Summer is finally here and the Dinner Sisters are celebrating its return with some light but dinner-worthy salads. Try a lemony-shrimp spinach and bulgur salad for dinner and great lunch leftovers. Or have friends over for dinner and serve a beautiful Nicoise salad with a lemony-anchovy vinaigrette. We especially loved the tomato- chicken salad with tangy feta cheese which, in all honesty, was put over the top when we served it over grilled bread. Wrap up your meal with refreshing treats from the Smorgasbord like a fruity agua fresca or granita.
This week we cooked…
Lemony Bulgur Salad with Shrimp and Spinach: Food and Wine
Light but filling, this salad has poached shrimp, bulgur, and spinach, rounded out with a lemony dressing. Perfect to make ahead for dinner or lunches.
Tips:
- If you plan to make this ahead, leave the spinach out of the dressing step. Instead, add the spinach just before eating.
- Poaching your own shrimp is likely less expensive but for a real no-cook meal buy precooked peeled shrimp.
Tomato-Chicken Salad : Southern Living
Herby chicken, tomatoes, and feta are piled on top of grilled bread in this dinner salad. Or serve it over a bed of greens for a lighter meal. Familiar flavors make this an across-the-board hit for all family members or as a potluck dish.
Tips:
- If you are short on time, use a rotisserie chicken instead of roasting your own.
- Make this at the same time as a cucumber salad and have two salads done at the same time. (Just keep slicing that cucumber!)
Nicoise Salad with Anchovy-Lemon Vinaigrette: NYT Food
A Nicoise Salad is a composed salad- a platter of tuna, olives, potatoes, green beans, cucumber and tomatoes dressed with a anchovy-lemon vinaigrette. A low-cook meal, just boil the potatoes and blanch the green beans, that is perfect for a summer night on the patio. (Or cooling off in the A/C.)
Tips:
- Dress the potatoes while warm- they will absorb the dressing this way.
- Feel free to add or leave out any ingredients your crowd doesn’t like.
- Break out your nice platter, chill the rose and have a perfectly summery dinner party with this salad and a crusty baguette. Weeknight dinner party gold.
From the Smorgasbord:
Agua Fresca Recipes:
- Six Kinds of Agua Fresca and How to Make Them (Note: goes beyond just the fruit drinks. They all sound amazing!)
- Watermelon or Cantaloupe Agua Fresca
Granita Recipes
Pairings for granita:
- Tequila + lime/citrus granita
- Rum + strawberry granita
- Irish Cream liqueur + coffee granita
- Gin + cucumber mint granita