale, caramelized butternut squash, and pickled onions in a zesty lemon-parmesan dressing. This hearty, satisfying salad proves bread salads aren’t just for summer.
Not being able to eat at Via Carota and I Sodi are two of the things I miss most about not living in NYC anymore. Luckily, I have the Via Carota Cookbook to hold me over until my next visit. I’ve loved recreating dishes like this phenomenal Cavolo e Farro (Green Cabbage and Toasted Farro with Speck)!
This chopped salad combines seared halloumi cheese with roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas, seasoned with onion salt and smoked paprika. Fresh Brussels sprouts, apples, and red onion add crunch, while a hot honey Dijon vinaigrette delivers a sweet-spicy finish to this tasty bowl.