Friday Recipe: Summer Salad with Orange Zest Dressing

By Lana Buseman

 
Sometimes nothing can make you feel more healthy and satisfied than a huge salad with tons of fresh veggies and a great dressing. Add some beans or meat, and some feta or goat cheese and you have yourself a complete meal that couldn’t be faster to throw together.

On hot summer nights, this can often be the best dinner to cool down and enjoy the fresh produce you find at your local farmers market.

This is a salad I really like, but there are no rules with this meal: add any veggies or fruit you like or have fresh on hand. Paired with the orange zest dressing, it is sure to be a winner! This salad will generally serve 3-4 people.

Summer Salad Ingredients

• 2 heads red leaf lettuce
• ½ red onion sliced thin
• ¼ bulb of fennel, sliced thin
• ½ cup cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin
• ½ avocado, diced
• 1 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed
• ½ cup chopped beats
• ½ cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
• ½ cup strawberries, quartered
• 4 oz feta or goat cheese, crumbled

Orange Zest Dressing Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Zest of half an orange
• Juice of half an orange
• Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Mix all your salad ingredients together in a large serving bowl.
2. Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over salad.
3. Toss salad with dressing to make sure the dressing is evenly distributed.
4. Enjoy!

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Plus! Try this great cedar plank salmon recipe as an additional topping for your summer salad!