Salads, Soups and Sides for Sizzling Summer Days

Has it been hot where you live? It certainly has been here in Southern California. To keep cool, and use up all of those delightful vegetables from my local CSA, I have been making some great summer soups and salads.

All of these recipes are great side dishes or you can make an entire meal out of them like I usually do. Most are great for picnics and potlucks.

Gazpacho (a bit pale since my tomatoes were not fully ripe)

Gazpacho and Andalusian Beet Gazpacho – both soups are basically pureed vegetables, the first uses tomatoes as a base and the second uses beets.

Unlike the other salads below, Cold Rice Salad isn’t chock full of fresh summer fruits and vegetables, but it is a great side dish for a summer pot luck, which is exactly where we had this the first time – at the Lalanne Family Reunion.

Melon Pineapple Salsa

Melon Pineapple Salad can be used as a side dish, or chop the pieces smaller and serve it with some chips as a salsa.

Lime Gelatin with Cheddar and Pineapple might sound like a bizarre combination but it is a simple recipe and quite refreshing.

Tabbouli

Tabbouli (or tabbouleh or tabouli or tabouleh) is a wonderful Middle Eastern dish that is traditionally made with bulgur wheat, but is equaly delicious made with quinoa if you are looking for a bit more protein.

Summer Soup – cucumbers and onions in yogurt

Finally, there is Summer Soup. I have NO idea why it is called a soup when it is a salad, but that is what it was always called growing up so that is how it is labeled in the site. Basically it is cucumber and onions with a yogurt dressing.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and try to stay cool!

Until next time, happy eating!

~Audrey