4 refreshing salad recipes to try this summer

Smokin' Salmon
Prep time: 5 mins
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
60 gm mix lettuce
50 gm smoked salmon slices
40 gm cucumber
40 gm avocado
15 gm red cherry tomato, quartered
15 gm yellow cherry tomato, quartered
10 gm red radish, sliced thinly
40 gm balsamic dressing
Method
Wash and dry mixed greens before laying them out generously at the bottom of your bowl.
Dice the cucumber and avocado pieces, keeping them small so you can enjoy an array of flavours and textures with every bite. Spread around the bowl.
Chop red radish and cherry tomatoes, and lay them evenly around your bowl.
Give the ingredients a little mix to even them out.
Just before serving, slice smoked salmon into fine, bite-sized pieces.
Place on top and drizzle some balsamic dressing across the salad. Serve.
Let's Taco 'Bout It
Prep time: 20 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
40 gm ground beef, cooked
16 gm chilli powder
5 gm ground cumin
7.5 gm garlic powder
1.5 gm salt and pepper
40 gm spinach
30 gm sweet corn
30 gm cherry tomatoes, quartered
30 gm avocado, diced
30 gm tortilla chips
3 gm cilantro
40 gm cheddar cheese, shredded
20 gm spring onion
2 gm edible flowers
For the salsa:
130 gm tomato, canned, peeled
3 gm green pepper
1.5 gm red onion
1.5 gm garlic
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
2 ml sriracha sauce
For the dressing:
60 gm salsa (recipe above)
60 gm Greek yoghurt
Method
Mix the ground beef with chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Place spinach in a bowl and add sweet corn, cherry tomatoes and spring onion.
You can present this salad in a variety of ways: either mix all of the base ingredients together or place them in separate sections on the top of the salad.
Before serving, place the diced avocado according to your presentation plan, then scoop on the seasoned ground beef. The next layer will consist of the tortilla chips which you can leave whole or smashed up a bit. Garnish with a touch of cilantro and a big helping of shredded cheddar cheese.

Pocket Full of Sunshine
Prep Time: 15 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
15 gm candied pecans
90 gm spinach
3 gm red onion
30 gm strawberries
30 gm blueberries
60 gm avocado
20 gm feta cheese, crumbled
For the candied pecans:
64 gm pecans
10 gm butter
4 gm brown sugar
Pinch of salt
For the dressing:
24 gm sugar
52 ml olive oil
12 ml apple cider vinegar
4.5 gm Dijon mustard
5 gm garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Start off by toasting the pecans. Melt butter in a skillet; once it gets heated, add the pecans, then gently sprinkle sugar to cover them followed by a touch of salt.
Stir well until pecans are totally covered in the sauce; then, empty the pan onto parchment paper and allow to cool.
For the salad, combine spinach, sliced red onion, and halved strawberries and blueberries.
Combine all the ingredients for the dressing and pour half of it onto the salad; toss to ensure it's evenly combined.
Top this with the avocado. Next, crumble feta cheese on top followed by a handful of the candied pecans.
Pour over the rest of the dressing and finish the salad with 1-3 edible flowers.
Peach Please
Prep time: 15 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
10 gm toasted pine nuts
70 gm mixed lettuce
40 gm cucumber
20 gm cranberry
30 gm feta, cubed
100 gm caramelised peach
40 ml balsamic dressing
For the balsamic dressing:
60 ml balsamic vinegar
200 ml olive oil
80 ml honey
20 gm Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together (this will also refrigerate well, so you can enjoy it over some cooked veggies later).
Place pine nuts in a pan big enough to contain them in a single layer (else, toast them in batches). Keep the heat on low, and make sure to turn them every minute or so until golden brown (the pan should be dry; you do not need any oil to toast them).
While the pine nuts are cooling, add mixed lettuce to a bowl and mix in cucumber, cranberry and feta cubes. Drain peaches and place them on top.
Once the pine nuts have cooled down, scatter them on top before finishing the salad with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve.