Make Friends With These Summer Salads if You’re Sick of Lettuce

Did you start 2023 promising you’d eat more salads? Are you already sick of lettuce? Well, we’re here to save you and your tastebuds with these delicious summer salad recipes.

The team at Farmers Pick have created this collection of salads to not only celebrate summer produce, but to help you use it all up. Farmers Pick rescues fruit and veg directly from farms, saving it from landfill.

So, let’s get into it with these three summer salad recipes that will leave you feeling good inside and out.

Halloumi, orange and kalamata salad recipe

What you’ll need:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 orange
• 1/2 of a lemon, juiced
• 250g halloumi
• 50g kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 large handful of celery leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 small handful of parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Measure 3 tbsp of olive oil into a medium bowl, grate the zest of one orange over the olive oil. Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
2. Cut your halloumi into 7mm slices.
3. Slice your kalamata olives in half lengthways.
4. Slice the top and bottom off of your orange. Stand it on the flat bottom and follow the natural curve of the orange to cut off the rind, keep doing this all the way round until your orange is naked and you can’t see excess white pith. Turn it onto its round side and cut slices of about 7mm thickness. Slice these in half so you have half moon shapes.
5. Wash and finely chop your parsley.
6. Wash and roughly chop the celery leaves.
7. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large frying pan. Heat pan and olive oil on the stove for 1 minute over medium heat.  Add your halloumi and fry for a couple of minutes on each side or until golden brown.
8. Whilst your halloumi is cooking, lay the orange across the base of a serving platter.
9. Once your halloumi is perfectly cooked, turn the heat down to low and add your kalamata olives to the pan. Pour over your olive oil/juice/zest mixture and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add your chopped parsley. Fold together gently with a spatula so you don’t break up the halloumi.
10. Grab some tongs and arrange the halloumi and olives across the orange slices in a decorative manner. Pour the remaining oil and juices from the pan across the platter and garnish with celery leaves.
11. Eat this dish immediately whilst the halloumi is still warm and tender.

Summer green bean and cucumber salad with miso, sesame dressing

What you’ll need:

Salad

• 300g green beans, cut in half and stalks trimmed
• 20cm piece of cucumber
• 2 spring onions, sliced

Directions:

1. Put a medium pot of salted water over a high heat and bring to the boil. Use a lid and the water will boil faster.
2. Put your blender jug or food processor body onto your kitchen scales and weigh directly into it, this will save time and dishes. Weigh/measure all of your ingredients directly into it. Blitz it up until you have a nice smooth consistency and season with salt. Set aside.
3. Halve your cucumber lengthways and slice into chunks. Slice your spring onions.
4. When your water is boiling, add the green beans and boil for one minute. Strain and refresh in cold water.
5. Grab a large bowl and toss the beans, cucumber and spring onion together. Pour in half the dressing and toss to combine.
6. Arrange the salad on a platter or a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if you’re feeling fancy!

Black bean, mango and mint chopped salad

What you’ll need:

• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tin of black beans, strained and rinsed
• 1 mango, chopped into 1cm cubes
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 75g cheddar, cut into small cubes (optional)
• Large handful fresh mint, finely chopped (reserve a few leaves for garnish)

Directions:

1. Juice the lime into a small bowl, add the oil, spices, garlic and chilli. Season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Chop the mango, red onion, tomato, cucumber and cheddar.
3. Take a large bowl and add the rinsed beans, add the vegetables which you just chopped, gently stir in the cheddar and mint.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently.
5. Heap the salad in a nice bowl and garnish with mint leaves.

And there you have it! Three far-from-boring summer salads to help keep your health kick going.