Normally, even during the summer I still like to eat warm lunches and dinners. To me, salad always makes me think of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber. In recent years I have been experimenting with summery vegetables and turning them into delicious salads that could be eaten hot or cold.
As the weather has not been that great in the UK in the past few months I thought a warmer salad might be appreciated. These ‘salad’ type meals are great for dinner but could also be taken on a picnic or eaten as a packed lunch. All are very simple to cook and they are all very tasty too. Well worth trying.
What is your favourite salad? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Summer always feels like a time for cooler foods but as I mentioned earlier the weather in the UK hasn’t been great. If this summer has been a bit of a damp squid for you this year and it feels like it just won’t stop raining, then this is the recipe for you. It’s simple, easy and tasty too. Plus you can make double and eat it as a packed lunch the next day as well. It’s perfect for a hot or cold day.
Warm Roasted Vegetable and Smoked Mackerel Salad
Even though the weather isn’t great at the moment this recipe is brilliant in the summer months but could also be good in the winter months as well. The dish has a lot of root vegetables in that are seasonal to the autumn and spring. So if you can’t get one at a certain time of year then you could replace it or just leave it out although. It’s definitely one meal I will be making myself soon.
Roasted Med Veg Pesto and Pasta
The other day I was writing my weekly shopping list. I went to the fridge to see what I had left. Suddenly I noticed a few small tomatoes and an aubergine. I must have been meaning to use these in a recipe. As I’m not one for waste I thought about how I could use these vegetables in my cooking. I decided to try these two with other similar mediterranean vegetables in a pesto. The results were amazing and it’s another delicious dish that could be served hot or cold.
Although this is a salad I love to eat during the winter months, I have been known to eat this dish in the summer as well. It’s delicious warm or cold. The best part is that if you have trouble digesting greens then heating them up in a pan or steaming veg is the best thing to do. Raw vegetables do not agree with many people. By heating them up in a pan the body is better able to deal with the vegetable. That’s why this meal is one of my favourite salads.
Roasted Beetroot Pesto with Grilled Tomato
The first time I tired cooked beetroot, not from a packet, I had it roasted in Australia. I was living with my best friend Briony’s family and they made roast dinner with roast beetroot and other vegetables. It was so delicious and the beetroot is the one veggie I can remember most about this meal.
The beetroot we ate with the roast was juicy and sweet. It made a delicious change to the roasted parsnips and carrots I was used too. I just loved it. Many years later I started shopping at our local farm shop and I noticed local beetroot being sold on the shelves. It looked so good that I brought a big bunch and of course, I started experimenting. I think I have made a delicious summer salad that could be taken with you.
5 Simple Hot or Cold Summer Salads is a great way to fill your plates with plenty of veg. They are simple but tasty too. Plus these can be eaten as a main meal or could be taken with you on a picnic or as a packed lunch. You could also freeze these salads for another occasion. You could also make a big batch of any salad above and serve it to family and friends at a BBQ. However you decide to eat these dishes, as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 