Celebrate National Salad Month With Easy, Healthy, Delicious Salads

May is National Salad Month. With summer nearly upon us, it's a great time to discover some new salad recipes.

As for salad dressing, I like red wine vinegar and olive oil for dressing, quick and easy, and it goes well in any salad. When I have more time, I wisk in a bit of Dijon mustard. I also like to experiment with mixing a variety of vinegars with olive oil. 

I was in Whole Foods the other day and tried a lovely offering from their salad bar:

• Tomato
• Asparagus
• Hearts of Palm

Another favorite simple salad that is one my daughter and I used to order from room service at The St. Paul Hotel, during her years at Macalester College.This salad is pictured unglamorously above in a Styrofoam container:

• A wedge of iceberg lettuce
• Thick slices of beefsteak tomato
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Red onion slices

My ex-husband's French aunt used to make a wonderful salad:

• Endive
• Walnuts
• Thin slices of apple
• Blue cheese

One of our family favorites is chicken salad. I always try to save leftovers from chicken dinner for chicken salad:

• Chicken shredded or cut—sometimes I just break it up with my hands, as I like the unevenness.
• Celery
• Sliced almonds
• Grapes cut in half or apple
• Toss with mayonnaise
• Curry powder optional

Shrimp salad can take several forms. Here's one I like:

• Lettuce shredded
• Whole shrimp, peeled
• Cocktail sauce (make your own with chili sauce and horseradish or buy ready-made and add extra horseradish to taste)
• Fresh lemon juice

Taco salad is basically a taco in a salad bowl. Here's how I make it:

• Ground turkey or beef, browned
• Chopped tomato
• Shredded lettuce
• Shredded cheddar or other cheese
• Tortilla chips
• Taco sauce
• Serve with sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole on the side.
• For guacamole, I just mash up ripe avocado with chopped tomatoes and squeeze in some lemon juice.

My oldest daughter has a favorite salad that is a one-dish meal:

• Pre-washed spinach
• Frozen edamame beans, warmed in microwave
• Frozen corn, not warmed
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sunflower seeds
• Hearts of palm, sliced
• Bell peppers, orange yellow and or red
• Salt to taste
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil

My same daughter also makes a great steak salad, another one-dish meal:

• Radicchio
• Mixed greens
• Blue cheese crumbles
• New York strip steak, cooked rare in a grill pan (1-2 minutes on each side), sliced

Dressing:

• Sherry vinegar
• Honey
• Mustard
• Olive oil

A breakfast fruit salad I have been making forever is a great way to start your day. I like to squeeze lemon and/or lime on this and on any fruit salad:

• Fresh grapefruit sections
• Sliced strawberries
• Sliced bananas

My ex-mother-in-law was a great cook but she also paid attention to healthy eating and simplicity. Tossing berries together is so easy; sometimes she added green or yellow melon for contrast:

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba melon optional

Summer fruit along with almost any other fruit cut up and drizzled with a bit of triple-sec tastes like sangria in a bowl. Try any or all of the following:

• Peaches
• Plums
• Nectarines
• Grapes
• Pears
• Apples
• Triple sec (an orange-flavored liqueur)

Bon appétit and I wish you a happy, healty National Salad Month!

For more fabulous salad ideas:

Stock Your Kitchen to Reduce and Maintain Your Waistline

A Quick, Easy, One-Dish Meal With Countless Variations

I bet there are so many of you with great salad ideas. Please share!