After a winter of hearty stews and soups, I plan my summer dinners around seasonal main dish salads and often use a grill instead of my oven. Each of these five salads serves four and goes great with crusty sourdough bread or a baguette — and refreshing summer wines that hold up to vinegar-based dressings.
If you’re craving something sweet afterward, there’s nothing better than a scoop of your favorite ice cream topped with fresh berries, peaches and all the summer fruit you’ll miss once fall arrives.
Corn, Cheddar and Avocado Salad
![Corn, Cheddar and Avocado Salad_by_Meredith Miotke_1280x704.jpg](https://aarp-content.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3e9a999/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x704+0+0/resize/840x462!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcontent%2Ff1%2F6f%2Fad98fa0d4494aed1c0a0ce60eac0%2Fcorn-cheddar-and-avocado-salad-by-meredith-miotke-1280x704.jpg)
Created by Candy Schulman, winner of the Vermont Cabot Creamery Recipe Contest
Salad Dressing (can be made in advance)
1 cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
Shake everything together in a glass container.
Salad
4 ears fresh corn
1 pound boneless chicken breast
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and fresh pepper, to taste
3-4 cups assorted salad greens (Boston, red leaf, etc.), washed and torn into bite-size pieces
¼ pound grated cheddar
2 avocados, peeled and thinly sliced
2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
Tortilla chips, to taste
- In a covered pot filled with a few inches of water, boil the corn for 8 minutes. Cool; slice off the kernels.
- Grill the boneless chicken, seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Arrange the greens in a large bowl.
- Top with the corn, chicken slices, grated cheddar, avocado slices and tomatoes.
- Toss the salad with the dressing.
- Arrange with the tortilla chips, points down, all around the edge of the bowl, in a circular pattern, and serve.
Note: Eliminate the chicken for a tasty vegetarian version.
Wine pairing: Chablis or Spanish cava
Warm Potato–Goat Cheese Turkey Salad
![Warm Potato–Goat Cheese Turkey Salad_by_Meredith Miotke_1280x704.jpg](https://aarp-content.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/165406e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x704+0+0/resize/840x462!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcontent%2F97%2F07%2F5652340a4c85854d2b360ce37958%2Fwarm-potato-goat-cheese-turkey-salad-by-meredith-miotke-1280x704.jpg)
Created by Candy Schulman
Salad Dressing
1 heaping tablespoon honeycup stone-ground mustard
1/8 cup cranberry-pear or other fruity white balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
- Whisk together the mustard and vinegar.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while constantly whisking.
- Add salt and pepper; whisk again.
Salad
12 small fingerling, new or purple potatoes
3-4 cups assorted salad greens (Boston, mesclun or red leaf), washed and torn into bite-size pieces
½ pound smoked turkey, sliced thickly and cut into chunks
½ cup black olives
3-4 ounces soft, fresh goat cheese
- Cover the potatoes with water and boil until tender, for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Place the greens in a large bowl. Add the turkey chunks and olives.
- Dot the top with small spoonfuls of goat cheese.
- Drain the potatoes; cut them into bite-size pieces. Place the warm potatoes directly over the goat cheese so it melts, forming a creamy consistency when it’s tossed with the dressing; serve.
Note: Be creative with summer vegetables; al dente asparagus, green beans, fresh peas and broccoli all make delicious additions in summer salads.
Wine pairing: Riesling or Vouvray
Salmon or Tuna Salade Niçoise
![Salmon or Tuna Salade Niçoise_by_Meredith Miotke_1280x704.jpg](https://aarp-content.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/14fd66b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x704+0+0/resize/840x462!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcontent%2F5e%2Fd2%2Feb9d354844aa97e627a4e4e4bc84%2Fsalmon-or-tuna-salade-nicoise-by-meredith-miotke-1280x704.jpg)
Adapted from Epicurious; created by Susan Herrmann Loomis
Salad Dressing
3 tablespoons champagne or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¾ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and fresh tarragon, basil or chervil, to taste
- Whisk the vinegar with Dijon mustard in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the olive oil into the bowl slowly while constantly whisking.
- Add the minced garlic, salt and fresh herbs; whisk again.
Salad
1½ pounds sushi-grade salmon or tuna fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and fresh pepper, to taste
Market vegetables and assorted salad greens (see steps 4 and 5)
1 cup niçoise olives
8 anchovies, drained
- Drizzle the fish with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Grill to medium rare.
- Slice the fish into thin lengths.
- The rest is DIY, any assortment or amount: al dente green beans, quartered hard-boiled eggs, cooked new potatoes sliced in half, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped celery, grilled red peppers and sliced red onion.
- Create a long platter with assorted greens torn into bite-size pieces, topped with an appealing design of all ingredients plus niçoise olives and anchovies; serve.
Wine pairing: Sauvignon blanc or Sancerre (salmon); chilled sake, Chablis, or French or Spanish rosé (tuna)
Charred Broccolini Caesar With Kale and Chickpeas
![Charred Broccolini Caesar With Kale and Chickpeas_by_Meredith Miotke_1280x704.jpg](https://aarp-content.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c5a0c17/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x704+0+0/resize/840x462!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcontent%2F54%2F34%2Fd6ccfba845bfbefa1e57c132b089%2Fcharred-broccolini-caesar-with-kale-and-chickpeas-by-meredith-miotke-1280x703.jpg)
Adapted from Food & Wine; created by Justin Chapple
Salad Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon each salt and fresh pepper
6 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped into a paste
- Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper into the anchovy paste.
- Add additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Salad
1½ pounds broccolini, washed and trimmed, stalks cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon each salt and fresh pepper
½ cup crushed hazelnuts
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 cups little gem or assorted lettuces
1 bunch lacinato kale, approximately 4 cups, washed, stemmed and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Toss broccolini with oil, salt and pepper.
- Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Roast until the broccolini is lightly charred and the stems are crisp tender, for about 15 minutes.
- Roast the nuts until they are browned, for 5 minutes.
- Toss the charred broccolini, chickpeas, torn lettuce, kale and onion in a salad bowl.
- Toss with the anchovy dressing and serve.
Wine pairing: Pouillly-Fumé or Gruner Veltliner
Grilled Beef Salad With Oranges
![Grilled Beef Salad With Oranges_by_Meredith Miotke_1280x704.jpg](https://aarp-content.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ea7ef4c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x704+0+0/resize/840x462!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcontent%2F97%2F32%2F8ae5f90140f2af29060185f9b412%2Fgrilled-beef-salad-with-oranges-by-meredith-miotke-1280x704.jpg)
Adapted from Food & Wine; created by Charles Phan
Salad Dressing
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients.
Salad
1½ pounds strip steaks, 1-inch thick
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
¼ cup sugar
2 navel oranges, peeled and cut into sections
6-8 ounces watercress
6 ounces frisée, torn into small pieces
Salt and fresh pepper, to taste
- Toast the peppercorns and coriander in a dry pan, shaking for 1 minute, until fragrant. Cool. Crack them with a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife.
- Marinate the steaks in a plastic bag containing the garlic, soy sauce and sugar. Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Grill the steaks (10 minutes for medium rare).
- Mix the orange sections and the greens, tossing with dressing and with salt and pepper.
- Arrange on four plates, not in bowls. Top with slices of steak cut across the grain; serve.
Wine pairing: Slightly chilled pinot noir or Beaujolais
What's your favorite thing to cook in the summer? Let us know in the comments below.