7 Refreshing Summer Salad Recipes to Beat the Heat!

Welcome back to BerryBerryLife, bringing you easy and delicious vegan and vegetarian recipes from around the world. With the summer upon us, we're increasingly craving cool and refreshing recipes. And of course, salads are our go-to options. Not only are they healthy and nutritious, but they're bursting with flavor and come together in minutes. So check out these summer salad recipes for a busy weekday lunch or a weekend potluck. Be sure to check out the video description below for the full written recipes. Or go to berryberrylife.com. Today we're making an Asian chopped salad. It's full of crisp veggies and a savory dressing bursting with flavor. So let's get started. We'll start by toasting some peanuts. These will add a bit of crunch and protein to the salad. Once they're toasted, we'll set them aside to cool while we prep the other ingredients. For the vegetables, we'll start with some green cabbage. This is a rather large head, but we're only going to need about a quarter. Using a sharp knife, we're going to slice the cabbage into thin strands like this. It really does help to have a sharp knife for this, otherwise it tends to slip and that's never a good thing. As the saying goes, dull is dangerous. Applicable in the kitchen as well as life. We want these fine strands not just for the visual appeal or ease of handling. The thin strands increase the surface area to come in contact with the dressing, and this helps tenderize it quickly. If you're short on time, you can use a mandolin for this step, as my wife prefers to. We've added a link to her all-time favorite one in the description below. However, for me, cutting vegetables is therapeutic, so I prefer to use a knife. Also be sure to check out the description below for the full recipe of this salad. These look good! So we'll add it to our large salad bowl. Next we have some vibrant red cabbage. We just love the bright bursts of color it lends to the salad. Again, similar to the green cabbage, we'll julienne these into slivers. When combining a bunch of ingredients, it's important to keep the shape of the cut in mind. The more I like the shape of the ingredients, the more evenly everything blends together in the final product. What do you call a purple cabbage that's a famous artist? Vincent Van Slot. The purple color in the cabbage is actually due to a pigment called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins actually have antioxidant properties, which just adds on to the health benefits of cabbage. One of my favorite parts of making the salad is layering the colorful ingredients, almost like creating a painting. Next for a bit of beta carotene, we have some carrots for that beautiful orange color. We'll julienne these as thinly as possible as well. Carrots have numerous health benefits. They help with dental, heart, bone, and skin health. They also increase immunity and help with digestion. So we try to incorporate them as much as possible into our meals, or just a healthy snack. Oh wow, look at this. Our masterpiece is really coming together. Here we have a red hot long pepper. It's a bit spicier than a bell pepper, but not by much. We love it for its bright red color. We'll slice them at a diagonal like this. We get these in a bulk packet at the Asian grocery store. Usually we go through these quickly for various recipes, but they store well in a ventilated container as well. Next we have some aromatic Thai basil. This is probably about a cup. We'll take the leaves off the stem by snipping them at the base. Then we'll give it a rough one-two chop, or we can tear it apart by our hands as well. As we chop, the fragrance of the Thai basil is already enticing. Along with the Thai basil, we'll add some fresh mint for another burst of aromatics. Here's a trick to quickly pull the leaves off the stem. Pull the stem at their base with one hand, and with the other hand, run your fingers down the stem pulling the leaves off. There, easy peasy. This salad works on so many levels. Not only is it going to be visually stunning, but it'll have a beautiful aroma and an amazing taste and texture. We'll give the mint a rough one-two chop, and then add it to our bowl. Next we'll add some green onions. We're only going to add the green part, but feel free to add the white parts if you like. We'll stay on theme, and cut the green onions into inch-long pieces. Feel free to use any cut you like. After all, you are the Picasso of your own salad. This salad is incredibly versatile. You can add, remove, or adjust just about any ingredient. Now to add a bit of crisp and snap, we'll add some bean sprouts. They'll lend a boost of protein, and keep you cool and hydrated. Then we'll add our toasted peanuts, along with some sesame seeds. These add a nice textural component. Now that the salad ingredients are in the bowl, we'll prepare a quick Asian dressing. For this, we'll need a couple of Thai chilies for some heat, but not too spicy. We'll chop them finely, and set them aside. To a mason jar, we'll add six tablespoons of light soy sauce, along with six tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, or mirin. You can also make this salad dressing the night before. We make a large batch, and store it in the refrigerator for a few days. Then a tablespoon and a half of vegan fish sauce. This is made from mushroom powder, dried kelp, and apple cider vinegar. If you're not into fish sauce, feel free to skip it. We like it for its savoriness. Next, four tablespoons of sesame oil. We're basically making a vinaigrette, with a combination of oil and vinegar, along with other ingredients. However, this is a lighter vinaigrette, as there is more vinegar and less oil. Then for a citrusy punch, two tablespoons of lime juice, along with three tablespoons of agave nectar for a sweet element to round out the flavors. With the liquid ingredients added, we'll add one teaspoon of garlic powder, and our two Thai chilies. Then close the lid, and give it a good shake. That's it, the dressing is ready. Now we can add it to our salad bowl. We're only adding half of this to the bowl, which should be enough. Then we'll give it a gentle toss. The dressing is going to collect at the bottom, so it's important to lift all the ingredients from the bottom to coat them evenly. As you're combining all the ingredients, you'll notice the salad may be shrinking in size. That's to be expected, as the salt from the soy sauce and the rice wine vinegar are beginning to wilt the vegetables and extract water from them, ever so slightly, which tenderizes them. That's it, the salad is ready. We'll serve ourselves a generous portion, and top it off with more peanuts and sesame seeds. And for the coup de gras, fried shallots, and crispy garlic, along with the obligatory green onions. This is one of our favorite salads for picnics. We store the dressing and the ingredients separately, until we're ready to serve. It's perfect for a day at the vineyards, or farm breweries. It's crunchy, crispy, tangy, sweet, with a little bit of heat from the bird's eye chilies. There you have it, a taste of Asia right in the comfort of your own kitchen. On today's episode, we're making a delicious and refreshing watermelon and feta salad. We'll start by cutting up a watermelon. We have a large seedless one, and we're only going to use half of it, which yields about 8 cups. It's fun to cut a watermelon, there's so many different ways. And of course, no matter how I cut a watermelon, my wife just happens to know a better way, that she's kept to herself until this exact moment. Isn't that how it usually goes? We're looking for about inch-sized cubes. Why did the watermelon and honeydew break up? Because, they cantaloupe! There's something oddly satisfying about cutting these cubes of watermelon in a grid pattern. You know how they say you should stop to smell the roses? Well, you should also never miss a chance to appreciate the geometry of things. Next we have a pound of feta cheese. We've patted it dry, and we'll cut these into half-inch cubes. This salad is one of our favorites for a picnic. We usually wait to assemble it just before serving, and make sure all the ingredients stay as cool as possible. Feta originated in Greece thousands of years ago, and is considered one of the oldest cheeses according to Cheesiology. A blend of goat and sheep's milk, it has a salty and tangy profile that complements the sweetness of the watermelon. We use it in many recipes, from spreads, to sauces, to salads, sandwiches, appetizers, and even desserts with sweet fruits. Anytime you need a creamy, briny tang to liven up a dish, give this cheese a try! Next we'll add some fresh mint. We love using these ventilated containers to keep the herbs fresh. We'll snip the leaves at the stem, and stack them up like this. Makes it really easy to chop. Then slice them into ribbons, or otherwise called chefenade. Then add it to our salad bowl, along with the juice of one large lime. Love the way the mint leaves contrast against the watermelon and the feta, a feast for the eyes. And a pinch of salt. Next our not-so-secret ingredient, a couple of tablespoons of za'atar seasoning. Za'atar has been around for thousands of years, originating in the Middle East. It's often used in Middle East and Mediterranean dishes. It's a combination of oregano, marjoram, sumac, with sesame seeds and other herbs. It works really well to round out the sweet and savory elements of the salad. If you can't find this seasoning, check out the video description below for the recipe. With that, using a silicone spatula, we'll mix the salad gently, being careful not to break the feta pieces even more. There you have it, a cool watermelon feta salad. A taste of the Mediterranean, right in the comfort of your own home. Today we're making a Whittier Mushroom Salad. We'll start by chopping a red chili. We have these long hot red finger chilies. These are mildly spicy. Feel free to use a spicier variety if desired. We like the red color because of how vibrant it looks. We'll cut these in half rounds this time. Other times, we leave them as rings. Next, we'll julienne some green onions. We typically don't use this cut very often, but for a salad like this, or a vegan Peking Duck, it's really nice. In order to get these matchstick shapes, we chop the green onion into 2 inch pieces, then gently press the piece down to flatten it, and then slice lengthwise. Then lastly, we have the Whittier Mushrooms. They come in a package like this at the local Asian market. You can also purchase them dried. Check out the link in the description below. I assume these are called Whittier because they do have a resemblance to an ear. A lot of mushrooms are commonly named after what they resemble. To prep these, we'll bring a pot of water to a boil, add the mushrooms, and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes. For the dehydrated mushrooms, you'll need to soak them for about 30 minutes prior. While the mushrooms are boiling, we'll prepare an ice bath. After 5 minutes, the mushrooms should be done, so we'll remove them from the water into a colander. We like to place the colander in the ice bath, it makes it much easier to strain the mushrooms later. And then we'll set that aside, and allow them to chill out for a minute. Next, we'll make the sauce, or salad dressing. One tablespoon of sugar. One tablespoon of minced garlic. One tablespoon of soy sauce. One tablespoon of rice wine vinegar. One and a half teaspoons of sesame oil. Half a teaspoon of salt. And an optional ingredient, one bird's eye chili, or Thai chili, minced. We'll give it a mix, feel free to add a tablespoon of water if this is too thick. And set it aside. Once the mushrooms are chilled, we'll toss them on a kitchen or paper towel and pat them dry. You can also use a salad spinner, it works great. With the mushrooms dry, we'll now assemble the salad in a large bowl. First we'll add the mushrooms, next we'll top it off with our julienne green onions. And then the red chilies. Wow, look at that color pop. And lastly, drizzle in our salad dressing. This dressing goes well with cold noodles or other salads as well. Then we'll give it a gentle mix to combine. These mushrooms are tougher than they look, but we want to avoid any tearing. That's it, the Whittier Mushroom Salad is ready to be served. With a few sesame seeds, for a little crunch. There you have it, Whittier Mushroom Salad. A taste of Shanghai in the comfort of your own home. On today's episode we're making a simple but wholesome salad. It's packed with protein, fiber, and other good for you nutrients. And takes only 10 minutes to make. We'll start by chopping some veggies. Today we're using this yellow bell pepper, and some sweet peppers for their vibrant colors. The best part about this salad, outside of it being easy and convenient, is that it makes great use of the leftover vegetables. This salad isn't really about following the exact recipe, but rather a guideline. Because I don't think we've made this the same way twice. This salad is incredibly versatile. It can be eaten by itself, as a side, or with some chips and salsa. It's perfect for picnics and potlucks. Having a salad like this in the refrigerator takes a lot of pressure off of figuring out what to eat on a busy day. We want to eat as healthy a meal or snack as possible that doesn't take a lot of time. So we make it often. Let us know in the comments below your favorite salad recipe. We'd love to hear from you. Also check out the description of this video for the full recipe. Next we'll dice some cucumbers. Is there anything cooler than? These are great for hydration. In case you forgot to drink enough water today, a good bench scraper is a must-have tool for any kitchen. We use it in a variety of ways, from moving vegetables around, to making dough by hand. Then some radish for a crisp, spicy bite. These are also very hydrating. Perfect for summer, or actually any season. This salad is a great meal prep idea for a school lunch or a day at the office. And next some carrots, for that beta carotene. Why did the carrot turn orange? Because it heard that beta carotene was the new black. Did I mention this bench scraper also has a ruler on the edge? Which comes in handy all the time. We like the stainless steel one, that doesn't have any grooves for food to get stuck into, which is usually a health hazard. Next we'll chop some cherry tomatoes. Or feel free to use what you have in hand. We like cherry tomatoes because they're sweeter. Then we'll chop some red onion. We love the color, and it adds a nice bit of punch to otherwise mellow ingredients. Have you ever wondered why they're called red onions when they're clearly purple? Is this just one of those mysteries of life that goes unsolved? If you know, please let us know in the comments below. We love to learn. And lastly we have some fresh parsley. Believe it or not, this parsley is two weeks old. We store it in these ventilated containers. This helps the parsley stay cool and dry. We'll just grab a fistful and ball it up like this so it's easier to chop. We'll go with a fine chop, almost a mince. With all the veggies cut and loaded into the bowl, we'll add the beans. Today we're going with one can of chickpeas, one can of black beans, one can of navy beans, and a can of red kidney beans. Now we'll add some more parsley on top. Setting the bowl aside, we'll work on the dressing. For this dressing, we'll go with a simple vinaigrette. Starting by chopping some parsley. I like to chop the parsley as close to use as possible. This allows the fragrance to stay intact. A good rule of thumb for any herb, actually. And we'll slice this beautiful lemon. Look at that. Picture perfect. To a mason jar, we'll add some extra virgin olive oil. The good stuff. We love using a mason jar. They're always available and easy to store leftover dressing in the refrigerator. Then add in the parsley and the juice of the entire lemon. For seasoning, we'll go with black pepper. Freshly ground, please. Salt from the Himalayas, or so I'm told. And for an Eastern twist, some ground cumin. This is a basic dressing that can be modified a million different ways. You can add Dijon, honey mustard, a little sugar, maybe some garlic, some herbs. And instead of lemon juice, you could use red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. You can also add fruits to it to make a fruit vinaigrette. Just keep in mind the ratio of three parts oil to one part acid. And adjust all the other ingredients to your taste. All right, with the dressing done, we'll drizzle it over the salad and give it a stir. Ah, look at these beautiful colors. A feast for the eyes. You can eat the salad as is, but we like to refrigerate it. It allows the ingredients to meld better. After a couple hours, the salad is perfectly chilled and looks amazing. Check it out. Oh man, I cannot wait to dig in. If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to hit the like and subscribe button for more great content. Also, be sure to check out our other great vegan and vegetarian recipes. Health benefits aside, this salad saves us time and money, allowing us to use our leftover vegetables. Way healthier than some other options. What do you call a panzanella that tells jokes? A punzanella. Today, we're making a salad where the prominent ingredient is bread. That's right, it's panzanella. Pan means bread. Panzanella refers to a deep plate in which the salad is served. We'll start by preheating the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. For panzanella, you can use a hearty Italian bread. But today, we're using a French country bread instead. In French, it's called pain de campagne. In Tuscany, they usually use stale bread. This is dry and absorbs the dressing. However, we like to impart some flavor and texture to the bread. So we're going to cut the bread into cubes and make croutons. After the bread is cut, we'll load the pieces to a baking sheet and spread them out evenly. And drizzle it with ebu, extra virgin olive oil. The oil is to prevent the croutons from burning. You don't need a whole lot. Then add some salt and some black pepper. We always make fresh croutons with leftover bread. They're really handy to have around, especially for a salad like this. Then give it a toss. Then spread them out evenly. And place them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are lightly brown. After 12 to 15 minutes, we'll take them out of the oven and allow them to cool. These are perfect. They're crispy on the outside and a little soft in the center for a satisfying bite. While the croutons are cooling, we'll prepare the rest of the ingredients. Starting with the tomatoes. We like to quarter these as it allows for more of the tomato flesh to be exposed and the juices can release to flavor the salad. Along with a sharp knife, a good bench scraper comes in really handy here. The juice of the tomatoes will actually help create the dressing for the salad. We'll add the diced tomatoes to a large mixing bowl. Next, we'll add some salt. Some ground black pepper. Then add about a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil. Because this is a salad, you want to use the good stuff. Along with a tablespoon or two of red wine vinegar. And a spoonful of sugar to round out the flavor. Then we'll mix to combine and set them aside for about 10 minutes. This will help the flavors meld and the salad dressing to form. Now we can chop the rest of the ingredients. Starting with an apple. We're using honey crisp apples for a couple of reasons. One, they're in season. And two, they have a crisp sweetness that offers a break from the otherwise savory dish. We also like to use peach when peaches are in season to make peach panzanella. What does the avocado say to the peach when it's angry? You are the pits! Next, we'll dice some cucumbers. Because what's cooler than a cucumber? It's nice and refreshing. These cocktail cucumbers are perfect for pickling. Since they're about 95% water, they're perfect to keep you hydrated. Then we'll chop a red onion. We like to use a red onion for its bright color. And because it's a bit spicier than the yellow onion, it adds the spicy element to the salad. Have you heard about the famous onion plunge? It's like the polar plunge, but with an onion. It's when you throw an onion in an ice bath to help it crisp up and to reduce some of its pungency. We like to use a radial cut, which is pull to pull. It creates thin slivers of the onions, leading to a better presentation. And to counteract the onion, we'll throw in some fresh mint. With the ingredients prepared, it's time to go back to the tomatoes and assembled salad. We'll add all the fruits and veggies to the tomatoes. We want to mix the fruits and the veggies before we add the croutons. This helps to coat the fruits and vegetables with the salad dressing and prevents the croutons from getting too soggy. Wow, just look at all the colors. This is looking amazing already. With the salad mixed, we'll finally add the croutons. The reason we add the croutons towards the end is because we can allow the dressing to coat the other ingredients. We also prepared some additional dressing on the side, as we're never sure exactly how much dressing the bread will absorb, and we don't like to have a dry salad. With the salad prepared, we'll transfer it to a plate. Bread has been a Mediterranean staple for many thousands of years, and this salad is actually a way of using preserved bread. Now we'll top it with burrata. And drizzle the burrata with some more ivy, along with salt and pepper. Originally, the Mediterraneans were using ancient Mediterranean vegetables, and started using tomatoes relatively recently, in the 1600s. And we'll add a little bit more mint on top. And there you have it. Burrata penzanella. A taste of Tuscany in the comfort of your own home. On today's episode, we're making a quick and healthy chickpea feta salad. We'll start by adding two cans of cooked chickpeas to a large mixing bowl. Next, we'll dice up an English cucumber. We'll leave the skin on, and the great thing about this cucumber is, we don't need to remove the seeds. There are typically two types of cucumbers. One type for slicing, and the other for pickling. Cucumbers are believed to have originated in Southern Asia. They're part of the same family as squash or melons. Then we'll dice up half a red onion. We like red onion for two reasons. The vibrant purple color, and it's a little bit spicy, which adds a punch to the salad. Onions contain sulfur compounds. These compounds are what makes your eyes water when you cut the onion. And they're the same ones responsible for the onion's unique flavor and aroma. You can rinse or soak the onions in cold water to reduce their pungency. Next, we'll ball up a fistful of parsley and give it a rough chop. We love the citrusy zest of the parsley in this salad. There are two types of parsley, Italian and curly. Today we're using Italian, but the curly works great as well. Next, we'll add some fresh mint. We snip the leaf at the base and separate like this. This reminds me of mint julep. Sure could go for one right now. Now we'll gather all the leaves, roll it up, and give it a rough chop. It's great biting into a fresh mint leaf for a burst of freshness. Lastly, we'll crumble some feta. It adds a nice creamy and savory element. You can also cut it with a knife. It's just more fun this way. For the dressing, we're keeping it simple. We'll add the zest of a whole lemon. We have these large Meyer lemons. Lemon zest is a versatile flavor booster. Use it in lemonade, dessert, or cocktail for an extra burst of lemony flavor. Then some freshly ground black pepper. And some salt to taste. We don't add a lot of salt because the feta itself is salty. Then to complete the dressing, we add 1 3rd cup of extra virgin olive oil or EVOO. Along with the juice of the entire lemon. Then using a silicone spatula, we mix gently using the fold method. Being careful not to crumble the feta anymore. We love this bowl because it has a lid. Easy to store away in the refrigerator. You can eat this salad right away, but we usually like to chill it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. This allows the flavors to blend. Once chilled, it's ready to be devoured. There you have it. Garbanzo or chickpea feta salad. Perfect for a quick healthy snack or a summer picnic. On today's episode, we're making a vegan southwest taco salad with a citrusy cilantro dressing. Which we'll serve in a baked tortilla bowl. So let's get started. For this recipe, we'll need some large tortilla. We're using these burrito style that are 10 inches across. Vegan chorizo. We get this from a supermarket called Trader Joe's. And it comes in a package like this. After removing it from packaging, you can heat it up in a microwave or in a skillet, which is what we did. We'll also use some vegan cheese that we've cut into small pieces. Some sweet corn kernels. Some black beans that we've grained and rinsed. A couple of hearts of romaine lettuce. Red onion, chopped. Some tomatoes. A couple of avocados based on your tolerance. And lastly, our homemade citrus cilantro dressing. If you're new to this channel, glad you could join us. Hit that subscribe button and join our community of foodies. If you like this video, give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends and family to spread the love. Also, be sure to click the bell icon and turn on future notifications as we upload recipes every week and you don't want to miss out. We'll start by making the tortilla bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is around 175 Celsius. Lightly oil a medium glass bowl. We're going to use this glass bowl to give the tortilla bowl its shape. Fold the tortilla into the shape of the bowl. Be as gentle as possible to prevent tearing. Press it into the sides of the bowl to make sure there is good contact to the oil surface. This will help crisp up the tortilla from the outside. There, that looks good. We'll do one more for good practice. Now we'll load these onto a baking sheet, which will help with the handling when we take it out of the oven. All right, let's go to the oven. We'll place these on the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes. Then we'll come back and flip them and bake for another 15. Careful handling the glass bowls, they're extremely hot. We're using some metal tongs. These will go back in the oven for another 15 minutes. And just like that, the tortilla bowls are done. Crispy on the outside. We'll set them aside and let them cool. You can also bake these in the air fryer at 300 degrees for 10 minutes, and then flip it halfway. While we're going for a tortilla bowl, we ended up with the tortilla cup. The shape aside, know that the technique works. For our salad dressing, we'll need olive oil, extra virgin would be best, and an equal amount of lemon or lime juice. We're using a one-to-one ratio of oil to acid, along with minced garlic, freshly chopped cilantro, ground black pepper, some toasted cumin powder, red chili flakes, and salt. This is one of the simplest salad dressings. We're going to combine everything in the salad dressing container and stir vigorously. This is our favorite salad dressing container, which comes with a spout, which seals at the top. And it's graduated. No, it didn't go to college. It just means it has the measurements printed on the sides to help us with measuring. That's it. The salad dressing is done. For this salad, we're going to chop the lettuce across into strips and transfer it to our salad bowl. And we'll chop the tomatoes into medium-sized pieces and transfer them to the bowl as well. For the onions, we prefer to chop them a little bit smaller than the tomatoes. A larger piece of onion can be a little bit strong in flavor, and it can overpower everything else. We'll add them to the salad bowl as well, along with black beans and corn, as well as our chorizo and our vegan cheddar, which happens to have a stray bean in it. And lastly, we'll add the avocado. We usually cut the avocado just before serving the salad. We slice the avocado in half, remove the seed, then using a paring knife, slice directly into the avocado. And scoop out the pieces with a spoon. And you guessed it, they also go into the salad bowl. With the avocados on board, our salad is ready to be served. We'll go ahead and mix the salad before adding the dressing so there's even distribution. That looks good. Now we'll add on the dressing. One more good shake and drizzle it on. And give it a final mix. Now we'll transfer it to our homemade tortilla bowl. There you have it, vegan southwest taco salad. With our homemade tortilla bowls and a citrusy cilantro dressing. That looks good enough to eat. So let's not mince words. Oh man, can't wait to try this. This is a hearty salad you can enjoy for lunch or dinner. And it has a great balance of flavors. The spiciness of the chorizo, the tanginess of the dressing, the saltiness of the cheese. Amazing. Hope you enjoyed this recipe. Be sure to give it a thumbs up and let us know in the comments below. Also remember to subscribe and share this with your friends and family to help support this channel. Don't forget to hit the bell icon which turns on future upload notifications so you don't miss a thing. We make recipes from all over the world. If you try this recipe, be sure to tag us on Instagram at BarryBarryLife. We'd love to hear from you. Thank you and enjoy!