Summer Salads

Summer has come, gone and come back to Vienna.  YAH for a warm return! :)  On summer days, it's the best to have a yummy, veggie salad.  Who wants to spend time cooking and making your home warmer than needed (esp. here in Europe where we don't have AC!)??  No. Thank. You.  So I thought I would share some of our favorite salads that we are currently enjoying or have enjoyed in summers past.  May you come to love them as we do! :)    

This recipe is a new one and it was definitely worth it.  I will be making it again sometime soon.  Thank you, Pinterest (from this website)! :)

Bacon, Tomato, Avacodo Pasta Salad

6 slices bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp

1/2 pound pasta

1 c cherry tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, pitted and sliced

Dressing

1/2 c mayo

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp salt and garlic powder

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tsp dried dill

Cook the bacon and dab the oil away. 

Cook the noodles to package directions, strain and run cold water over them.

Mix the dressing together.

Toss all the ingredients together and then cool for 30 min in the fridge.

Optional: add nuts or sunflower seeds.

soooo yummy!!

Another favorite is couscous salad - so easy and fast!!  The nice thing about this salad is that you can put anything you want in it that you think fits.  If you like a certain veggie, toss it in.  When I eat it, I always feel like I want to add more things that I don't have right on hand.  Tonight I wanted to add mozzarella or feta cheese...next time... 

Sesame Chicken Couscous Salad

1 1/2 c chicken broth

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame/olive oil

Combine and bring to a boil.

(or do like I do, and just use boiling water from the water cooker and just mix everything together)

1 c uncooked couscous

Place in a large bowl and stir in boiling broth.  Cover and let it stand 5-8 minutes, then fluff it.

Now comes the fun part...add any veggies you want...steam 'em, or just toss them in raw.

Some suggestions for steamed veggies are sugar snap peas, snow peas, broccoli florets ... 

Raw veggies can be tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers .... 

You can also add 1 c of cooked chicken, chopped.

{I often make it a vegetarian salad though.  Just for the fun of it.}

Dressing

1/4 c lemon juice

2 tblsp olive oil

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

Combine and mix into couscous mixture.

Mix in some slivered almonds, sesame seeds or whatever suits your fancy.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

My friend, Stacey, makes a great pasta salad with this salad dressing.

Another one I've made before is a sundried tomato pasta salad - sooo good!!

What are your favorite summer salads?