Just a really great, easy green summer salad recipe with spring greens, avocado, sunflower seeds, carrot, cherry tomatoes, brown rice, and more! This nourishing, light yet filling entrée salad recipe for dinners or lunches will keep you satisfied during the hot summer months.
At the end of a busy, hot summer’s day, there’s nothing I crave more than a simple meal that will fill me up without being too heavy. After all, nobody should be sweating over a pan when it’s blazing hot outside!
Summer salads are an awesome choice for this situation. They’re fresh, light, and super easy to make.
I’ve come up with the perfect summer salad that I can enjoy on repeat – day in and day out. It’s packed with a huge variety of flavors and textures, and ticks all the boxes on the nutrition checklist.
We have spring greens, snappy carrots and crunchy cabbage for fiber, creamy avocado for healthy fats, and brown rice for slow-burning carbohydrates. Add your favorite protein source to make it even more filling!
Yes, I did say brown rice. While it might not be the most obvious salad ingredient, I find salad is a lot easier on the GI when I pair it with a slow-release carb (like brown rice!). Plus, it’s a great source of energy to replenish your body after a hard, hot day rushing around!
Let’s discuss the fresh ingredients to make amazing summer salad recipes.
Ingredients for Summer Salad
Here’s everything you need to make the version of summer salad in the pictures. Don’t feel limited, though. Feel free to add to it and use any vegetables you like!
Spring Greens: This peppery mix of fresh, green goodness makes for the perfect salad base. They’re super high in iron, too!
Avocado: Rich in heart-healthy fats and loaded with vitamins and minerals, avocados are as nutritious as they are delicious. Slice up a large one to add a lovely creamy texture to your Summer salad.
Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds: You can’t beat a seed mix in a salad. Sunflower seeds are a great source of vitamin E, and pumpkin seeds are full of magnesium. Toss a handful of each into your salad for a satisfying crunch.
Carrot: Juicy, crunchy carrots add yet another contrasting texture to our summer salad, (along with an appealing pop of color!). A great source of Vitamin C!
Cherry Tomatoes: There’s nothing better than a ripe cherry tomato. I love adding these to salads for a tantalizing burst of juice!
Red Cabbage: Tender and crisp, raw red cabbage adds a peppery sweetness to this summer salad. Plus, it brings a whole load of fiber and antioxidants!
Brown Rice: It’s fiber-rich and has a pleasant chew that I can’t get enough of. Cook and cool your rice before adding it to your salad.
Lemony Caesar Salad Dressing: Follow the link to learn how to make your own! It’s delightfully zingy and elevates every vegetable in this salad.
Recipe Customizations
- Switch out any of the veggies for whatever you like or have available. Red onion, green onions, bell pepper, green beans, fresh basil, fresh fruits, crisp cucumbers, and fresh corn are all great options.
- Swap the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds for roasted walnuts, pine nuts, sliced almonds, and/or pecans.
- White rice or quinoa are perfect brown rice substitutions!
- Toss in some feta cheese, gorgonzola cheese, fresh mozzarella, or goat cheese!
- Add a protein source. Hard-boiled egg, roast turkey, or baked chicken go fantastically well with this summer salad.
- Make my Mayo-Free Green Goddess Dressing instead of Caesar dressing.
- Tossing in fresh herbs like fresh dill or fresh parsley makes an incredibly refreshing salad!
How to Make a Summer Salad
Grate your carrot, thinly slice the cabbage, and dice your avocado, tomato, and spring greens to your desired size.
Wash the rice, then cook it according to the package instructions. Drain and let it cool. The rice can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. I love keeping a big batch on hand to add to any meal throughout the busy workweek.
Then, combine everything in a bowl, drizzle over the dressing, and toss to coat. Voila!
I recommend enjoying this fresh summer salad right after making it, rather than storing it for later.
Tips for the Ultimate Summer Salad
- This sumptuous salad works great as a main or a side. Eyeball the portions and serve with your heart – it’s more filling than it looks!
- You can use pre-grated, bagged raw carrots to save time! It won’t taste quite as fresh, but it’ll still do the trick if you’re pressed for time.
- Use any fresh produce you love in this simple salad! All leafy greens and fresh veggies are welcome! For the best flavor, stick with what is in season.
- A creamy dressing works great here to offset the lightness of the veggies for a more hearty salad.
Packed full of dazzling colors and flavors, this summer salad is one dish I come back to again and again. I make a delicious salad like this any time of year, using various in-season produce from farmer’s markets or the grocery store.
Let me know in the comments below if you try it out!
Enjoy my summer salad? Here are more salad recipes for you to try!
More Salad Recipes
- Roasted Beet Arugula Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Balsamic Baked Chicken Caesar Salad
- Crispy Mediterranean Chicken Salad with Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing
- Cod Salad with Basil Walnut Pesto
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad
- Chicken Taco Salad
The best summer salad recipe, let’s GO!
Summer Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 ounces spring greens
- 1 large avocado
- 3 Tbsp sunflower seeds
- 3 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 large carrot grated
- 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup red cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 batch Lemony Caesar Salad Dressing or choice of salad dressing
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a huge serving bowl and drizzle in desired amount of Caesar dressing (or dressing of choice). Toss well until everything is coated in dressing to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Thanks for the salad recipe! I used it as a base to add my family’s favorites, and we loved our healthy dinner tonight! I am currently trying DF so I used your Paleo Caesar dressing, and we LOVED it! Thanks!
I’m so happy you like it, Diane!! Thanks so much for the sweet note! xo
In LOVE with this salad!! This is exactly what I needed to make my salad game not boring. I used a tahini dressing, and I’m absolutely obsessed. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so thrilled to hear it! Thanks so much for the sweet note! Hope you’re doing well during these trying times xoxoxo
Thank you for this delicious salad recipe. I did pair it with your lemony caesar dressing and toasted the pepitas on the stovetop med heat for about 4 min stirring constently while roasting the sunflower seeds at 350 deg for 6-8 min. As I made a huge dinner salad …used 2 large just ripened avocados, scallions, a bit of red onion and chicken along with the recipe ingredents. Wonderful flavors!!
I’m so happy you made and enjoyed it, Lynne! The scallions and red onion sound like amazing additions! 😀 xoxox